today is my 1st day of treatment. does eating help or hurt nausea

[mblessed]

today is my 1st day of treatment. does eating help or hurt nausea? Does the nausea from the pills show up after 1st dose or does it build up over time - getting my 1st shot this afternoon but took the pills 5 hours ago and so far so good but am wondering if it gets worse with each dose.

[Mopbucket]

How about you?

[Mopbucket]

I recieved the injection about 5:30PM and took the pills around 6:30 after I ate something. I fell asleep pretty early as I was very tired from not getting a whole lot of sleep the previous 3 nights. I ended up waking up about 2:00AM, shivering feeling very cold, with a 102 temperature. I was ache, with a bit of nausea. Sure I didnt like it and it wasnt a great feeling, but it was like I just came down with a pretty decent cold. I felt like that all day on Friday. Saturday was feeling a lot better! The only thing I can report from Saturday till now is it feels like I still have a cold lingering on (ache, cold spells, etc..).

[mblessed]

so how was your first day?

[Mopbucket]

Thanks guys!! I appreciate the support!!

[Oreos]

Be well and all the best with your first shot.  The first one was the hardest for me.  You have alot of folks here supporting you : )

[Kalio1]

Alcohol acts like gasoline on the "fire" Hep C creates in our liver. You can not drink at all on treatment, it counteracts the treatment. Studies show people who drink and have Hep C have increased liver damage,

[Oreos]

Drinking a beer is like having a shot of alcohol.  I know it's a hard habit to kick, but definitely NO BOOZE.  When I first cut back drinking (weekend wine/beer), it was no fun.  After I got used to it, I found better ways to chill out.    

If you drink alcohol with Hep C, you have higher odds of developing liver cancer.  Why would you want to do that?

Also, alcohol is a diuretic which can defeat the purpose of drinking all that water.  

End of lecture.  Be kind to your body on treatment : )

[Mopbucket]

I am starting tommorrow. I just found this site and I can tell I will be hanging out here a lot. You guys are making me feel a little more comfortable about this. I am nervous but as one person said before I GOTTA KILL THIS DAMN VIRUS!

Question for folks is I usually have a beer or two after work to help me "winddown". I dont go on any binges or get stupid. Just one or two. Is this something that I am going to definatly need to cut out? I drink water all day, more than half my weight. But I am worried about the dehydration factor or energy factor. Does anyone in here after have a drink or two while taking this treatment?

Thank you guys and I love this forum!!

[giddyup]

I remember getting pain in my stomach from the ribba so I didn't take it on an empty stomach. For nausea my np prescribed Compazine which worked well. Alot of times on tx I would eat oatmeal,cream of weat or plain pasta with a little butter. Water seems to help for almost all symptoms, when in doubt drink water.Don't forget there really are people who get through tx without sides' but if you get slammed their are meds and people to help. When my wife would go to work sometimes I would be lying in bed and say; Where are you going? When are you coming home? WHO'S GOING TO FEED ME?! Sometimes getting up to get that meal can be a chore. Centrum silver is a good vitamin to take. Best wishes to you for a succesful tx. -Giddy

[friole]

Nice concise list, Sandi!

mblessed - I think a lot (as far a nausea goes) has to do with what your constitution is now.  I have never had stomach problems to speak of but I did lose 10 pounds overall on tx and all of those were during the first 4 weeks of my treatment.  I definitely looked at food in a different way on tx. - smaller portions and sometimes not wanting to eat (didn't like the act of cooking much and certain foods tated different.  couldn't take spicey foods)

However, I don't think this is going to impact your first shot.

Good luck today and welcome to the forum
frijole
58 yof, 1a, pretreatment vl - 1.52 million IU/mL, biopsy grade 1, stage 1.  Completed treatment 8/11/06 and hope I am clear (waiting for PCR results now)

[Oreos]

I always took my Riba with food.  Felt like rot gut on an empty stomach.  I always kept cereal bars / crackers around too.  Here are some things that helped me get through 48/48:


1. Drink tons of water.  Really helps with the sides.
2. Enlist a couple of people you trust to support you through treatment.  Make an emergency contact list with your doctors info and your support network.
3. Keep a file with all of your lab results.  Comes in handy when seeing new doctors.
4. Track your side effects closely and manage them with your doctor.  I kept a tracker with each med I was taking and all the sides measured low/med/high.  Watched the trends.
5. The TV remote?  That baby is YOURS.
6. Do what you can to laugh.  Funny movies, good friends, even if you

[honey11]

haha Gail,,,,Wonderful Ideas on your list!  One other,,,,keep a tv tray loaded with all the goodies you need to survive,,,water,,lotions,,chap stick,,,heating pad on bad days,,etc   And then of course that tray can go from den to bedroom if needed and yes,,,you are in charge of the remote!!

[Oreos]

Oh I like that idea...you're so smart.

[LvdByGod]

hi mblessed, welcome to a great support site... i'll have to agree i couldn't have made it through treatment without the folks here to guide and cheer me through... especially as time goes on you will appreciate people who know exactly what you're going through... and of course all the great advice and help... i've made some life long friends here too...

here's a suggestion... go through some of the old threads here and in the archive and you will find some great information... also try some of these sites to get you started understanding all this hep c stuff...these are alot of the places we go to for hep c information and articles.

many blessings to you for healing,
sandi


http:// janis7hepc.com/index.htm  http://www.hivandhepatitis.com  
http://hepatitis-central.com/hcv/labs/toc.html (explains labs)
http://www.hepatitis-central.com/hcv/liver/scoring.html
(Liver Damage grading)
http://www.liverfoundation.org/ (American Liver Foundation)
http://www.natap.org
http://www.hepnet.com/hepc.html
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/fact.htm
http://www.carbonbased.com/cbcblood.htm
(explanation of blood cells & tests)
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health/digest/pubs/chrnhepc/chrnhepc.htm
http://www.battlinghepc.com./
http://www.hepcassoc.org/links.html (many links)
http://www.themedicineprogram.com/info.html
(helps pay for meds)
http://www.hepatitismag.com (bimonthly magazine)
http://WWW.clinicaltrials.gov (about ongoing clinical trials/US)
http://hepatitis-c.de/viraload.htm (Viral load info)
http://www.hepcsurvivalguide.org/comboguide.htm
The Combo Survival Guide
from A-Z. Very funny and informative,treatment side effects  
http://MedHelp.org


ps. for me eating helped with nausea...especially eating some when taking the pills... they absorb better too when taken with some fat in the meal...

[rentapen]

Go on have fun. Your be clear before ya know it and will not remember a thing. Lots of new stuff coming along if this don't work. With this there always is tomorrow. rent

[FlGuy]

To do back to your original point, good nutrition is important while on treatment not just riba time.  Wheter it 24, 48 or 72 weeks, tx is a long haul and you have to keep yourself committed to eating well and give your body the chance to tolerate the meds and get the virus. My expereince has been NOT to take the riba on an empty stomach but to take smaller and more frequent meals, stay hydrated and pace yourself.

[nitramog]

crackers saltins and lemon mist soda

[mblessed]

tears in my eyes now. i am touch by the concern and well wishes i plan to stick around maybe even cheer someone else as you all have me. {hugs}

[mblessed]

thrilling eh? i love your approach! i plan to keep my chin up sounds like these chats will help. I am curious tho, my Dr. said if i didn't respond in 12 weeks there was no hope to go forward and that the 48 week plan was basically all there was to do yet different posts mention 72 weeks etc. should i question my Drs information?

[Alady1620]

I can't answer all of your questions except to say that a little bit of food will help your nausea.  Too much will make it worse.  Eat small meals more frequently.  I have also heard on this board that Ribavin should be taken with fatty foods.

Good luck with your treatment.  Let us know how it goes.

[Kalio1]

Treatment treats everyone differently. Not all get nausea. Not all people have bad side effects at all. Try not to worry, just eat regular meals and try to go about your life. It is suggested you eat with your pills, some say eating fats with the Riba inreases their viability. I read here recently that the capsule form of pill doesn't require eating when you take the pills, but the pressed pill form does. I asked the doctor about that and he said that it is a good idea to take most medications with food and not on an empty stomach. If you have trouble eating, try protein powder shakes or fruit smoothies that will go down easily. Keep up your water intake, which should be about half your weight in ounces a day. So if you weigh 100lbs. drink 50 ounces of water a day, etc.

My Grandma used to say "don't borrow trouble" and I think that is good advice with treatment and side effects. If you feel fine, don't worry about what "might" happen, it might not ever happen and if it does, and you get side effects, they will make themselves obvious.

tke care, congratulations on starting your treatment and having it go well so far.