What are long term lasting side effects of treatment?

[pozzy]

I cleared the virus after two full years of interferon/ribo, six years ago...
I have been experiencing anxiety attacts and possibly cognitive disorders...Can anyone refer me to a website with info?
                    Thanks, POZ

[dc6]

hi, im about to start the new trmnt i am geno type 1, and scared out of my mind !!!!  im scared because i tried the old treatment 1 1/2 yrs ago and i had debilitating side effects had to leave my job for months during the trmnt.  well thank god my boss is very understanding they are giving me 6mths off !! to start this trmnt nxt week ! will be 3diff drugs ill be on (new trmnt) im scared of the side effects and the long term effects !! im 51yrs old and already am getting deppressed just the thought of doing this harsh trmnt and memories of the last time i tried !! only stayed on the trmnt for 3mths and my viral count did go down very low to this day and my dr is suggesting that i do the new trmnt good candidate to be svr a! any suggestions on what i can take or do for the side effects during trmnt !! i was very very fatigue/headaches/depression/dry dry skin/rash/what can i take >? pls help im getting way too scared.  

[lahowell]

Right On!!! I just finished tx 3 weeks ago w/ the "new" drug. (6mos. tx time), and I'm still very tired, my hair is till thinning, skin still dry and itchy, and my brain has a "fog" so bad that I can't even remember where I'm at or what I'm doing for about a third of the time. I used to be bubbly, and FULL of energy, and friends would call me to ask about something that happened 20yrs. ago because my memory used to be awesome!!!! Now I can't remember where I'm going when I'm driving down the road.... I would do tx again, but I really hope the after effects go away soon!

[Kalio1]

You might want to get your "facts" straight when you quote someone, I didn't say this:

"The combo tx has been around about 9 yrs, he has treated I think he said 600 patients on this medication and all his patients have recovered post tx in either 2 or 4 weeks - no long term sides."


So you go ahead and "pick it apart" but HepCinsd said it, not I.

[hepcinsd]

Having completed 13 of 24 weeks as a type 3a I started reading views on long term sides from tx. I felt as I was UND at 4 and now 12 weeks I would quit tx because my chance of SVR would've been greater than 80% if I stayed the 24 weeks. But I may already have reached SVR. So I addressed the sides with my Doctor last Thursday and this is what the "expert" has to say:
"The combo tx has been around about 9 yrs, he has treated I think he said 600 patients on this medication and all his patients have recovered post tx in either 2 or 4 weeks - no long term sides. Additionally we discussed 9 yrs in not sufficient history to conclude really long term results. Basically he said there is NO information out there proving long term sides from tx". Now this doesn't mean there isn't. Again, we have to make our own choices based on our unique situation and accurate information.
He mentioned if I stayed the 11 more weeks my probability of SVR would rise to 90% given my health and other variables, and if I quit and maybe relapsed I would feel bad about the 11 weeks already invested. He basically helped convince me to stay the course. Now, VX950 is 3 to 4 years away and we DO NOT know it's sides or success rate. Also he said it was not a stand alone drug, implying maybe you would take it along with the Ribavirin and Interferon. He is a hepatologist and I believe this is all he does.
The side that is bothering me the most now is the Riba Rash started at week 10, & it seems worse than any other side I have had on this tx. The Dr gave me an antihistamine Atarac it's ok, helps me sleep.
Hope this helps others as the forum was great for me starting treatment.

[cbee]

"The combo tx has been around about 9 yrs, he has treated I think he said 600 patients on this medication and all his patients have recovered post tx in either 2 or 4 weeks - no long term sides."

I am sorry but this is just another doctor who is full of ****.  I don't think you will find even a handful of people who did this tx that "recovered" in 2 or 4 weeks - even those who have no long term sides!  This is exactly the misinformation that I have been posting about.  It is such a disservice to people who are in the decision-making process about tx.  It makes me crazy mad.  Even though I wasn't informed about long term sides, at least my doctors let me know it would take "time" after treatment for me to "recover."  How many people do you know who did chemo that recovered in 2-4 weeks?!  Interferon is a chemo drug!

-cbee

[hepcinsd]

This is part of the reason I have a hard time deciding if I should quit having already cleared. It does seem hard to believe patients are okay 2-4 weeks post tx, keep in mind strong healthy patients prior to tx. My problem is studies show SVR percent higher for 24 weeks vs 16 weeks (type 3a) of tx but as I may have already achieved SVR do I put more poison or lessen the percentage of SVR. It is really, really a tough call to make. Obviously it is not a no brainer.