first shot

[joey48]

took my first shot today any words of hope are what to expect; not sick yet . its been 5 hours

[willbb]

Hi.. Congrats on getting started. What therapy are you taking ?
Welcome to the zoo.. :0)

Will

[joey48]

incivek/ ribapak/ pegasys

[suezeeque]

I didn't have any reaction to my first shot at all.  :)  

Now I take a Tylenol and a Benadryl about an hour prior to taking it.  I time my shots for 8 pm on Friday so that I'll sleep through the worst but I still don't get anything done all weekend...  But I'm able to work through the week so I guess it's a trade off.

[willbb]

The many folks here who have taken  or are currently on the Inci, triple  hopfully will chime in  on their different side effects and how they managed them.  
Would just mention...hopfully your doctor feels it is a good idea to do blood labs frequently in the early going ( ideally once a week or at the very least every 2) to keep a close eye on things (like HGB, ANC, and platlets) and it is imperative to have a PCR  at the end of your 4th week just before your 5 th shot ,as this is a crucial marker for how long you have to treat.

I only mention this,as we have seen here that some doctors have missed doing these all important tests..

Good luck..
Will

[working dog]

my first shot was the worse as far as fever goes...2nd wasn't as bad...3rd was way easier...and from the 4th shot until maybe the 13th shot the 180 interferon wasn't bad ..make sure you get weekly cbcs..keep a close eye on things..and take the incivek very close to on time...don't miss that...i hope you have a cheap pill container ..one with 7 days and at least 3 or 4 places for pills each day...that will really help....i cut the incivek open with a knife or scissors all one day a week...good luck...you may have light sx.....billy

[joey48]

i will be seeing my doctor once a month and blood work each visit i alredy have apointments set for this.  all my meds are sent to his office so we will do check ups and pick up meds same day

[flcyclist]

I had no reaction from the first interferon shot, or any after for that matter.  I am one of those that had no immediate reaction, but the other sides crept up later.  Some do the shot later in the evening  a few hours before bed with the thought of sleeping through the sides.  I often do this, but not sure if there is any true benefit for me.  

Welcome to the forum and hope you visit often.  

[pooh55811]

I agree with Will to have labs at least every 2 weeks and preferably every week. The numbers can tank fast and you do not want to be without labs for a whole month.

Keep and eye on any rash you develop (if you get one, not everyone does get one). I take benadryl every night and also used hydrocortisone cream for the rash and itching which worked until about the 10th week. Now I am on fluocinonide cream for a worse rash.

With Incivek you can get some rectal issues, hemorrhoids, itching, pain. I unfortunately got them, LOL, and had some rather severe inner rectal pain (like craping shards of glass). Most people do not get that last side, the shards of glass. Through trial and error I found out how to prevent this pain. Keep the stools firm, not hard as a rock, but definitely fairly firm. It is the loose stools and the burning diarrhea which precipitated the shards of glass. Once I figured that out, I have had no more of it. Also, get a brand name baby wipe with aloe (Huggies) and use them every time you go to keep the bottom sparkling clean. Also, Prep. H cream and suppositiories are good if you develop this particular side (rectal pain, itching, hemorrhoids).

Keep on top of the nausea, if you get it. I waited way too long and got really ill before I finallygot some Zofran. It crept up on me slowly and I really did not realize what was going on until I finally realized I was only tolerating Greek yogurt and eggnog whereas before I had been eating regular food. By the time I got something, I had started vomiting and was totally miserable and could barely get out of bed. So if you get that side, nausea, get on it right away.

I am not trying to scare you. You may sail through this with very few side effects. But I wish I had known some of these tricks and things to look out for before they got out of hand, so I am relaying what I know. Rest often and do not overdo. At least for me, if I do too much one day, I pay for it the next day. Also, I don't plan anything for the first two days after my inj. You might be fine, but I feel tired and wiped out after the inj.

Those were/are my main side effects. I am on week 13 1/2 now so am off the Inc.  That made a big difference and I felt better very, very soon after finishing the Inc.

If you get any side effects and want ideas for treating them, post and many will chime in with their solutions. Not all solutions work for every person.

Best of wishes to you.

[can-do-man]

"i will be seeing my doctor once a month and blood work each visit i alredy have apointments set for this."

I would really try to get blood work done more often then once a month. Good luck going forward...............

[Advocate1955]

My husband is starting week 14 of triple therapy with Incivek, so he finished the Incivek last week.  He had previously treated twice before.  This time, as with previous therapies, his reactions to the injection were mild flu like symptoms (fever, chills, body aches, fatigue).  These symptoms were usually the night of and day after injection, improving by second day after.  I would say side effects from the injections probably improved from week to week for him.  By the second week on triple therapy he had a moderate "Incivek rash" (redness, itching, welts, blisters) that lasted about 1 1/2 - 2 weeks and then began to improve.  By about the fourth week on triple therapy he began having rectal/anal pain and bleeding, probably due to internal hemorrhoids.  That comes and goes (no pun intended).  More recently, symptoms of anemia (weakness, shortness of breath, fatigue, pale, cold hands/feet) resulting in a small dose reduction in riba.
Ask any questions.  May your side effects be mild.
Advocate1955

[crossroadsec]

You've heard from the veterans. I hope ur sides are mild. It's all bearable tho when you hear that Undetectable!!
Good luck
Karen :)

[R Glass]

  “are what to expect;”
No one here (or any where else) can answer that question. Each of us have/had or own journey to travel and we cannot predict what cards you will be dealt.
I hope you have an easy journey and we will be here for you, R Glass

[joey48]

  Thank for all your comments on first shot -  its day 2 and sofar so good even went to driving rang and hit a few balls , i do feel a little week and my eyes feel like they have oil in them    a little blurry at times ,  

[flcyclist]

The first 2-3 weeks I felt fairly normal, but as the weeks go on you may feel an increase in fatigue as your Hgb decreases some.   You might breeze through this, but too early to tell.  Just keep doing what your doing.  

My golf balls usually went into the woods or the water anyway, so a little blurry for me wouldn't matter.  Amazing winter so far, eh?:o)

[eureka254]

"so good even went to driving range and hit a few balls"
-------------
Congratulations on starting and feeling good!  Keep on driving... the treatment's only a few rounds longer than that golf course.
And don't worry... if the time comes that they put you out to pasture cuz your wood and iron just isn't connecting with your balls, we're here. :)
Best of luck. ~eureka

[screaming48]

just be very careful and get bloodwork every week. I tanked my first week and when doc checked my blood I was already hgb 8.1 I was his first patient to do triple tx the analrectal problems, I went through hell with the incevik. do make sure like everyone says get prep h cream and suppositories and the aloe vera baby wipes are the best. You for sure want to keep that area clean. Mine got so bad at one point I would spend two hours in the tub, or I would take crushed ice in a towel and sit on it.
For the nausea get zofran which only worked a couple times for me, I started taking zantac 150 and the nausea stopped, so might want to try that one as well. I also got the rash and it looked like I had measles, chicken pox and shingles on my chest, gold bond powder for itch really helped but I should have gone to the doc.
If you feel like you are not doing well by all means see the doctor its better to go in early and not late like me. I really hope your sides will be very mild if at all. The first shot I felt like I had the flu, since then not a problem just a little tired, once I went off the incevik it was wonderful. Welcome to the club and we have really great support on this forum, I don't think I would have made it through without the laughs and descriptions of the anal thing, you gotta laugh or you will go crazy. Sorry i wrote a book:) good luck
meant to say triple tx up there.

[slideman]

If you have a cell phone with alarms, set them as a reminder. For me brain fog was an issue at about 4wks. I took one dose of inc 15 minutes late before I set my alarm, never was late again.

[flcyclist]

" if the time comes that they put you out to pasture cuz your wood and iron just isn't connecting with your balls, we're here. :) "
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My wood hasn't been connecting with my balls for a long time....  Time to head to pasture?   :o(

[stormy456]

You've got some fabulous advice here.  One thing I cannot recommend enough is taking 15g of water soluble fiber at night.  Stopped the "anal discomfort" dead in its tracks.  Prep H also helped once it had started, but I am hoping that if you take it right away you may be able to stop before you need the Prep H.  Husband on week 5, side effects not terrible.  He has some good info on his blog.  If you're interested let me know and I'll send you the url.  Just posted some ideas for food for 20g, which gets to be quite a drag.  Wishing  you the very best.

[MelvynB]

Your first shot will be your worst if you are like me. I had fever, chills, aches etc the day after. I take my shot with the Tylenol given mentioned above. I take the shot Saturday night at 9 pm and basically hibernate on Sunday. By mid day Monday I'm about 70%. By Thursday I am 90%. Week 2 and beyond i felt a lot better on Sunday but still pretty beat up. Good luck bro, I started my therapy 11/18 and it is not as bad as I thought it might be.

[orphanedhawk]

Add me to the list urging you to get labs, cbcs, more frequently, at least every other week, weekly would be best, at first.

Be careful driving.
SIde effects can sneak up on you.
I thought I was fine until I went to pick up a friend and missed the road, three times.
That's when I realized how my mind, my mental focus, was being affected.

Good luck.
OH

[joey48]

they are talking about greek yogurt  is high in fa gram where do u buy it everything i see is low fat

[mizrush]

May I please have that URL? My husband is quite nauseous and has no appetite, so the required 20 grams of fat is becoming quite difficult. Thank you.