as usual - sides

[audreywald]

Has anyone had any sides that have been constant while on tx? I have had so many stomach problems since beginning 3 months ago that I am forgetting what is like to have my stomach feel normal.

I went to the ER 2 days ago, with a sort of knot of nausea/pain in the solar plexus area. It was very severe, both my liver doc and my internist said go to the hospital. And as usual, they do not know what is happening or why.

I am so tired of being sick. I just had a bowl of cereal and am nauseous again. My platelets are a bit below normal, 119,000. My liver PA says not to worry at this point. Does that sound right?

I am sorry to ***** and moan but sometimes this is just so hard to take.

[LuckyHaskins]

Thanks for checking in on me, nice to hear from you! I'm OK, just tired ALL of the time. Let's all kill some blood varmits!

Pete

[goinseagle]

I know we talk everyday but i thought this might also help some one else i drink propel it is made by gatorade and it is water with nutrients in it potassium niacin and vitamin a c b12 helps my nausea and keeps me hydrated was in the hospital last time for dehydration twice. Antacids are not supposed to be good for us because of the magnesium or so i've been told I f I'm wrong just let me know nut drink lots of water i have to have flavor or i get sick

[cheriums]

Ginger of all sorts, much mentioned, is The Answer to nausea, but it sounds like your G.I. pain is something else.  You've tried Rolaids, Mylanta, Pepcid -- the antacids?  When I had the sort of pain you describe, it turned out to be an inflammed gallbladder.  No gallstones, so it was never seen on an ultrasound.  When, finally, I had a nuclear scan called a CCK-HIDA, which shows how well bile moves thru the liver, then how long the gallbladder takes to empty, it was seen the gallbladder was enlarged and distended, slow to empty.  Often, with an inflammed liver, the bile is thick and hard for the gallbladder to empty. After my inflammed gallbladder was removed, I never had that pain again.  Meantime, try eating as little fat as possible. If it's gallbladder, a very low fat diet will prevent trouble. (Hard to maintain, but you can tell in a day or two if it's helping. Which would be a clue.)  Have you tried Vicodin?  Vicodin relaxes the gallbadder sphincter, stops the pain, if it's gallbladder. I hope you have something to take for pain, in any case!

[mother of three]

Hi , I myself had some bad stomach problems I am 23/48 in the hospital twice , went through all kinds of test, they couldn't find anything , I also had alot of swelling , no acities. it turned out to be my  anti deppressant. since they took me off of it ., all my problems stopped . I was on 50mg of paxil cr.

[AK - Hepper]

I found some lozenges called GingerTrips at the health food store that helped with my nausea. I would chew 4 at a time and it really worked for me, but mine was just a really queasy feeling, never actually threw up. The nausea finally went away after about a month

[BD146]

Try the GINGER ALE ... It also works for me.
Get well... Edgar

[LuckyHaskins]

Just got done grabbin' and stabbin' #3....Such Fun!!! Here is how my stomach went this week. I was taking my meds in the a.m. without any food, just lots of water. BIG Mistake! Now, I eat a piece of Health Nut bread (very dense) and drink lots of milk then water. It has helped a lot!!! I was feeling nauseated all day before, now, not so bad. Tired a lot, and my eyes are really bloodshot. Here's hoping you start feeling really better!


Pete

[ral]

Yes, I have severe stomach problems myself. My stomach is in knots all the time but what are we going to do, just try to bare it and get thru this thing.

GOD BLESS

Bob L

[CARUU]

I've had a pain similar to what you describe.  I'm on Protonix twice a day for GERD and still have extreme pain/nausea in my upper stomach/breast bone area on occasion.  The ONLY thing I've found to help is Pepto Bismal.  My docs have said that Protonix works for acid reflux but NOT for bile reflux.  I'm also starting to id. foods that cause it (yogurt, raw veggies, coffee, so far).  When you mentioned cereal, I thought of the milk possibly being a problem.  The Pepto is kind of a pain to have to keep close by.  I've been known, on more than one occasion, to get up from my desk at work and go to the parking lot to sit in my car and take Pepto, and wait for the pain to subside.  The tablets don't seem to help at all. I don't know if this has anything to do with the hepc, but it seem suspect that so many of us have gallbladder, esophagus and other digestive problems.  I hope you start feel better soon! caruu

[DoubleDose]

I also had constant stomach problems during 18 months of therapy.  Sometimes the pain was extreme, and the digestive difficulties very hard to deal with, but eventually tx came to an end, and my stomach has returned to an almost totally normal state.  I sometimes think that the deep, knot-like pains that I experienced throughout my stomach and midsection were autoimmune in nature, caused by the constant dosing of Peg-Intron in my system.  I also had frequent joint pain, in mid back, neck, and shoulders, as well as dry, burning eyes, and generalized autoimmune-like reactions.  I really think that in many people, the interferon creates a lupus-like condition, or maybe something like rheumatoid arthritis...but generally a system-wide, autoimmune type response.  I am still wrestling with joint pain and dry eyes five months after therapy.  Hopefully these issues will resolve over time...we will see.  I also frequently experience a mild lupus-like redness on my cheeks and nose, which usually acts up in parallel to my joint, eye, and fatigue symptoms.  I have heard about many patients having fatigue, and arthritic problems after tx, many who are SVR's, so it may just be an after-effect of all that interferon.  Who knows how long these reactions might persist, or how many will ever reverse.  
I will just be happy to maintain SVR status, and be rid of that 'liver killing' virus.  The rest I will deal with.

So hang in there, and you will get through the sides.  As long as the docs can't find a serious medical issue with your stomach, you may have to just ride it out.  Mine got milder for periods of time and worse again, without any predictability.
Good luck....Keep at it!!!!!!

[GreatBird]

Have you tried ginger for your tummy? Ginger ale? Ginger tea? Ginger chews? It can really work to ease an upset tummy. You can make ginger tea using a slice of real ginger in hot water or get it in bags sometimes even at the grocery store (certainly at a health food store). Sipping ginger ale or ginger tea always works for me with a bad tummy (although I am not on TX).