In week 3 of hep c triple therapy

[Jules1924]

I am just starting week 3 of the triple therapy....side effects are really not too bad yet.  I did my shot last night, today was a slow day.  I get the itching and the anal problems but thank God they haven't been unmanageable.  I am frequently nauseated with dry heaves quickly afterwards but have not thrown up yet.... I am tired alot but figure that comes with it.  The hardest part for me is the 6am eating.....it is so hard to get up and start eating for me....but it is what it is.  I never noticed how much fat is in everything we eat.....until now :).  I have turned my eating around to those 3 times a day for my bulk...at first it seemed like I was always eating.  How long is it that the side effects are the worst....beginning,  middle,  end?? Does a person normally gain weight during the incivek period? I feel like I have gained weight already.  Thanks for your time. :)

[ImOkay]

Sorry to hear that. Hopefully your PA/Doc will come around. That really *****. :( Don't quit!! When your doc does comes around this thread says there's something called "Magic Mouthwash" that can be prescribed. http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/thrush/show/1826456

I hope it lets up soon. Some sores have popped back up in my mouth again but I'm hoping they'll go away without me having to call the doctor. Time will tell I guess.

I also have issues sleeping. I have the entire 12 weeks (everything from insomnia to waking up off and on all night to the desire to sleep for days). They suggested Benadryl when I have trouble falling asleep & also because I've had some severe skin itching issues for about 6 weeks (I'm on Atarax but it only helps so much). Benadryl helps some times but I think it makes it harder for me to get up for work in the morning. I wonder if that Zzzzquil stuff would be another OTC option for sleep (assuming the doctor checks & there aren't any drug interactions).

[pawprints]

Thanks...I will try them, as I not getting any support from the PA or the doctor.  I think the PA is blowing me off every time I ask for something for my mouth or help to sleep, she says the doctor wants me to wait.  I am ready to quit this all.  I am so miserable.  My face is swollen and my neck.  Thrush is rampant. Can't sleep, can't eat.

[ImOkay]

Congrats on ending Incivek! I only had mouth sores for about a week and luckily they went away on their own. I did do a little googling in case they didn't and I kept finding sites that said people were using a Gly-Oxide Oral Cleanser or Biotene mouth wash.

Hopefully someone who went through this and found relief will reply as well.

[pawprints]

I have 2 more days of Incivek and I am so done. This last week has been the worst out of all 12 weeks.  And I am so ready to quit, but won't.  LOL.  Mouth sores are sooo bad.  I have actually quit smoking, too painful.  But this last week I have been unable to sleep, shortness of breath really bad, rapid heart beat, and lots of bruising.  I went from 5.8 million viral load on 05/28/113 to 43 on June 20 to UND.  This is my 2nd try. But I need help with mouth sores.  I have lost 15 pounds since starting treatment.  And I still have 40 more weeks.

[Idyllic]

I lost 13 pounds while taking Incivek. You say feel like you gained weight, have you weighed yourself? It is difficult to eat or feel motivated when you are nauseated. My nausea abated in week three. I am thinking if yours hasn't it likely won't. You may need a rescue med. Don't let your doctor or nurse tell you to take an antihistimine since they have antiemitic properties because antihistimines did not help me with medication-related nausea.

I hope you feel better, Hang in there!!

[2mlbb]

Water    Water   Water   Flush   Flush   Flush  Move around, especially when you DO NOT want to...

[pooh55811]

Hello, Jules, and Welcome to the forum.

Weight gain:
A few people lose weight but most gain weight, I believe. (We never took a poll.) I lost 21 pounds during the summer before I started treatment. I gained 24 or 25 pounds while on Incivek. I finished Incivek Dec. 18th and I have lost 28 pounds since finishing Incivek. (I hope I keep losing, lol.)

Menstrual Period:
I do not know if the treatment affects menstruation. If it was me I would talk to my treating doctor about this and I would also talk to my GYN doctor. In addition, I would do a pregnancy test just to be sure you are not pregnant. It is uncommon for women in their early 50s to get pregnant, but it does happen on occasion. I personally know 2 different people who were born when the mother was 52.  

The nausea: if it was me, I would get something for that nausea and dry heaves. Nausea and dry heaves do not help and they will probably affect your eating.

Side effects:
Everyone is different and they react to the meds differently. Some people never have more than mild side effects. Others have more troublesome side effects. The side effects come and go, at least that is what I have found, and they may change from week to week, even day to day. Personally, my side effects were the worst during the last 6 weeks of Incivek, but a lot of that was because I did not get anti-emetics early enough during the treatment. I should have been on them by week 2. Instead I never got anything to help until week 8-9. That nausea snowballed into a lot of other physiological problems for me and I was pretty sick. Once I got on the Zofran 8 mg every 8 hours, all of those related problems disappeared except for occasional nausea, but not like before. I had about a week of feeling decent and then I got the rash. The rash started in week 10 and it snowballed too (it also was not treated early enough). One I got on the fluocinonide ointment and the Hydroxyzine 25-50 mg every 6 hours, the rash was under control. The anal problems started early but I found if I kept the stools very firm, I did not have much of a problem. I do believe that if my doc had appropriately addressed the rash and the nausea earlier that I would not have had such a hard time those last few weeks of Incivek. A person can live with the fatigue and aches and malaise and brain fog. They are annoying, but they don't make a person miserable.

I think certain symptoms may be more noticeable earlier in Tx, before you kind of get used to them. But some symptoms can get worse, especially if they are not dealt with appropriately and promptly. Anemia is something that can keep getting worse if not treated promtly. However, not everyone gets anemia.

For me, I noticed a big improvement in the way I felt after finishing Incivek. It was like night and day. I still have some side effects from the Inf. and Riba, but nothing like when I was on Incivek. I just feel overall better and I noticed it within about 1-2 days of being off Inc.

The thing is, your side effects may never get worse than they are now. Many people have pretty mild side effects. Others have some worse side effects for awhile and then they have milder ones. I actually feel pretty good right now and I am at week 32 (almost 33).

If you get bad side effects, post them, and people will respond with remedies. Here's hoping you have few side effects.

[2mlbb]

Congratulations on your treatment start. So sorry that you are experiencing a few side unpleasant effects. Hopefully they will subside soon. Am starting week 6 of triple drugs, Geno1B. Just received week 4 results and am UND. For me any nausea was knocked out with dried candied ginger .I keep a small bag in the kitchen, by my bed and at my desk. Just made a recipe of paleo carrot muffins. Each muffin has 20 grms of fat. Makes my 6AM incivek med so much faster to get through so I can go back to bed for a bit. At bedtime, 10PM meds, I take it with half a large haas avacado. That too has 20 grms of fat. Nice and easy and healthy as well. Midday is the treat...1/2 cup Costco premium ice cream...you guessed it, 20 grams of fat. Eat well. rest well...Best wishes to your continued therapy.

[Jules1924]

I am 50 ....no way at all pregnant :)

[Jules1924]

I also missed my period this last month and I am always right on time.  Not sure if that could be the meds as well.  Will this be the norm for the next few months?