what can i do about the joint pain????

[cici79]

Hi i found out that i have hep c in February of 08 and i was on peg interferion for 5 months and had to stop for a while because my platelets crashed "Undetectable" and the pain on the treatments and now even off is horrible what can i do. i take all kinds of stuff and the only way i have found relief is when i broke my wrist and were giving a RX pain reliever . i have 3 kids and i get so worn out so easy. i find it harder and harder to get up and down because of the joint pain, its in my back hips knees ankles wrists neck . what can i do am i able to take that kind of RX to relief this pain?? and take the treatment? please help me out , thanks so much,    Cristina.

[JennyPenny]

Rather than constantly taking pain meds you might consider going to a rheumatologist. I had severe joint and muscle pain that started when I did my first treatment. It got so bad that I had to take a leave of absence from my teaching job. The rheumatologist tested me for a number of things including cryoglobulinemia which is somewhat common in hep patients and can cause joint pain and all was negative. The thing that helped me was a drug called plaquenil which is liver-friendly. I took it for 6 months and then had to stop due to a side effect of really bad itching. I found when I stopped taking plaquenil, the joint pain has never come back to the extent it was before I took it. It's been 13 years and I am still doing well. Good luck. Joint pain is no fun.

[franke566]

I had to go to a pain management doctor-the duragesic patch did nothing and I ended up on 60 mg of Morphine Sulfate CR which worked fine but I was afraid of becoming addicted so I kept complaining until the doctor dropped me.  I went to another pain management doctor and was told I had Fibromyalgia and prescribed Lyrica which caused my feet and hands to swell but did nothing for the pain.  Last week I stopped taking the Lyrica and I had an old bottle of Hydrocodien 10/325 left over from a rotor cuff or cup repair a year ago.  It was a miracle.  Only problem is I will be running out shortly.  I can get by with halving them 5/162.5-less ibuprofen so easier on the liver but I know this is only a short solution.  I see a hepatologist this week and hope he will have the solution.  Thanks to some helpful people in this forum I now know what testing I need to have done:  Hepatimax to get a definite on my viral load.  I believe my aches and pains were triggered by the Tx so surely a hepatologist will have the answers.  My problem was after Tx I was going to Neurologists who said it wasn't the Interferon when all along I knew it was.  In frustration I called my Hepatologist a quack because he told me the Sxs would leave after treatment and they didn't.

[cici79]

Thanks for the tip i will have to try that out but its like everything i end up taking i get the worst side effects from , but i go on the new treatment June 2, 09 and i am willing to try anything new to help. thanks again, cici79