Side Effects & Remedies: A Summary

Hello Cyber people.  
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I began triple treatment with Victrelis on 9-1-2011.  Hep C, Gen 1 (African American female).  Beginning VL 10,7000,000.  SOCs alone, Week 4 results: 329,000.  SOCs + VIC, Week 8 results: UND.  SOCs + VIC, Week 12 results.....pending.
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A Summary of Side Effects

BigDaddy suggested we write down side effects and remedies, so I might as well do that here, while I still remember.  Since I am on treatment with Victrelis, I have a previous entry about SOC side effects, and then those once VIC was added.  Here is a condensed version:

SOC's alone - Side Effects & Remedies
Flu like Symptoms ~ Advil
Insomnia ~  Ribavirin adjustment; taking no later than 7 p.m.; not 100 percent helpful but does help some
RIBA Rash ~ Gold Bond Medication (green bottle, red top)
Shakes, Vertigo, Ear Pain ~ Bonine, Sudafed
Migraine ~ Advil, Allegra
Nausea ~ Ate more food
Weakness ~ nothing
Stuffy nose, sore throat ~ Advil
Nerve pain, right arm ~ nothing
Mouth sores ~ Biotene, Listerine

VIC - Side Effects & Remedies
Dry Skin (especially face & feet), Dry Hair (like straw) ~ Gold Bond Medication Lotion, Eucerin, drinking more water; Pantene, Selsum Blue, Oil spray
Headache ~ nothing helped
Shaky, Vertigo, Ear pain ~ Bonine, Chiropractic
Burning sensation left shoulder blade ~ nothing
Bad Metallic taste ~ Big Red Gum, Ginger Chews, Hot Tamales candy
Slight fever ~ Advil
Nausea ~ salty foods (just a little), Zofran (WONDERFUL!!  It works)
Milky white stuff in the corner of my eyes ~ antibiotics for a bacterial eye infection (that I am sure happened when I started VIC)
Dizzy, tired ~ Rest
Cactus butt ~ Prep H, Tucks pads
Itchy but no rash ~ Gold Bond
Brain fog, lack of concentration, shortness of breath -- symptoms of Anemia ~ RIBA reduction, PEG reduction, Transfusion
Lack of Motivation, Mental Struggle ~ May increase Zoloft .25 mg


All in all............because most of the sides lasted 2 days, then began to subside, things have been tolerable for me.  I have taken off work when I had no energy or when I felt sick or weak.  Otherwise, I am working as I have to keep my job.  By far, the worse side effect for me has been Anemia -- because I have NO control over it.  I started walking slower and slower, no pain thankfully, but my motor skills were going down, down, down.  Horrible "off feeling" in the pit of my stomach, and weakness.  I hope this might help someone in the future.  Sides are different ,medication to medication, and patient to patient.  This is just my journey.  Can't wait to be done and off to SVRland....as someone in the forum said :)

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December 28, 2011 Update

Procit -- Side Effects & Remedies
Chapped, flaking skin at tummy injection sites; no current issues on thigh injection sites; ~ Hot Sixx Oil, Eucerin Lotion, Neosporine, increasing water intake, going to try Sarna Lotion and/or Vitamin E (per tx nurse's suggestion)
Nausea ~ Zofran doesn't seem to help with this type of nausea; small snacks throughout the day help a bit, Ginger Ale
Itching back ~ Gold Bond Medication Lotion, Hot Sixx Oil, Allegra (but it just made me sick, took the edge off the itch)
Itching scalp ~ Hot Sixx Oil helps some but nothing has helped to any significant degree
Bad taste (already have metallic taste from Victrelis but it has gotten worse since I added Procrit) ~ Constantly chewing on cinnamin gum or mints, but nothing seems to help all day

Also.......I have one thing I just noticed that may be from treatment in general -- Brittle nails -- either they are thicker or stronger, they seem 'stiffer'.