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Diet with interferon and ribovirin

Are there any suggested diets/foods to help with side affects of Peg interferon and Ribovirin
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Avatar universal
As for drinking I did drink though not much. I have stopped at least during treatment. I have had Hep-C for over 30 years and it has not damaged my liver at all. I have had several ultra sounds and also a biopsy and nothing. It seems I am more a carrier of it than anything else. I am in week 13 now the incivek is done. Silly me I thought it would be a lot better. I am sicker now than before.  At week four there was no detecable virus in my body and the same at 12 weeks. If I can get through being sick for 11more weeks I guess it will get better. My advice no matter how bad it is try and stick it out. And as for drinking I may go back to a drink now and then but nothing heavy. I gave that up a long time ago anyway. I agree with what was said I would love to see grand kids and I would also hate to be this sick for nothing.
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Avatar universal
After 29 treatments my husband and I decided that this would be his last treatment. The hep C became undetectable, and the side effects became worse, memory loss, achy muscles and joints. Its been 3 weeks since he has stopped wtih Doctor approval. He still is experiencing side effects. Does anyone know if this will ever go away. What about nutrition? How long before he is normal again? This is a hard treatment, they don't prepare you or your family well enough. I've read such horror stories of how people have never been the same, is there any success stories out there? Anything Positive?
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05-02-2009-My Brother just started the interferon injections yesterday. He's really sick this morning. I'd like to know what is a good diet (He needs to eat) and how long will the fever last? His doctor said about 12 hours. My Brother works-out 4 times a week, and is in average shape. (about 30 lbs over weight) I want to do whatever I can. I need some help. Thank you.
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476246 tn?1418870914
Just wanted to point out that you answered a post from Feb 2004. It is unlikely you will get a response.

Marcia
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Avatar universal
Boy...you're really taking a hit on this drinking thing.  Seriously I was drinking wine every day and quit cold turkey.  Alcohol in moderation is not an option.  I think any GI would advise that.  It really is sad...how many people don't have insurance and can't afford the medication.  If you're husband is blessed with this option...he should take full responsibility and simply stop drinking alcohol.  It's not the end of the world!
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Avatar universal
When someone is ready to quit drinking, they will.  Until then, they won't.  While coming out of a coma in icu after almost bleeding out due to varicies bleeding, I remember the doctor daying, 'You're gonna die.' I said, 'B/I've never seen Paris!'  Then she said if I quit drinkin', I could maybe last 2 months.

Well, I quit drinkin', went to Paris, was dx w/hep c 2b, put into a study for 'nothing left to lose so why not tx', cl'ed a 1979 transfused infection in 18 days.  All in 9mo.

I'm still alive and do not drink.  I don't miss it.  I don't care what others do to their livers.  I just chose life over death and drinking from a purely physical point of view is death for me.  End of story.

I don't have to die twice before I quit drinkin'.
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Avatar universal
Please read!!!   I read on a couple of posts here about several of you doing acupuncture. THIS WORRIES ME!!!  

Acupuncture is definately a possibility of how I got Hep C !!  (we don't really know how I got it for sure)   I care, y'all, and please talk to your Dr. about it before continuing.

Wishing you all peace-
Penny

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Avatar universal
When I was told that I had to stop drinking completely it took quite awhile, still is taking time to come to terms with what this means.  I am not drinking, but think about drinking fairly regularly.  I just have to drink some more water or make myself a marguerita with lots of crushed ice and no tequila and enjoy that drink, I find that perrier water with lime makes it feel like a special drink and if you drink lots of it the feeling that you are missing the alcoholic drink goes away.  It's hard to think about no more alcohol ever, but I think about not seeing my children grow up and not being there to look after grandchildren and I get over it for another day.  I want my treatment to work and work as well as it possibly can.
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Avatar universal
OK, this is not moralizing, this is about stupidity!

If I can stop drinking, anyone can. Get him on some antidepressants, yoga, anything.

How frikking dumb so you have to be? Just say it out loud once and see how it plays - "I am taking drugs that are very strong, have many side effects, and wreak havoc on my body, but I think I'll still have some drinks"

Say it about ten times. If I could meet him I would grab him by the collar and shake some sense into him.

Perhaps he should say this one ten times:

"I really don't care about my future, my family, my loved ones, cause even though I am going through the motions trying to get well, I never will becase I AM TOO WEAK to put away my little bottle, my precious drink, the thing that is most important to me, the thing that rules my life."

I hope this pisses you off. I hope this threatens his little world built around his precious bottle.

MAKE HIM FEEL GUILTY, MAKE HIM MAD. Make him think that he is weak, because he is. Make him change. Help him live. Bug him. Nag him. Throw away all of the alcohol in the house. ALL OF IT.

This is not a big deal - this is the most important thing that he will ever encounter on this earth.

There are plenty of people that would gladly take his place in treatment and have the GUTS to stand up and want to live.

Tell him to grow up and face this.

YOU CANNOT DRINK IF YOU HAVE HEPC, AND ALL THE SELF JUSTIFICATION IN THE WORLD CANNOT CHANGE THAT.

TELL HIM THAT IF HE WON'T GET SERIOUS ABOUT HIS LIFE, THAT SOON YOU WON'T CARE ABOUT HIM EITHER.

Really, if he does not care enough about HIMSELF to do something as simple as putting down the bottle, how much can he really care about you???

His drinking days are over - forever. He'll get over it. Really.

There are much more important things in life than his buzz.

After he gets cleaned up, that is much easier to see. He obviously cannot see out of his bottle at this point.



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Avatar universal
Not moralizing here but this is basic 101 teaching/learning with this disease.

This is almost like going to the ER to get stiches and then going home and cutting the same spot again with a knife.

Alcohol and hepC don't mix no matter if your on the treatment drugs or not.

Can't eat sugar if you are a diabetic?
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Avatar universal
Yeah I agree about the drinking.  The medicine is sooooo expensive and even though you may have insurance and its not coming out of your pocket, why would you want to screw up and maybe waste 6 months to a year for nothing.  I think we need everything we can get our hands on to work in our favor and honestly if anyone is still wanting to drink.  Best idea...Just wait and try treatment another year.
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Avatar universal
I would do your husband a favor you and your family a favor and tell his GI he is drinking (Moderatelt,lol) while on TX, If he quits-more power to him- try everything in your power to get him off dem der booze- If he won't quit, tell his GI, and more than likely his GI will give him only 2 choices- You stop drinking -we will continue TX. You keep drinking we will STOP TX bottom line- Good Luck and if he tries hard enough he can stop drinking- I did and hundreds of others have to.- See Ya-- HD
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Avatar universal
Why would he want to do the tx if he is still injurying his liver with alcohol? Treatment is for repairing damage done!
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Avatar universal
Why would he want to do the tx if he is still injurying his liver with alcohol? Treatment is for repairing damage done!
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Avatar universal
I had asked my GI at first about eating certain foods and he said that wasn't a big concern. The only thing he told me not to do was to "NOT" drink a drop of alcohol and I gave him a list of all the minerals and vitamins I was doing before tx and there were a few on my list he told me he would like me to stop(can't remember the exact ones now), he also told me to drink only a cup or 2 of coffee and drink lots and lots and lots of WATER- Good Luck-- HD
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Avatar universal
My PA advised me to eat whatever looks good and not to worry. "This is a bad time to go on a diet," was his advice. I have seen a lot about avoiding red meat, but I have always been a meat eater and some red meats are sometimes the only thing appealing to me. Pasta, eggs, yoghurt, lots of fruit. For me, chocolate is fine to eat, but then I end up feeling queasy. Liver and organ meats are probably a no--lots of iron and too many accumulated toxins. So much food makes me queasy to look at or smell that anything that doesn't gets immediately eaten.

I get acupuncture weekly and it seems to help with my sides and general energy level. I take a multivitamin (without iron) daily.

Unfortunately, I have become a slug, but try to do walks on the weekends. Also, we have two woodstoves, so getting wood provides a good bit of my exercise. Once Spring hits, I'm going to try some biking.

Still, the best thing for sides for me is water. Whenever I start to feel toxic, I glug down the H20 and it seems to help more than anything else.
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Avatar universal
I just started treatment last week so I don't know first hand about diet during treatment but I assume it is similar to the diet suggested to hep c people. Low fat, less red meat, lots of vegies and water.

My friend just finished tx and had minimal side effects throughout the entire 6 months! She was lucky. She drank at least 60oz of water daily and added one Emer'ge-c to her water daily.  They sell them at our local health food store and they come in little packets. They are a "fizzing drink mix" with 32 mineral complexes and b vitamins. I used them in the past whenever I felt like I was coming down with a cold.

She had acupuncture done on a regular basis from a woman here in San Francisco who co-wrote a book that combines western meds and eastern acupuncture and herbs called The Hep C Help Book by Misha Cohen.
I am going to see her the first month of March.
Also, watch the fried food and red meat. I always try to stay away from too much fat and sugar but have had a stomach ache for the past few days and ice cream seems to help. It is a great excuse for me to eat ice cream!
I have read that it is better to eat small meals throughout the day because larger meals tax the liver. I have cut back on my caffeine and added herbal teas. Although I must have my tea in the morning.
Hope this helps.
EM
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Avatar universal
Thanks to all. Everything I've printed out suggests that he switch to Herbal Tea. He saays he can do it and I aam very proud of him, and will help him through this.
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Avatar universal
Sure, it's possible. Especially with type 2 or 3. But alcohol consumption thwarts the immune system
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Avatar universal
My Husband is drinking alcohol, moderately during Peg-Intron and Rebetol. He is 2b, and his ALT and AST is half after only 4 shots. Has anyone achieved SVR without giving up alcohol? Please don't moralize, I just wnt to know if it's possible.
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