Missed Ribavirin Dose

[PhilaGuy]

Hey guys, just got to work and realized that I ran out without taking my pills - first time I forgot, unbelievably.  I'm 13/24.  Is this a big deal?

Thought of something else this morning, too.  Do any of you ever have - for lack of a better term - "morning sickness"?  Often, I feel horrible in the morning, can't get up, headache, fatigue, etc., and then it gets beter when I get moving.  Last week, I called in sick one day because of it, and then felt OK by 10!  I almost did this morning, but assumed it would pass.  I feel a little better, but I think I'm going to have an "off" day today.

[hepc4Sandi]

This thread is over 11 years old, with the last post is from 2010.

FYI: Now days with the new meds from Gilead, it is not a big deal to miss a dose. My doc actually took me off the Ribavirin for a couple of days in the middle of Tx and I SVRd.

[sabihakashif]

Is it dangerous to missed a does of ribavarine

[kritikal]

i missed my morning dose a cupl times, i just take them soon as i remember then, take the night ones a little later than usual. its cool to read everyone say the same thing about the treatment, which is exactly how i feel, crappy waking up, good to go once the blood starts flowing, and i stay OK until i stop moving, then its all downhill after my body slows down

[cindee]

Hey! I missed 2 capsules when I was on tx...and I don't know when I forgot to take them!!! As I found them in my robe pocket...after I had finished tx!!!!! And BTW my dr. told me when hubby and I were "given" a free trip to Myrtle Beach SC by his sister...my dr. said I could go w/o my riba when we were on vacation.....but I didn't...I wanted to do 100% of my tx so I would know I had given it my "best"!!!!! But hey...it didn't work anyways...LOL because I relapsed!!!! I am starting my trial study in October. I wish you the best on tx and after. I hope we all hear the word "clear" from you!!!!!! Sending sunshine, peace and happiness your way. love @ prayers, Cindee

[Amerabrit]

The Pharmacy should dispense the Pill boxes with the meds as S.O.P.  (Some of the pill boxes come with alarms).  I experienced the morning sickness sx for the first couple of months, but it has passed and I haven't thrown up since the first day of tx.
Feel better.

[sher_]

How often do you take the Riba pills ? Is it everyday?

[TnHepGuy_]

Riba dosing is given two times per day. For example, if you are prescribed 1,200 mg. (which equals 6 pills total) per day by your doc - you would end up taking 600 mg. (3 pills) of it in the AM and the other 600 mg. (3 pills) in the PM.


TnHepGuy

[layla]

I bought a small pill box and allwyas had a few extra of all meds in my purse just for days like this. It ended up coming in handy a few occasions. LL

[PhilaGuy]

Thanks, everyone!  Any layla, I will be buying a little pill box today and keeping a stash of Riba in my briefcase from now on!

I think I'm sensing a pattern today.  I came back from my desk after a few minutes away and could NOT remember my password to get into my computer.  Thanks, brain fog!

[Showboat]

If I did not have my pill box dispenser, I would have either missed or doubled up on my meds all the time.  It also was divided by day and evening doses.  I cannot even say how many times I day I rechecked this box to see if I did my required dose....it sure helped me because brain fog was not helping my memory either....if I did forget to take it "on time" a few  hours does not really matter, although my doc told me that if I missed a dose, not to worry about it, but to resume my evening dose at regular dose (not to double up).  Layla has a great idea about keeping extra pills with you just in case.  You may want to give your doc a call just to ease your mind.

[Fubarcat]

I missed 2.5 days of riba when I went on a little mini-vacation.  I called doc when I got back and he said don't worry about it and don't try to catch up.  Makes no difference if you have been consistent up to this point.  He said if I tried to double up on my dose to catch up on what I missed, I would probably just make myself sick and throw them back up anyway, so no point in that.  Not to worry.  You'll be fine.  Pill boxes are a good idea though.  Sometimes when I take my morning dose at 10:00, I have to think twice by 11:00 as to whether or not I did it (thank you brain fog).  Pill box would eliminate that worry.

[donAlfonso]

I sure can relate to the password problem.  I've now put all mine in my PDA, hope I can remember where!

I've never been a morning person, and now it's just gotten worse. What worries me is that I feel I've become an Ibuprofen junkie, feel just awful until it kicks in.  I force myself to only use it only twice per day, which usually controls the aches/pains (mostly hips, knee, lower back) for a total of 12 hours.  The rest of the time I feel pretty awful, but worry that the constant Ibuprofen is doing more harm than good.

dA

[Fubarcat]

I'm not sick in the morning, but my brain fog is definitely intensified and I am so much more distracted and unable to concentrate in the morning than later on.  My work hours are 8:30- 5:00.  I usually don't even get myself together to get myself here on time (my bosses are extremely lenient) and once I do get here, I find it is 10:30 or so before I can even concentrate on what I'm doing.  By 1:00 p.m., I am in full gear and ready to go.  I have never been a morning person, but now, my mornings are my nightmares simply due to distraction, inability to concentrate and brain fog.  Thankfully, I don't have any physical symptoms to go along with that.

[DonL]

I do riba 3 in the AM and 3 in the PM . I started keeping one day's dose in a pillbox in my briefcase (I put cotton in the pillbox so they wouldn't rattle and break up.) It has saved me a dozen times. I've missed one dose that I simply forgot to take. I just have to remember to reload the pillbox the second I come home after I've used the riba in it. I usually leave it in my shirt so I find it at some point in the evening.

I was slower, but OK in the morning for most of tx (I'm at 42/48) but by 3 PM, I am pretty wasted and for months spent the last two hours of the day cleaning parts of the office, or archiving old files off my server. However, in the last month, I have been pretty bad on Monday mornings (shot on Friday) and have come in late every Monday I can.

[Indiana]

Mornings were the worst part of my day. But once I got moving I was ok.
DO NOT try to "make up" that missed dose if you are close to your next dose when you get home. The "Spike" in your normal "level" can really wack your brain out for days!! You are far enough into tx that ONE missed dose won't really matter. Just skip that one and move on.
And don't let this happen too often.
Failure to adhere to the dosing schedule is the #1 reason why folks fail at tx............

[Dorothy and Toto]

Most mornings I wake up feeling like I can't get through the day.  Sore, head in a fog/vise, can hardly open eyes.  I start shuffling and within an hour am pretty normal.  Funny thing, my 84 year old Dad says the same thing....  I get up earlier to get organized and if am not asleep the night before by a certain time, take a tranquiler to get me the right amount of shut eye.  Without 8 hours of sleep, I am very irritated and groggy all day.  I keep a first aid kit of pills with me at all times and program my cell phone to ring at med times.  So far have only missed one morning of Riba in 6 months.  Good luck.

Cuteous, that motion thing is right!  My motto is keep moving and busy and everything is OK.  It is easy to lay around and some days you have to rest but the more you move and excersise, those endomorphins increase.  Or multiply or whatever they do.

[cuteus]

I feel like calling in sick 3 out of 5 mornings a week, but I know that once I get going it is usually ok, so I am saving my sick days for shopping.
Of course once I get to the office, I get to drag all day.
I was thinking of it yesterday in relation to the laws of physics; "An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion..."
as for missing the riba, I am probably the queen of forgetting, I can't tell you if it affected svr, because I am only on wk 58, I will know by the end of the year, hopefully.

[Sioux]

I missed doeses of my riba several time throughout my 48 week tx. Doc said that's ok, just do not miss your interferon shot. I had to put all my meds in pill boxes, with the days of the week on them. I had one for am and one for pm, then one for each of my other meds.
Don't worry about missing it today. I would take your regular dosage tonite and start fresh tomorrow.
Better yet, to put your mind at ease. call the doc's office and ask what to do.
Happy Trails!!!

[hph5477]

You can always take your pills when you get home or take them all together.  My doc just said it was easier on the stomach if you split them up during the day.

Also, yes, it's hard for me to get started in the mornings.  Seems like it is a real effort just getting out of bed.  However, once I get up and start moving around and doing 'stuff' it gets much better.  I try to walk 3X wkly and ride my bike 2X weekly now.  This helps but then the morning after the day I ride my bike is even more of an effort.  And, of course, I have to eat more to keep the weight on.

Good luck to you.  Just keep getting up and moving around.  It will get better.

[honey1616]

Hi,,,Shouldn't be a big deal missing your pills this am especially if you haven't missed any others.  Yes,,that is how every morning is for me,,,slow moving,,kinda achy, nauseated but once I get going,,,I'm just fine!