new here, few questions

Hi, it is nice to meet all of you (wish it was better circumstances), since finding out in october 2011 I have been very freaked out, I dont want people to know, yet if I go to give blood I am so scared they are going to catch this that I ask if they want me to hold the cotton, one nurse touched me with her bare hand and I almost freaked out. Hubby was tested and he is negative whew.
any way, I may be going into a trial study, along with the regular meds(peg and rbv), the first study my genotype failed (um they said I wasnt a match for it) my biggest concern is rage and puking, I have a severe back problem, 5 back surgeries , and puking makes the pain unbearable, so thats a worry, but I worry more about rage, I dont like to be mad, I hate drama, and im going thru menapause and im already having mood swings, I dont want them to get worse. so does anyone know the percentage of people who actually get rage as a side effect? and how often do you puke from the meds? only after the weekly shot? or all week? or is it just the feeling of puking but not actually puking?
also, is itching and bumps (like being bit by tiny insects) a effect from hep c? this started in the past week and is getting much worse, feel like im going to scratch my skin off. im not on meds for hep c yet so not a side effect. I am stage 2 liver (had the liver biopsy 2 days before thanksgiving), I dont know my numbers, as soon as the study dr calls me I will ask for them so I can put them in my profile. I will say before finding out I had this other then my back pain and menapause, I felt better then I have in years (I associated this to moving to texas and finally being more happy) plus in the last month my menapause symptoms are finally getting better. but I am putting on weight like I have never done before, weigh more then when I was 9 months pregnant with any of my children (no clue why).
any way glad I found this place, some where I dont have to feel weird, and can talk openly about this. No one can say  how or where I got this from (had 2 blood transfusions so they said it could have been the first one back in 91, for the life of me cant figure out how I have something like this all that time, and in 2001 till 2009 had 5 major back surgeries and no one said I had hep c then>?????. well thanks for listening

[coeric]

welcome to the forum
sorry you have this disease.
raging - i was scarred about this side effect prior to starting treatment. i am 10 weeks into triple therapy, and i have not yet found this to be a problem.
nausea - i had a little but have been able to control it with ginger tea and promethazine. though most that get really serious nausea seem to prefer zofran. make sure you make your fears know to your treating doc, PA or nurse and hopefully they will be on alert if these symptoms appear.
blessings
eric

[belle19]

welcome to the forum.  there are lots of thoughtful and caring people here with lots of knowledge.  i'm in a study trial.  i'm in my 24th week.  i'm on peg/riba and gs9451 (protease inhibitor or placebo).  it's a double-blind study and i'll find out next week what group i'm in.  i've never had nausea and only a few times have i felt a little rage.  nothing really.  i just felt a little uptight.  other than that i've had fairly mild sx.  my anemia bugs me the most.  i've always been very active so that's slowed me down some.  they lowered my riba at 12 weeks so i'm better.  good luck to you.  belle

[Mary4now]

Don/t understand "to give blood",, you need to let all your medical providers know you have hep c, and no one should ever draw blood without gloves, that is insane.
Your response to treatment is so individual no one can tell you how you will feel, you will see and if you have had the flu you can do this....  

For me it was definitely doable and I wouldn't want to have done it for a longer period of time, but you do what you have to do.....

I have actually had jobs that were worse than the treatment, sooo..... just go into it with a positive attitude and take care of yourself.

I had breast cancer , with a mastectomy and implant and no one picked up on the hep c either, just be glad you found out when you did,  It takes a while to adjust and realize how lucky you are to have found it at this time.
I was totally freaked..... thats when I got on AD's.  they really helped during the treatment.

good luck,
Mary

[pooh55811]

Welcome!

First, let me say your reaction is similar to mine and many others ... shocked, freaked out, astounded, anxious, scared, etc., etc. As you learn more and make some decisions, you will not be so freaked out.

I have had low grade nausea from the beginning but I was able to function and had no vomiting except once after eating when I brushed my teeth and tongue and started gagging. However, as time went on my nausea got a lot worse but it was gradual and I did not do anything about it until I started vomiting. Now I am on Zofran every 8 hours and feel 500% better. No more nausea and also less fatigue, weakness, bloating, and just generally much improved. I actually feel human again. I did not realize how sick I had gradually become until after I got rid of the nausea and horrible feeling. I should have asked for something earlier on but just did not because it was so gradual. When I actually thought about it, I realized that I started out eating regular food and meals but gradually could not tolerate most food and was eating just Greek yogurt and eggnog and bread. My point here is don't let the nausea (or any side effect) get out of hand. It is better to stay on top of the side effects or stay ahead of them.

The rash is the same. I have a rather mild rash and mild itching, but I found that once those little red bumps appear, they set up housekeeping and stay, like an unwanted guest, LOL. I still have exactly the same red bumps that I had 8 weeks ago, plus a few more. I deal with the rash and itching by keeping the thermostat about 68, sleeping on soft sheets, taking Benadryl, applying hydrocortisone on all red bumps and itchy spots, and using Keri lotion. I found if I absentmindedly start scratching, the itching gets worse and more red bumps appear (to set up housekeeping with their relatives). So, the key is, don't scratch. Easier said than done, but try not to scratch. Some people do have worse skin reactions than I do, and they require immediate medical care.

I have had no problem with rage and feel mentally fine. I am, however, on Wellbutrin for depression and that may be why I feel fine.  

Good luck!

[freakedbeyondbelief]

thanks for the welcome and advice :) to Mary , I have told all dr and nurses, and when I was giving blood (before the liver biopsy) the woman had gloves on but when she came back over to take away the cotton and put a bandaid on she had no gloves on, scared me, even the pharmacy knows I have hep c (they actually ask). and hope you are cancer free now.
Pooh, my dr actually already prescribed to me zofran to take every 8 hours as needed, probably because when she was going to do a colonoscpoy I told her how the meds make me nausiated, so she gave me a prescription, so im guesssing when I go on treatment ill be taking that.
Belle, wow that is the study they were going to put me in I had to get the thick thing of pappers out to look and thats the blind study I was going to be in till they took my blood and said soemthing about my geotype not being a good match :(

[freakedbeyondbelief]

oh, forgot to add, Im on effexor er, been on it for years due to chronic back pain and also menapause, so at least I have the anti depressant already covered lol