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What causes the side effects, Ribo or Interferon?
In your opinion what causes what side effects? Interferon or Ribaviron. I am in the Lambda Phase IIB study and have a few side effects. Of the list of common side effects that are discussed on the forum, what are you opinions?
Fever, body aches, muscle aches, headache, brain fog, loss of apatite, hungry, fatigue and or tired, insomnia, lack of motivation, itching, wanting to isolate, easily irritated, eyes dry and or burn. Please add others if you can think of them.
My side effects include fatigue and tired, use to be insomnia. Lack of motivation, I am ok once I get started; it’s just hard to get started. HUNGRY. Itching usually starts about 3 hours after I take Ribo. Eyes dry or burn on occasion and easily irritated.
I will be nice to see what other people think.
Fever, body aches, muscle aches, headache, brain fog, loss of apatite, hungry, fatigue and or tired, insomnia, lack of motivation, itching, wanting to isolate, easily irritated, eyes dry and or burn. Please add others if you can think of them.
My side effects include fatigue and tired, use to be insomnia. Lack of motivation, I am ok once I get started; it’s just hard to get started. HUNGRY. Itching usually starts about 3 hours after I take Ribo. Eyes dry or burn on occasion and easily irritated.
I will be nice to see what other people think.
Did I say 'loop in the curse??" I meant to say 'loop in the curve' . Truly that was an unintentional mistake. But, looking back on my Tele experience, for me, I think it probably was more of a curse. Susan400
I just echo what others have said above. BOTH! I felt a definite surge on the days following my shots however, the rest of the week wasn't a walk in the park either because of the Riba's sides. I was taking my 3 pills of Riba in the morning with my breakfast so by lunchtime I had NO APPETITE whatsoever and usually was wiped out. I took my 2 Riba's at the supper meal. I felt like taking the Riba's on a meal on either end that it helped get enough of the fat into me that I needed to. That was the case when I wasn't in a trial I mean. Because when I got started in the trials that I did, particularly Vertex with the every 8 hrs on the Telaprevir, that sort of threw another loop in the curse so to speak. Susan400
"Interferon is nasty. Ribavirin is evil.
A marriage made in Hades. "
Ribavirin is notable for the fatigue and the definite impact. Interferon is the one that left me with permanent souvenirs of treatment and can induce the various levels of depression and auto-immune diseases. The itching and fatigue from riba went away, the auto-immune issues from Interferon have not.
A marriage made in Hades. "
Ribavirin is notable for the fatigue and the definite impact. Interferon is the one that left me with permanent souvenirs of treatment and can induce the various levels of depression and auto-immune diseases. The itching and fatigue from riba went away, the auto-immune issues from Interferon have not.
From reverse extrapolation, my husband felt like death warmed over during his episodes of anemia, and reducing riba made him feel like he had some energy again, so for him, we could attribute all his fatigue during those times to the riba. Being that he has only had the 2 meds together, it's hard to delineate what side is caused by which med. I would agree, though, with FlGuy's pithy summation. ~eureka
I can't check now (early to rise tomorrow) but something surprised me when I looked at the current Roche site. It listed the common and serious side effects of the two drugs collectively not separately. Somehow I thought the site used to separate the two drugs into two lists but am not sure:
"What are the most serious side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS?
Serious side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS are:
Mental health problems (such as depression, thoughts about suicide, suicide attempts and relapse of drug abuse or drug overdose, all of which can lead to death. Other problems include thoughts of homicide or hurting other people, irritability, anxiety, aggressiveness, bipolar disorders, mania, and hallucinations)
Blood problems (like a drop in blood cells leading to increased risk for infections, bleeding and/or heart or circulatory problems). Low levels of red blood cells can cause death in patients taking COPEGUS. Most blood counts may be reduced including white blood cell, red blood cell, platelets, hemoglobin, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts.
Other blood disorders
Problems with pregnancy
Lung problems (like trouble breathing, pneumonia, inflammation of lung tissue, and high lung blood pressure), sometimes requiring a machine to breathe for you and/or causing death
Eye problems (blurred, loss of vision, and retinal detachment)
Autoimmune problems (sarcoidosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, and thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism)
Heart problems (including high or low blood pressure, chest pain, fast heart rate, and heart attacks) which can lead to death
Stomach pain (stomach or corneal ulcers)
Rash with fever or blisters
Weakness, loss of coordination, numbness, and difficulty speaking due to stroke, including patients with no known risk for stroke
Liver problems (rarely, liver function worsens) including an increased chance of liver failure in patients with cirrhosis. Patients with both the hepatitis C virus and HIV have an increased chance of liver failure during PEGASYS treatment. Change in a blood test that measures liver inflammation occurs more often in patients with hepatitis B. If you have a rise in this blood test you may need to be watched more closely with additional blood tests. Severe liver damage can lead to death
Colitis (inflammation of the colon, which can cause abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and fever) which can lead to death
Inflammation of the pancreas, muscles, and bile ducts which can lead to death
Blood sugar problems such as high or low blood sugar and diabetes
Bacterial, viral, fungal infections (such as in the blood, bones, heart, kidneys and lungs) which can lead to death
What are the most common side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS?
The most common side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS are:
Flu-like symptoms (including fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, tiredness)
Upset stomach (like nausea, vomiting, taste changes, diarrhea)
Skin problems (like rash, dry or itchy skin, or redness and swelling at injection site)
Hair thinning or loss (temporary)
Mental health problems (such as depression, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and anxiety)
Anorexia or loss of appetite leading to weight loss
Dehydration"
http://www.pegasys.com/
For me, the hardest was how the ribavirin did in my hemoglobin so fast and furious. My heart raced, my body crawled. I had nothing to compare it to, that feeling of body deadness. (Now I'm every bit as active as I used to be and appreciate it more, so don't worry.)
"What are the most serious side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS?
Serious side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS are:
Mental health problems (such as depression, thoughts about suicide, suicide attempts and relapse of drug abuse or drug overdose, all of which can lead to death. Other problems include thoughts of homicide or hurting other people, irritability, anxiety, aggressiveness, bipolar disorders, mania, and hallucinations)
Blood problems (like a drop in blood cells leading to increased risk for infections, bleeding and/or heart or circulatory problems). Low levels of red blood cells can cause death in patients taking COPEGUS. Most blood counts may be reduced including white blood cell, red blood cell, platelets, hemoglobin, neutrophil, and lymphocyte counts.
Other blood disorders
Problems with pregnancy
Lung problems (like trouble breathing, pneumonia, inflammation of lung tissue, and high lung blood pressure), sometimes requiring a machine to breathe for you and/or causing death
Eye problems (blurred, loss of vision, and retinal detachment)
Autoimmune problems (sarcoidosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, and thyroid problems, such as hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism)
Heart problems (including high or low blood pressure, chest pain, fast heart rate, and heart attacks) which can lead to death
Stomach pain (stomach or corneal ulcers)
Rash with fever or blisters
Weakness, loss of coordination, numbness, and difficulty speaking due to stroke, including patients with no known risk for stroke
Liver problems (rarely, liver function worsens) including an increased chance of liver failure in patients with cirrhosis. Patients with both the hepatitis C virus and HIV have an increased chance of liver failure during PEGASYS treatment. Change in a blood test that measures liver inflammation occurs more often in patients with hepatitis B. If you have a rise in this blood test you may need to be watched more closely with additional blood tests. Severe liver damage can lead to death
Colitis (inflammation of the colon, which can cause abdominal pain, bloody diarrhea, and fever) which can lead to death
Inflammation of the pancreas, muscles, and bile ducts which can lead to death
Blood sugar problems such as high or low blood sugar and diabetes
Bacterial, viral, fungal infections (such as in the blood, bones, heart, kidneys and lungs) which can lead to death
What are the most common side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS?
The most common side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS are:
Flu-like symptoms (including fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches, tiredness)
Upset stomach (like nausea, vomiting, taste changes, diarrhea)
Skin problems (like rash, dry or itchy skin, or redness and swelling at injection site)
Hair thinning or loss (temporary)
Mental health problems (such as depression, difficulty sleeping, irritability, and anxiety)
Anorexia or loss of appetite leading to weight loss
Dehydration"
http://www.pegasys.com/
For me, the hardest was how the ribavirin did in my hemoglobin so fast and furious. My heart raced, my body crawled. I had nothing to compare it to, that feeling of body deadness. (Now I'm every bit as active as I used to be and appreciate it more, so don't worry.)
CoStudy -- I forgot to mention. My appetitie swings from ravinous hunger to feeling sickened by food. So far, it seems like I'm hungry in the mornings, and when it is time for dinner, it is really hard to eat, and I have to force myself. It is so much easier being hungry, because you can eat and you feel yourself being satisfied after. When I force myself to eat, I feel sort of sick to my stomach after.
I'm sure we are all different too when it comes to our dietery habits. Also, foods that I didn't really care about, I crave -- like cheese. I could just eat cheese all day -- I won't allow myself to do that, but it is a craving. Also, I use to eat a large salad with numerous veggies for lunch, and I'm finding that raw vegetables do not agree with my system very well now. I also ate 3 to 5 pieces of fruit -- now I have to force myself to eat fruit. Oh, boy, all these things that happen to us on this treatment. I don't know one day to the next what is going to happen. All these surprises!!!!
Debbie
I'm sure we are all different too when it comes to our dietery habits. Also, foods that I didn't really care about, I crave -- like cheese. I could just eat cheese all day -- I won't allow myself to do that, but it is a craving. Also, I use to eat a large salad with numerous veggies for lunch, and I'm finding that raw vegetables do not agree with my system very well now. I also ate 3 to 5 pieces of fruit -- now I have to force myself to eat fruit. Oh, boy, all these things that happen to us on this treatment. I don't know one day to the next what is going to happen. All these surprises!!!!
Debbie
It seems to me that I've experienced sides from both. So far, the sides have not been to bad, YET, but I just got my 4th injection. During the course of a day, I can go from feeling upbeat with normal energy, to being in a foggy state with little energy. Also, you have to be aware of the psychologoical effects too. That's been the worst so far for me. It is easy to become irritable and angry and then that passes and you fall into a low. It is hard because there are just some things out of your control and it is easy to get upset.
nygirl7 was right, it is better than the sides of a transplant or death.
Hang in there.
Debbie
nygirl7 was right, it is better than the sides of a transplant or death.
Hang in there.
Debbie
Both but differently.
However, they are better than the side effect of transplantation or death.
The anemia was by far the worst side for me and I think I had them all (except shot night fevers which only was a few times later on in tx).
However, they are better than the side effect of transplantation or death.
The anemia was by far the worst side for me and I think I had them all (except shot night fevers which only was a few times later on in tx).
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