23/24 down

[sofarsogood]

Yesterday was 23/24. I am sooo glad. For those through treatment please expound on how long I shall begin feeling better. The biggy is the exercise tolerance, nausea. Half life of riba is 2 weeks I think. Pegasys may be a bit longer.

Also please let me know if you got ill while detoxifying.

Ready ready ready

Dale

[CCgirl]

The Ambien thing isnt working yet. The NP told me to wait until the 8 week mark on stopping the injections to wean off. I tried all week and really stuck to it however I tossed and turned all night long for 4 days, It felt as if I slept 30 min at a time, it was pretty miserable. Last night after taking the Ambien I slept 8 hours straight through... AHHHH :)

[CARUU]

Hey CCgirl, I'm glad to hear you are feeling much better. Let me know how cutting back on the ambien goes.

Maj, I appreciate all of your suggestions about sleep.  I'm naturally the type of person who 1. needs at least 8 hrs of sleep, 2. like to stay up until 11 or 12pm 3. can't just jump out of bed in the morning (take a long time to wake up). Now that I'm back to work full time I've been tryin to get myself into the bedroom and ready for sleep at an earlier time.  The ambien helps with the falling asleep part.  I'll keep working on your suggestions and try to get some exercise earlier in the day. caruu

[cuteus]

ok. what problem with the  eyelids?
I have been reading and asked some time ago if anyone had red swollen, itchy eyelids where the skin flakes off after healing, and not too many had that prob, so I have been bearing it for two months.  went to every specialist and came out with more pills and creams.  It was weird since I got it so late in the TX.  Did you have anything similar ?
it has sort of cleared since taking cipro so I wonder if it was a blood infection of some form.
I'm glad there is hope after tx, even though I have not have extreme reactions, other than the anemia.

[MajNeni]

Well, my bad memory is working hard here on your eye problem, and I'm just rushing through here today... but I thought you wrote about eye problems that sounded like mine.  My eyelids itch, crack at the corners, and there is a round area (for the past ~5 months) near the inner corner that gets swollen w/liquid.  The outer corners swell, too, just not as much.  The skin under the eyes has been kind of inflamed.  Anyway, it's pretty uncomfortable. Elidel started to clear up the skin stuff, and then the FML ointment helped some more, but now the inner edges of the lids feel like they have been burned... so I'm only using FML 1x/day now (as 2x for ~2 weeks) and Vaseline whenever, and being extra careful to keep my hands away.
Anyway, I wanted to tell you the good news, that if you've been on Cipro, at least you don't have anthrax...
Best from the Far Side.
Maj Neni

[CCgirl]

Sorry if I missed your post about the eyes,that is exaclty what I have and it started 5 months into the tx and has been on & off for 2 months now.. eyelids are now flaking.. doctor gave me some eladel to try...hopefully yours wont flare up again

[honey1616]

Sorry....I saw 6 weeks but for some reason I thought you had finished up longer then that!

[honey1616]

Hey...Glad to hear you are feeling better~  Aren't you up for your 6 month post?  I read your post on drinking LOL and no keylashing here but hope you did get out of your system for awhile just to give your body time to heal up good after tx! Good Luck to you!

[MajNeni]

Well, well, CC, it's been a really long time since we heard from you.  Nice news, glad you're done.  I'm 14 weeks post, and had similar eye/eyelid prolems.  I went through the GI, my PCP, allergist and dermatologist... and the last one put me on FML cream.  It's a steroid, so you can't use it for very long; but after about six months of trouble with my eyelids, just two weeks on this ointment and my  eyelids seem to finally be getting better.  Still have dry eyes.  I'm supposed to use white petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to keep my eyelids soft and flexible.  
  
About getting off Ambien:
Do your most physically active stuff earlier in the day; get lots of fresh air.  Don't eat too close to bedtime.  No caffeine after 5 or 6 pm. Don't use bed for much else, like never do paper-work in bed, or fold laundry on your own bed, or think about all your problems; don't have lights too bright in the BR.  Have someone give you a massage... Do everything you have to do before you get into bed so you don't have to pop out again... Warm milk can make many people sleepy; you might find an alternative.  Start a real bedtime routine:  slow in the bathroom, then watch something on tv that's not too exciting; listen to quiet music on the radio, read in bed.
Finally, in bed in the dark, try very hard not to think about dancing hippopotomusses... in pink tutus... around a Roman fountain... in moonlight... twirling and leaping... with big bows on their heads... etc.  
Bon nuit. Maj Neni

[AK - Hepper]

I've been done for about 6 weeks, started feeling better after the first week. Feel better now than I did before tx. I wouldn't say I feel totally healthy yet, but it's a vast improvement. The pain in right upper quadrant is just about all the way gone now, what a relief that is!

[cheriums]

Thank you, "caruu," for all the detail.  At 16/24, I'm looking forward to (and wondering when-oh-when) a time, a day when I will feel better, have more energy. It helps to have some idea what I might expect.  I'm sure "recovery" from treatment is different for everyone, just as treatment is different for everyone, but it's nice to have SOME idea.  It's good to hear, from both of you, one CAN look forward to feeling better!  I particularly liked your sharing being able to work in your yard.  I'm looking at my garden and feeling sick about the way it looks with no one to attend to it this year.  A neighbor offered to do some pruning, but neglected to tell me he had no idea HOW to do it ... AAaa-rgh!  He was "artistic" and "creative." Sometimes I think i may have to bulldoze the whole thing and start over ... well, I don't have a bulldozer, but you know what I mean. cheri

[CCgirl]

Hi, my last shot was 5 weeks ago (time is flying now).. I agree with Caruu, the fatigue is so much better but still not back to my old self yet , some joint pain and insomnia I also haven

[CARUU]

Congrats on getting to the end of tx!  I am one month post tx (yesterday).  I started feeling better very quickly.  I had my blood work done last week and most levels are now in the normal range.  My WBC is lagging at 2.7 and Alk Phos remains slightly high at 123 (121 is the H limit). Thyroid levels are back in the normal range.  Yeah!  I hope that holds and doesn't go in the opposite direction (hypo). I'll have it checked again in four weeks to be sure it's coming back into (or staying at) normal and there is not a trend with the Alk.  I'm still a little tired, but nothing like the extreme fatigue from tx.  I just came in from working in the yard for two hours which would not have been possible on tx.  I got out of breath carrying a bushel basket of yard waste from one end of the yard to the other (several times) and can tell I'm not quite back to pre tx condition.  My skin is much better and I'm not having headaches.  I still drink quite a bit of water, but not as thirsty as on tx.  Mood, anxiety, irritability are all much better.

I haven't figured how to transition off of Ambien and I'm still taking Welbutrin.  I've cut the Ambien back to 1/2 dose, but I'm afraid my falling asleep capability has been changed because of taking it.  I'm not too worried about the Welbutrin, don't think this is the time to try going without it.  I still have problems with GERD.  I tried going without Protonix, BAD idea.  I'm back to taking it twice per day.

I think the INF goes out of the system after 7 days and the Riba takes much longer.  All in all, I'm feeling quite well and I'm optimistic about the outcome of the 6 month PCR test I'll take in early October.  I felt a major difference as soon as I stopped the meds and I'm feeling better and better as time goes on.  I'm already starting to regain some muscle tone and aerobic capability.  Back to work full time starting tomorrow.  Life is good and I'm very happy to have the HCV Tx experience behind me.

Congrats to ALL of the folks with good news over the last few days and thanks for working things out with the forum problems.
Everyone hang in there, you'll be back to feeling well once you get off of the meds.  There were times that I wondered if I would ever be the same, and now I'm starting to feel like my old self.  caruu

[Amerabrit]

Congratulations on being so close:)