Viread first dose yesterday morning and itched all night

[twinboys1girl4me]

Is this common?  I took it first thing yesterday and started the itching mid-day.  All night I itched and kept me up.  Should I continue with Viread or stop and call doctor Monday?  I have had several past medications (not related to hepatitis B) that I have had itching with, so don't know if I'm just susceptible to this reaction with medications, as I don't like taking medications to begin with.  Will this get better on Viread or is it common side effect that will not go away?  Thank you!

[luckyman316]

Same time every day is important.. as it taking this with food. You might be ok eating 20 minutes before taking this medication. As a matter of fact, when I took my first dose in the doctor's office last year, they had be do just that so the food could settle and digest a bit before taking medicine.

BTW, you can take alcohol with this medication BUT the reason why your doctor told you that you should not drink is because you have a liver disease and alcohol of course destroys our livers. It doesn't have anything to do with the medication, but drinking a little while on it can impair you a little as it will make you feel drunk a lot quicker and on a lot less than normal people can take.

[twinboys1girl4me]

I noticed Stef's advise in the post before this one, about upping yout Vit D3 and some others.  I upped the Vit D like Stef suggested and luckily the itching stopped.  I have not had any further issues at all on the meds, feeling very good in fact.  My Hepatologist said this medication is usually very well tolerated, so I would talk to doctor since you feel so bad.  I was told it is important to take daily, same time each day, and no alcohol (which shouldn't even have to be said really....duh).  Hope his gets resolved for you very soon!

[nic2012]

I have been having itches since i got infected.tenoforvir didnt stop it instead i started feeling pain in my liver.the flu like systom is  no more.the itches get worst during flares.

[twinboys1girl4me]

My Vit D3 OH was 38 and I-PTH was 23.4 pg/mL months ago.  This was before I started 6000 iu D3 and 300 k2 daily, since about a month now.  I also live in Arizona where we get a ton of sun and am very active and outside a lot.  

So, I should raise my Vid D3 even more you feel?  I'm now wondering if I made a bad choice with even starting with Viread, since my last DNA was only 268 IU/mL without even starting Viread.  I'm eAg negative.  My doctor wanted me to start Viread (even though I've never had a DNA over 2000 IU) due to lifelong HBV, ULN ALT, and continued viral replication.  

[stef2011]

antinstamine are usually over the counter but i was also thinking that this is clearly immune disorder:

what is your vitd25oh and intact pth?big mistake if you strted before making optimal vit d because it is best to charge immune system before anyway if not already go with 10.000-20.000iu daily, if you were not severely deficient like less than 20ng/ml it may rise on time to modulate immune system

high dose vit c can work as antinstmine but you need liposomal vit c to work

so you can take antinstamine because always available every where over the counter, but if you have also vit d3 20.000iu available start with vitamins first

[twinboys1girl4me]

Thanks Stef, will call doctor on Monday.  If the doctor says to stop will I harm my liver if taken this for only 4-5 days by then?

[stef2011]

no it is not common some had that.note that immune activity is also correlated with itching when there is good/high immune activation (this is reported on peg too)

i suggest you call the doctor and just use antinstamine for itch