When do side effects start?

[jimmy381]

I've been on treatment for about 8 months. The first 6-7 were fine very few side effects. Lately a day or two after the injection i have flu symptoms for a couple of days, and I feel very irritable latlely. The past two months I've been having a lot of trouble sleeping and my hair has been thinning quite a lot. I've got an appt with my Dr. i a couple of weeks when I'll let her know, but was wondering if this is normal to happen now?, and if there's any thing they can do to help sleep and irritablity.

[EmilyKY]

I too have major side affects. (hearing loss, blurred vision, lethargy, nausea, gas, stomach pain, muscle aches, shortness of breath, sinus symptoms and tired) Funny thing is, they start about 36 hours after injection time. I feel like a time bomb. This stuff truely is POISON and should be treated as such. One thing I want to add, after 12 weeks my viroload had not decreased 2 log (6.1 mil to 525,000. They wanted to see 61,000 or less)  and my insurance has refused to pay for the drugs. I am trying to decide whether there is any benefit in continuing tx? Any newcomers: be completely vigilant in the first 3 months. That means no alcohol, painkillers (Lortab), and drink gallons of water. No one had explaned to me how crucial the first 12 weeks are, especially if you have insurance that will pay for it. (many ins won't cover) I stopped alcohol the day I was DX and tried to do everything they said to do, although I probably could have downed more water. It's very hard to do on the days my stomach and liver are killing me.  I am now considered a non-responder and feel so helpless. It's hard to grasp that there's nothing they can do. Lets all pray for a cure that works!
EmilyKY

[jimmy381]

thanks for all the input. I guess my side affects are pretty minimal compared to alot of others. My heart goes out to them. My Dr. just prescribed my something to sleep. I too am awake most of the night, but I just flick through the channels till I find the most boring thing on in hopes of boring mysef to sleep..

I hope everyone feels better and gets through this..........

[Liz50]

Wow, you went more than 6 months with essentially no sides?? That's AMAZING!!! My por hubby was sick with the first shot and has gotten sicker with each progressiv week. We're on week 9 and it has seemed like forever. By Sunday afternoons he cannot even stand up---so from within minutes of the shot on Friday until he drags himself out of bed on Monday because he has to get his blood drawn----he's in bed. In constant achey pain 24/7. migraines, nausea, irritability. You are so lucky. Be so grateful for that!!! My hubby went into this with such high hopes and he is so sick it breaks my heart. Thank goodness for Lortab and Ambien or this man would be unable to ever sleep or move w/o extreme pain. WAY worse than we had expected or been warned--so I guess everyone is different--obviously!!

[JodyLynn]

I dont sleep....just watch alot of court tv and walk the floors lol.......i know Forensic Science so well now i could teach it lmao.

[chevyelcam79]

I just did 14!  Personally for me, the last 2 weeks have been my worse.  Shortness of breath (12 week hemo 11.5 WBC 1260.  I do get shortness of breath also.  Albuterol inhaler seems to help sometimes.  

The last 2 weeks on Fridays (shot night) I seem to have flu like feelings and general crappy feelings all day.  

Any one else experiance this and anyone know why?

thanks!
Shari

[FloridaMouse]

The last 5 months of treatment were much harder for me that the first 7.  I had minimal sides from May, 2006 until the end of December 2006.  At the end of December, it seemed like all hell broke loose.  However, I did start losing my hair about 9 weeks into tx.  The hair loss slowed down about a month before I finished tx and it is indeed growing back (I have these lovely little spikey things going on now).  

Good news, I started feeling a heck of a lot better within 10 days of finishing tx other than the RA that it left me with.

Mouse
Genotype 1a, Stage 3, Grade 3
Finished 48 wks of tx on 4/13/07
Hoping for SVR on 9/20/07
(10+ days and counting!)

[l-horn]

Apparently, two months ago. At least for you. Hang in there buddy, you're almost there !!!

[meki]

Jimmy - each person reacts differently --- some have no sides --- others -- well they can't move...

You seem to be doing good ---- comparatively.

You're winded because you're putting poison into your system to kill a virus - etc. But it lowers your white blood cells.

If you're out playing ball - 8 months into TX - you're an amazingly lucky Txer... LOL!

I hope you feel better -- and know this: If your side effects get worse KNOW --- that after TX -- about 6 months --- -life starts getting better.

Good luck!

Meki

[jimmy381]

I was only curious because I half expect to get through this with very little side effects. The first 6 months seemed to be no problem. The past 2 months it seems like they hit me like a ton of bricks. I used to play a lot of basketball but lately after a few times up and down the court I'm winded, although I keep trying.:) Also I'm injecting around my stomach area and I seem to be losing hair at the injection site too...

[drofi]

hairthinning and sleeping problems are very common. The hair comes back after Tx and the sleep too.
You can not do much against hairloss, but against sleeping trouble. Tell your doctor about it and ask for a medication.
In Germany a product called Zolpidem is often used against it while people are on Tx. I forgot the tradename of the US-product, sorry.

A golden rule: Never accept sides before your doctor told you, there is no help!

Btw, the heading does not describe your question, or did I misunderstand it?