Okay, first shot tonight....what are the warning signs after taking everything

[debnevada]

I will be taking the first pegasys and 3 ribavirins tonight. What do expect? What are warning signs. The nurse said I would feel like the worse flu of my life.

deb

[Proactive]

Since I am taking 1600 mg/day of riba, I'm in my own time zone!!!! LOL
I live in new england. Now you need to get some sleep!!!!!
Talk later, I need to feed the woodstove!! 25 degrees here this morning ;^)

[ladybug52]

You are too funny!  My grandparents always used that bed bug phrase on us. We loved it! Still waiting to feel sleepy, but I enjoyed your reply.
Uggh, I feel for you geno l's. That's a lot of ribavirin. Makes my hands shake just thinking about it! I finished shot 16 out of 24.
Think I'll try to rest now. That's agood idea about taking the shot at that time. Early morning is when I get my best sleep. Unfortunately, it's usually around the time I have to get up. What time zone are you in?

[Proactive]

Hi Ladybug, hopefully you have gotten some sleep, saw you were up awful late!! For me, I do my shot very early in the am, and as a result really have no trouble falling asleep. If I do it like many on Friday eve, I go sleepless. I did shot # 23 of 54 thursday (@ 6:30 AM). The worst part for me taking the meds is the morning riba dose, turns me into a true space cadet!! I am on a pretty stiff dose of riba, 1600mg per day and weigh in at 175#'s (up from 170 pretreatment) and 120 pegintron( @ .5). So far I've been lucky with my blood counts and things have held together fairly well. My hgb has held in there at 14, 17.6 pretreatment, but no question I feel the 3.6 drop.
Still haven't gotten to speak to my hep doc about the possibility of going 72 weeks, my NP says she feels even though I was a bit late in responding, 256 iu/ml at around 13 weeks, clear by 17 1/2 weeks, 2 log drop by week 8, that she thinks he'll stick with the 36 weeks past undectable. So at this point, hanging in there and playing it by ear!
Sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!

[ladybug52]

Yes, be sure you like to to drink plenty of fluids. I gave up coffee after a few weeks, it burned my stomach too much. Also it's a diueretic and you have to replace the coffe with extra fluids. I drink water and watered down juice. My daughter got me a great cup from walmart with a lid and straw after I dumped my drinks about 30 times. I think it's called amigo, it really is the best thing I've had to hold my drinks. That dehydrated feeling from the meds made me feel queasy and tired. It also makes your skin and hair dry out.
Good Luck, you'll get rid of this in no time!

[ladybug52]

Had to laugh at the way you described the first shot and splitting wood!
I have worked thru tx, but have cut back and I have a very flexible schedule.
I still have general malaise and fever on shot weekend, but nothing like that first shot. I wonder how many keep getting the sides after the first shot, most seem to be ok after the first, but not I'm still at my worst for 3 days after.
I feel for you going back to work in the summer months. I chose to treat after the weather cooled down here in Texas.
How long do you have left?

[Cindy10]

Drink plenty of water before and after the shot. The sx dont usually kick in for a few hours, my first shot was 5 hours later and honestly never felt that way since. It wasnt bad, but was the worst. I would wait a couple hours after the shot and take the tylenol just in case and you can sleep through it.
Good luck and you WILL be fine. Welcome to the fight!

[painterlady13]

I guess I was like Jim with very little side effects.  I had a headache and was quite tired but not the chills or fever.. In fact  I just did shot 36 of 48 and it wasn't till 3 weeks ago that I had real aches and an actual fever and that may really have been the flu but then I have had that the day after since.  But I did get chills after 6  or 7 weeks... The thing to remember is that everyone is different and you may get it bad or very mild.  It really just depends on your body.  Good luck and rest this weekend.
Nicki

[mremeet]

My first shot was the worst by far. Make sure you pop a coupla tylenols prior to taking your shot (or at the same time), in all likelihood you'll be needing them. And in the event you're one of the lucky ones who doesn't need pain relievers then, it wont hurt anyway.

[jmjm530]

Congratulations on getting started! Sfx varies with everyone. My first couple of shots were pretty uneventful and didn't even need the Tylenol some have suggested.
What you do want, however, are CBC's either weekly or every other week until week 12 and a very sensitive viral load test like Heptimax at week 4. It's also a good idea at this point to let your medical team know that you would like copies of all lab reports as soon as they get them for your file.

Be well,

-- Jim

[Myown]

My flu like symptoms didn't start until hours after the shot. I felt aches and pains, couldn't get warm and had shakes, but no biggy at all. Had worse flu as a child. After the first shot I never experienced the flu like symptoms.

[Pdilly]

The first one is the worse by far.  Here is what I recommend and it worked like a champ.  I did not do this the first one and I now wiish I had.   About 4 hours after you do your shot, take a Tylenol and a Tylnenol PM and go to sleep iithin an hour.  You will sleep through all the shivers etc.  

[Proactive]

"The flu with a hangover", exactly how I explained it to my Dad, think I added the worst hangover you ever had LOL!...Luckily, and seems common the first shot is the worst shot. and then comes the riba grind..My worst side is fatigue, I've been able to spend the Winter on the couch, but my work season is upon me, will see how the rubber hits the road, and bouncing around in an excavator works out..I did haul the woodsplitter out back today and split a bit of wood,,a very little bit as a matter of fact!!!...Imo, the key to feeling better is getting out...Saw a woman on tv awhile ago who was fighting breast cancer, they interviewed her at a gym working out..A statement she made which stuck in my mind...." I decided if I was going to lay around the house feeling shitty, I might as well get out and feel shitty" a precious statement

[FlGuy]

Yesterday you sounded 'iffy' about the source of meds.  Do you have an ongoing source now that will take you through the length of tx? Good luck. I always thought it was flu with a hangover.