No Side Effects for me

[GSDLADY]

I took my first shot Wednesday nite 4-8-09.  I had been procrastinating for a long time, going back to 1991,before Ribaviron was approved by FDA.  Now, with Stage 4 cirrhosis and finding out I am Gen 2 I took the plunge. I gleaned much info on this site and some others about fatty diet, etc, so was armed with all the ammo.and started fat w/riba before shot.   Much to my surprise, I had absolutely no neg effects!!!  So it's true, some folks don't have side effects. Am a bit tired, but so far that's it!!!  Yea!!

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Side effects

0%

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Interferon

4 Members voted

[fuzzy1dar]

I'm so glad you finally took the plunge....I think the first one is the worst. We have so much apprehention about the sx. I'm also geno 2 and went thru 24 wks of tx last year. I was UND at week 12.....I have SVR at my last check at 6 months post. I wish you the best, and I hope you continue to be sx free throughout your tx.

[charm27]

Congratulations in starting tx. I wish you a good journey! I didnt have sx until about week 4. My first shot was uneventful.
I went thru 55 weeks-not an easy road to say the least.
I too am hoping you have easy sides!

Patience is a virtue.
The very best to you.

[GSDLADY]

You are lucky to be finished with this trip.  thank U 4  the good wishes.  I will pray now that the sx are the same and don't suddenly show up as a delayed reaction!!!

[Marcia2202]

Congratulations on starting.

My first shot was also uneventful. But I soon learned that these meds are to be respected... lol... I had a really rough time through most of the 32 weeks I treated. You never know if, when or how it hits you, so please enjoy the good times as much as you can. And I sincerely hope you will not have too rough a time.
Remember to drink loads of water.

[justme53]

I am also a Stage 4 but G1a. Statrted tx Jan. 2, 2009. No sx and actually some days felt better than pre-tx for about the first 8 weeks or so. Around 10 weeks, they stated hitting with a vengeance as if to make up for lost time. Yesterday (Week 15) I felt the best I had in weeks! This morning seems to be starting off good too.

My advice from my experience, savor the good days and have Plan B's to get through the off days. Each day is one step closer to our goal of SVR.......Pam

[DragonSlayer45]

I am glad to hear your treatment so far has been relatively smooth. I hope and pray for you it stays that way.

My first 8 or so weeks were also uneventful and I was convinced I was going to be lucky and breeze through it. Then I like Justme53 had them hit with a vengence. The psychological stuff is the worst. I ended up having to be  puton AD's, Xanax, Ambien. The irritability got real bad and I was and am a passive person by nature. The interferon is the culprit for that, although many refer to it as Riba rage (not caused by ribavarin).

My Triglycerides (normal before TX) went through the roof. My WBC, RBC, and other related blood counts all were changed. I am in week 43 of 48 and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Can not wait to have this all behind me.

I have been UND since week 4, as I participated in a trial for a new drug R7128 (polymerase inhibitor). That drug knocked it downn from over 8 million (VL) to UND in  less than 4 weeks and have been on pegasys and Copegus for the duration. The R7128 ironically had no sides, all of sides are from SOC drugs.

Good luck on your journey, I hope it is uneventful and more importantly you clear.

[GSDgirl]

gLAD TO SEE YOU POSTING!!!!  Opps stupid caps got locked.  

Remember to get copies of all your lab work in case you have any specific questions.  Good Luck!

Denise

[Tippyclubb]

The first few months went relatively well, considering I had the rash begin around week 3, had thyroid problems, and lots of nausea, but I was able to function normally throughout the first few months.  10 and a half weeks the hgb fell below 10 and it laid me down.  That's when it started to get really hard and they reduced my Riba.  The rash and nausea have disappeared with the reduction.

Almost to my 14th shot and its very hard now.  The shots are slamming me and all kinds of sx for 3 days after.  I do my shots on Monday and usually feel better by the weekend.  Thursday is the worst day.  Its something different every week so I never know what to expect.  At this point I have finally learned to take it as it comes and try not to get all freaked out.  Easier said than done.  I guess it takes a while to get use to.  I think I have it under control now.  Lol !

The people here are a great support group and have pulled me some bad episodes, at times I didn't think I could continue.  Never hesitate to post when you have questions or need some encouragement.

Don't forget water, water, water and when you think you can't drink anymore do it anyway.  I messed up and let myself get dehydrated.  Boy, have I learned my lesson.

Good Luck and hope you are one of the lucky ones with slight sides.

[winner727]

ive found that symtoms got worse as weeks went on .but thats just me. i take my shot tues ,dont feel ANYTHING till  thursday. first 6 wks were uneventful . happy easter and hope you  get the brass ring    

[chuckles333]

I guess there's more of us type 2 people out there than I had suspected. My first shot too was pretty uneventful. I had a bit of a headache and a bit of chills the second evening after. I've just had my 7th shot and I find the headaches are getting worse. I have like two full days of non-stop headaches that even tylenol w/codiene (#2) won't touch. Good news is the chills have pretty much gone. Overall though it's not as bad as I'd thought it would be. (knock wood)

[nygirl7]

One thing about the sides - if you don't get them in the beginning you are bound to run into a few sooner or later. For some people the first weeks are the easiest and for others they are pure torture. Personally I had zero of the 'flu sides' until week 30 myself but my body made up for it by giving me drastic sides of other kinds starting at about a month. I'd rather have had those flu sides back then for sure.

BUT - It sounds kind of sick but you actually DO want some sort of sides eventually - you do want to make sure you are getting ENOUGH OF THE MEDS into your system and that unfortunately is WAY more important than anything else.

Drink LOTS of water if anything that will help throughout the whole thing.

[Isobella]

I've had a pretty easy run of it so far.  For me weeks 7, 21 and 22 were rough.  

But I maintain a healthy respect for sx....because they do come and I have found the advice of everyone here invaluable to be able to jump on them before they get out of hand. I'm hanging in at 37/48 and still coasting along

Always enjoy the good days....they help ya get thru the not so good ones.

I wish you the best with tx and continued luck with sides.

[apache1]

GSDLADY, enjoy your no sides, your lucky.

Why did you just find out you are a genotype 2 ?
When you were dx in 1991 with HCV didn't a Dr tell you you have geno2.

Riba was approved 11 years ago, cure rate went up to 80-85% for us genotype2.

It sickens me to imagine a Dr letting a naive to tx genotype 2 knowingly progress (over a 18 year period) to a stage4 cirrhotic.

I do not want to sound like I am judging you, just very very curious.
This is not your fault for procrastinating, its the Dr for not explaining properly, not monitoring you regularly, and not advising you of new advances in HCV treatment. No good reason I can see for a g2 to go un treated for 18 years and get to stage 4, cirrhosis.
Please explain, as this might help other genotype 2 that are procrastinating or ignoring their HCv

good luck to you
apache

[jdwithhcv]

Wishing you luck with your tx.

jd

[nygirl7]

You are right apache it's just unacceptable - it should be so standard no matter what geno you have you need to biopsy if you are not going to treat and make sure THIS exact thing doesn't happen!  Of course..............we've ALL learned how much our doctors truly DONT know sometimes - which is one reason I stay around here to make sure people think for themSELVES!

[GSDLADY]

TOOK RIBA AT 3 AND HAVE HEADACHE STARTING.  UH OH......

[GSDLADY]

MY DR. IN 1991 DID NOT TELL ME EITHER THAT I WAS GENOTYPE 2, OR EVEN WHAT A GENOTYPE WAS --WHAT HE SAID WAS THAT I HAD THE "GOOD KIND", AND EXPLAINED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACUTE AND CHRONIC PERSISTENT THE LATTER BEING THE GOOD ONE. I FOUND OUT JUST THE OTHER MONTH THE GENO 2 NEWS. NOW I HAVE CIRRHOSIS, TOO.
OMG, WE CAN ONLY GO FORWARD...

[ladybug52]

Is there a meaning to the acronym GSD? I noticed there is a GSD girl AND a lady and I have no clue what it stands for. FLguy and Flgirl, I assumed were from Florida. Nygirl.....duh, New York. What's with the GSD? Sorry to show my ignorance, but since no one can see me...:)
I felt like I had the flu from shot one till shot 16. I think not having side-effects is wonderful, but maybe a little early to tell for sure if the road will stay this smooth or get a lot more bumpy.
Good luck, the tx drugs really pack a wallop or they wouldn't be killing this very serious disease. Glad you are including the high fat content with the riba. You sound prepared!

[GSDgirl]

GSD=German Shepherd Dog which we both have.  Both have German not American lines, and yes there is a difference LOL

Denise...........BTW it was the only "name" I could come up with over a year ago when I signed on, major riba fog brain

[ladybug52]

Thanks so much for reminding me! I knew that, now that you mention it, I think I looked at your profile before and figured it out.........then forgot!
GSD at least tells a little about yourself, ladybug was really random. My mom used to call me ladybug sometimes, but it was never a permanent nickname.
BTW, a patient I saw  for physical therapy always called me ladybug and I thought "If you only knew...." and the IRONY is that she had hep c listed as a diagnosis on her chart.
Bug

[orleans]

I have G. Shepards. American line, Manhatten's offspring. (the Fierstone's champ) AWESOME! jerry

[CMcH]

It was almost a relief when I started because  I was expecting it to slam me right away. The first month was not so bad. Keep up with your lab work and drink lots of water. Be careful making plans because you never know if the dragon is going to raise his ugly head.
It's a metaphor hopefully you won't find out what I mean.

[apache1]

quote from GSDLADY:
MY DR. IN 1991 DID NOT TELL ME EITHER THAT I WAS GENOTYPE 2, OR EVEN WHAT A GENOTYPE WAS --WHAT HE SAID WAS THAT I HAD THE "GOOD KIND", AND EXPLAINED THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACUTE AND CHRONIC PERSISTENT THE LATTER BEING THE GOOD ONE. I FOUND OUT JUST THE OTHER MONTH THE GENO 2 NEWS. NOW I HAVE CIRRHOSIS, TOO.
OMG, WE CAN ONLY GO FORWARD...
================================================================

Yes, your correct, lets move forward.

Being a fellow g2, I have done lots of research on genotype 2, although still just a laymen at best. With the correct Tx protocol, even with cirrhosis, you have a very good chance of being cured.
What type of Dr are you now seeing ?

If you feel comfortable with posting your complete treatment protocol, and baseline blood work, we could double check your regime to make sure there are no mistakes, or anything not accounted for in your treatment protocol. At this stage it is important to make sure nothing slips though the cracks, this time around...

There are no Dr here, just fellow hcv patients and laymen. Some here do have a tremendous amount of HCV knowledge. I myself would like to help, if you want.

the best of luck to you
apache

[chuckles333]

I've just finished week 19 and have an update on my sides. I think I've had pretty much every side-effect in the list "you may also experience". None have been really severe though. The most troubling ones are the headaches and backaches for two or three days afterward and the eczema-like rash on my lower legs. I have tylenol 2 that I use for the aches, only when I absolutely can't stand them no more, and I have a cortisone 1% cream for the rash. Last Saturday (I do my treatment on Friday Night) I awoke with a large purple welt on my left shin. My wife said "You must have banged it somewhere". On Sunday it was gone except for a patch of pealing skin. Very odd. Well 5 more weeks and I'm done. Wks 4 & 12 VL = UND. Looks like I'll make it through. I had my doubts going in, I'm a real wuss but it's been bearable.