daddys girl needing help for her dad

[mistified_amp]

what antidepressants help with uncontrollable rage from hepc ?does this mean it is getting worse?i am a daughter of a great man,father grandpa that has had hep c for 20 years now and interferon did not work..it made him even sicker.lately his depression is getting worse and he has episodes of uncontrollable rage,my father was never an angry man so this is very unusual.the doc had tried one antidepressant which he had a reaction and made him sick now im wondering is there anything else??? any info would be appreciated is there anything for the emotions,sickness????? thnk you

[Diane12855]

Depression is a common side effect of interferon. This is caused by reduced amounts of serotonin and/or norepinephrin in the brain. Antidepressants help the body get those levels back up to normal, but it takes different kinds for different people. I had to try about 4 kinds before I found the right one, but once I did, the difference was profound. Effexor works great for me. Rage was part of my symptoms too. This can be made worse by HCV, but then again it can be made worse just by untreated depression. I already know that I won't be stopping my Effexor right away after finishing treatment because it takes the body a while to get all of the chemicals balanced out after stopping these drugs and any imbalance will feel rough.

One thing to consider is that the family doctor isn't the doctor that he needs, no matter how much your dad likes him. The training that doctors get can make all of the difference in the world. Also he needs a doctor that won't stop trying to make him feel better until he finds the right combination of meds. So many of them are apathetic about what we are feeling so we have to be our own advocate. Bug them until they fix your dad!!!

It also may help him to get on this forum and realize that he isn't as alone as he probably feels.

Diane

[merryBe]

really cool that you were able to help her so much.

Is it a lot harder to see a hepatologist up there?? Here the wait is 3 to 6 months, but once you get started it's not so bad. Up there I don't know...is it a lot harder??

[Trish77]

Misty - I missed completely that you're in B.C - and that you're a fellow Canadian!!  There are a number of resources in B.C. available to you and your Dad and also in Kelowna.  I'm so sorry I missed that, I should have looked at your profile.  B.C. is one of the most progressive places in Canada for groups that are active and addressing Hep C issues.  Having said that, the medical treatment of Hep C in Canada can leave a lot to be desired with regard to knowledge of treatment and approaches and can be somewhat backwards sometimes.  It doesn't sound like your Dad is getting adequate care without knowing many details about his current status and might be worth looking for a second opinion.  The question is…where to go, yes?

Here are a number of resources - I'd suggest, if you can, get yourself to a Hep C support group there where you can talk to people like us who are dealing with this issue in your own area and can point you to doctors and supports that might be able to help both you AND your Dad.

Here's a few to start with.  Feel free to PM me here as well, whatever works for you.  

http://www.hepcbc.ca/  - this is one of the best websites going for Canadian information on Hep C

http://livingpositive.ca/hep_support.php - list of resources in B.C. with very specific contact information on a Kelowna Support group

http://infohepatitec.ca/en/organizations/name/bc/interior?page=1&lang=en&level=i   - BC specific Hep C organizations

http://infohepatitec.ca/en/home - Hep C information in general.

Hope this helps….keep asking questions.  You're on the right track.

Trish

[mistified_amp]

Thankyou for all the help,all of this information is helping.i know that there was talk of another treatment,but because it did not work the first time the doctor said there is no chance of  a second try,as far as a specialist here, he has not found one that seems to help,our family doc doesnt seem to do much,i dont know if he understands this disease much.so he refered him to a specialist but the specialist said he only deals with liver transplants,which is not available to him at this time.the specialist has given him no insight on treatments,or meds to help with emotions or sickness, does anyone know of hepatologist around the okangan bc???? this would be a great help.... again thanks for all the information it is giving me hope and am glad to talking to others that understand,,, its a hard issue to deal with when most dont understand wat this disease is and how it affects your life as wellas your familys lifes....again any info helps....

[Trish77]

Hello there, sounds like your Dad is quite the guy and that you are a loving, caring daughter.  I can understand this rage being distressing, particularly if it's not something you're used to experiencing with your Dad.  It would be way too hard for anyone on this forum to know what the source of his rage is, whether it's emotional or physical.  It could be because treatment didn't work for him THIS time or due to chemical changes in his brain that can cause changes in his emotional makeup or physical changes in his body that are impacting, both of which require medical attention and a diagnosis.  

If you want to know the exact state of your father's Hep C and where it's at, here are the basic things you need to know and that would help us help you to understand your Dad's current condition.  Find out what genotype he is and if he has had a biopsy.  If he has had a biopsy, it will tell what stage of liver damage he is at - key words are Stage and Grade - there will be numbers to those. 0 or 1 is lowest amount of liver damage going up to 4 and then beyond.  

I wonder if he also knows that he can potentially do treatment again, that this was not necessarily his only shot.  A number of people here have done treatment more than once.  There are also different drugs coming relatively soon that should give him some hope and if his rage is due to despair, perhaps some knowledge will help him.  Knowing how his treatment went last time - what side effects he went through and how hard it was on him, what his genotype is and what his Stage and Grade are will help us to help you.

I have to wonder about his doctor and hope his doctor is knowledgeable at treating  Hep C well.  Not all gastroenterologists are good at treating Hep C and better to find a good hepatologist.  So...I hope your Dad is under the care of someone who is knowledgeable and experienced and keeps up on current treatment practices with regards to Hep C.

Good luck with all this.  Brave of you to face this head on and I give you credit for that.  Hope some of this info we're tossing to you helps some.  

Trish

[merryBe]

I would add to the above that there is a lot of rage that some folks go through when diagnosed with this disease, and especially if they are unsuccessful with treatment.

Sometimes they are afraid of what's coming, sometimes they are med at themseles or others, and also they don't feel well.

In latter stage disease they can become depressed due to lack of cholesterol in the brain once the liver stops making it, and from the higher ammonia levels they can also experience both confusion, lethary and rage.

Everyone is different, and their needs are different. The best thing would be to call your dads clinic, where they treated him, and ask if they could recommend someone who deals with liver patients. I know my doctors office have a couple of people they use to help the sufferer work through their grief and dying issues, and to get them on the right meds.
It helps to have a counselor who deals with end of life issues a lot.

Also try to get him to open up a little about what the doctors told him. Some folks live many years beyond what doctors may expect, and some under informed medical staff can really scare a person pretty bad, so what he was told may not be correct,
I know there was a patient who came in here a few months ago who had been given the "news" by a nurse, and it was totally erroneous and freaked her out.

Also, many folks will be able to treat again once the new drugs called PI's come out this summer. They have helped in trials and twice as many people are succeeding with treatment on those drugs, so there's still lots of hope for your dad.

try to learn a little about the disease, so you can get him to open up to you, and keep me posted. It's good that you care enough to want to help him, he's a very blessed man to have you.

[mistified_amp]

no he is going to doctor regularly,and no he was not cleared of the disease,im justa daughter that is concerned and wanting to know and understand more..... thanks for the suggestions, it  seems to help talking to another that is going through the same things,just needed to talk to anyone who could help me understand... thanks all happy to know there is people willing to talk about this without critism,

[scaredycat7]

Hi.
No one on this site can answer that question -but if his rage is getting worse then, yes HE IS GETTING WORSE.  He seriously needs to get to a mental health professional and also have some blood work done, and maybe a liver biopsy or fibroscan.  Sometimes the interferon can affect the thyroid and that can affect moods -you can't tell without blood work -labs, and thyroid problems are horrible but are really easily treated. It could be a million things! Having hcv myself -I've looked around and googled the heck out of it - I could give you list as long as my arm that I worry that I have and that I won't give you to worry about.  You never said if he was cleared of the virus after 24 months post treatment.  This could be sides from the treatment -but they are probably treatable !

Depression is a symptom of HCV.  I'm not sure about the rage.  What you can say is -he is getting sicker and sicker and in danger.  A  professional can prescribe the proper 'liver friendly" treatment meds for him and will get the blood work ordered.

If you really want to help him -get him to a doctor right away.  Is it that he won't go?  

Take care - you are such a good daughter!
SC7

[nygirl7]

Hepc doesnt usually have a side effect of rage and while the meds could generally it's not THAT bad and is only while you are on interferon.  I agree that he should see a specialists since we dont know any of his medical history or allergies he could have or anything like that.

ADs are wonderful but sometimes it does takea while to find the right one and even if you can they are not a cure but more like a bandaid.

Good luck

[mistified_amp]

he has seeked help, i just need some idea on how common this is with hepc to make me understand...he had tried interferone last year and about the halfway mark said that it wasnt working.. just wanted to talk to some people that have this disease that are going through same thing and what helped for them,any info or anyone that is willing to discuss there struggles and wat has helped would be appreciated..

[Trinity4]

How long has it been since your father stopped treatment?

You realize there are no doctors here and any person suffering from psycological problems to the degree you father is should be evaluated and monitored by a professional.   Your intentions are good but It appears your father needs more than just gaining insight to make things a little easier for him.  People here could offer advice or suggest any number of antidepressants but it doesn't mean it will work for him.

He should really seek professional help.

Trinity

[mistified_amp]

just looking for some insight... i know this disease has effected everything,emotionally and phiscally,but need to know is this a sign of it getting worse , or is this side effects of hepc, anyone who has this plse any insight will help any suggestions on which anti depressants to use that are relatively safe for ur liver???the depression and rage got worse after the interferon treatment and i know that with help maybe i will understand more and can make it maybe just a little easier for him thanks again

[scaredycat7]

He needs to see a Psychologist or Psychiatrist -someone really trained in treating emotional disorders -whatever their cause.  There are lots of anti-d's out there and he needs to try another.  I take the Zoloft generic.  It gives a bit of energy --but I was a little sick to my stomach for a few days at first -perhaps a week -but once I got past that it was fine.  I tried some other thing that put me to sleep -I was in a daze until 3 every day -and I took it at night!  With a liver ailment, he needs to have his levels monitored -to see how much of the drug is getting into his system  If he doesn't have insurance, get him to your county health department.  They will help him.  I just got a friend into ours and it has made a huge difference in her life. She had no insurance and I could see she was falling apart.  You are doing the right thing -just don't stop until he gets the proper meds -he can be helped and he's worth it!
Take care-
ScaredyCat7

[Trinity4]

It's probably best that your father talk with a mental health professional since the rage is uncontrollable.  They can council him, prescribe what they think is the appropriate antidepressant ,monitor his progress, change dosage or even change antidepressants until they find one that works effectively.

Trinity