Another SX to add to my shopping cart

[scubadiver30]

Well guys, I guess I'm reaching my limit too quixk. Don't know if I can take this anymore. I thought I could do the 24 with no prob but now I'm not so sure. Riba rash, dry eyes, sore throat, phlegm, hemmies, fatigue & malaise...And now my left shoulder joint hurts so much I cannot even raise my left arm..I haven't hit myself or anything..I wonder if this is another gift from IFN??
Right now I find myself loosing my temper real quick with my wife and my mother in law... They are so scared of me that they avoid me all the time...I cannot even stand when they chit chat and I'm always complaining about smells????

I think I'm loosing my mind..I guess IFN has already messed up the brain

[ladybug52]

Everyone who has posted so far has given you good advice. The a/d's will help the short fuse and anxiety if you can find one that works for you. Also the anxiety increases for me when I'm tired or stressed, try to rest or do something to distract your mind.
I have 3 animals and am ready to have them all put to "sleep" because their smells are making me so sick. (Wouldn't really) I am constantly cleaning everything with disinfectant to get their smell out then the disinfectant smell makes me sick.
I think the Peg causes a lot of individual problems, I can't even explain some of the wierd ways my stomach muscles feel and there's no way to describe it. Still you might try to get your shoulder checked out further. One person had right shoulder pain and then later thought he was having the same symptoms and had a heart attack. Hang in there. I was just thinking today how happy I'll be to reach the 1/2 way point, and you and I have the 'short' tx!
Saludos!
Bug

[stangshelly]

I had a real hard time in the begining, now on week 45/72 and can say for me sx effects have become bearable. try to treat the sides and keep going best wishes :) shelly

[mremeet]

Hey scuba, sorry to hear of your experiences. I pretty much suffer from almost everything you mention, so I know how you feel. One thing you might want to try is an antidepressent. I went on Lexapro a couple of months ago, although unfortunately it didn't seem to work for me. So now I'm trying Effexor, hopefully that will help to take the edge off. Anyway, if you've never been on A/D's before (like I have before this treatment), you might want to consider trying them. They say anger is really just another manifestation of depression, and I've been losing my temper alot too so I think I know how you feel. The A/D's might help you in that regard, and hopefully provide an emotional reserve capacity so that you can trudge on through for your full 24 weeks.

In the meantime hang in there, best of luck to you.

[nygirl7]

Yeah - I have the smell thing, AND a really bad metal/gass taste in my mouth.

That WILL go away once you are used to the meds......sadly I suppose it's still going on but I don't notice it anymore. Man I must smell and not even know it!

[copyman]

hi scuba, i can not offer musch advice as i have not started tx yet but i will pray that the next 12 weeks  get easier for you. it is funny how the human mind works and i'm beginning to believe that the more sx you read on forums the more you will get during tx. i have had a hep doc tell me that he treats 100's of HCV patients a year and the ones that are not on the internet are the ones that continue to work and have the least sx. i told him i like the internet and that after i found i had hcv i needed to know about this disease and the internet has helped me to do that. he did say i was very well informed. i think that docs do not want you to know more then they do about hcv and they would prefer their patients stay off the internet. i just keep telling myself that for the few that post on these forums there are many more that do not have that many sx. it is very hard to get up the courage to start after reading what this stuff does to some people. it is good to know you guys will be here to help when i finally start. thanks

PS, has anyone ever noticed how the docs make it seem like tx is no big deal. lol, they make it like they are writing you a script for antibiotics instead of these "harsh" meds! i would feel much better if they would do a shot of interferon in their own belly in front of me, then maybe i would believe tx is no big deal . LOL

[FL_Gal]

At least my doctor is pretty good about about that.  He is always telling me not to try do so much, and to remember that I'm on chemotherapy.  So I guess I should be thankful that he doesn't take the treatment lightly.