Hi everyone. First time question. Can you help, please?

My name is Kristina.  I am 25 years old and have Hep C.  My appointment with the Pegasys nurse is on Novemeber 4, 2009.  I will be starting treatment on December, 1. (I have to have surgery on November 3, and need time to recover before starting treatment.)  I have researched alot on Pegasys.  I am sure that my Pegasys nurse will answer my question, but I wanted to get answers from people who are on the medicine.  I figured people that are on the medicine will help me most.  My question is this:  What medications will my liver specialist(who is treating me with the Pegasys) give me to help me with the side effects, such as anxiety, depression, myalgia, and hair loss?  Any answer will help me greatly, thankyou all.

[jdwithhcv]

Most doctors will suggest antidepressants(ADs) and will start you on them before you begin treatment for the HCV.  I did not take  ADs, but had ativan for anxiety.  I don't know of any med that will prevent the hair loss, but not everybody loses hair and it does grow back.  As far as myalgia, don't worry unless/until it happens and then your doctor will have to find a liver-friendly pain med.  You should ask about resuce drugs in case your blood levels tank - Procrit for reds and Neupogen for whites.  You may need either or both and its good to know in advance what your doctor will do.  

Try not to worry, some people have a hard time with this treatment but others have few problems.  Keep coming here with your questions and we will help you.

Good luck and welcome.

jd

[newleaf09]

I used an antidepressant to control irritability, the other possible mood disturbance from interferon.  You just take the minimal dose necessary to control the mood dysfuntion and wean off of it a few weeks after treatment ends.

Do ask about the doctor's philosophy on rescue drugs.  Neuopogen (or neulasta, the more expensive pegylated form) and Procrit are used to avoid dose reduction of interferon and ribavirin to allow neutrophils  (specialized white blood cell that combats bacterial infection) and hemoglobin (red blood cell that carries oxygen and makes you tired when levels go down) to increase.  Dose reduction of interferon after you've cleared the virus is okay, but studies show that ribavirin needs to continue at full strength through the treatment for the most successful outcome.  You will want to check in with your insurance company in advance to get their use approved, as well.

Nothing to be done about hair loss (though I always wondered about rogaine shampoo).  Your hair just gets thinner and it will be more noticeable to you than anyone else.  You won't look anything like a cancer chemo patient.  I never had myalgia, but if you do there are a few things that can be prescribed and you'll be allowed 2 extra strength tylenols, twice a day.  Every medication that you take needs to be known to and approved by your doctor, just to be sure there are no unexpected things going on.

You will be drinking a LOT of water and taking care of dry skin.  Just obey your body's signals for water and let the medical staff help you manage any side effects.  It will not be fun, but you'll get through it fine.

[nygirl7]

You won't look anything like a cancer chemo patient

That's true.  it's certainly nothing like you see on television. Mostly your hair gets as dry as you will (the meds are very dehydrating) and cracks and breaks and becomes thin but you won't be bald or anything.

As far as all of the other sides go, try not to worry about them. For some people it's not nearly as bad as for others. The rescue meds mentionned above can make all the difference in the world to you.  You will have a lot of lethargy and hopefully that will be it.

Don't worry about them before hand...remember why you are doing this treatment and concentrate on that instead.

PS Starting on the ADs a month beforhand if you are very worried about it all already isn't a bad idea.  I took them and think they helped me tremendously. Of course i'm not sure because I have no way to judge how I would have been without them but they seemed to keep me very very level (something I've never really been in real life, I probably always did need them and never knew it).

Good luck!

[Duke3d]

I did not take any psychiatric meds before starint treatment and found I didn't need them while I was on treatment.

I got a script for prilosec for reflux then procrit for anemia. I have been lucky and have had minimal sides and have not neded any other meds. Not even a daily aspirin for aches.

Hope the same for you