Exercise and HepC tx.

[Junebug812]

I am about to embark on tx for Hep C, for 6 months. I am otherwise healthy, living a healthy lifestyle (exercise, eat well, don't smoke, have never done drugs). My question is, does anyone know if having an active lifestyle helps in terms of going through treatment? I will probably start tx in about a month and so for this next month I'm increasing my exercise routine in hopes it will help carry me through. I intend on doing Vinyasa yoga while on tx. Any thoughts?

[Junebug812]

It's very encouraging to hear that some of you are still exercising. I imagine I'll have to cut back some, maybe cut out the gym and cycling, but I hope to be able to at least keep yoga which helps balance my mind and positive energy overall. Yikes, I sound like a typical Californian....oh wait, I guess I am. ;)

Thanks again for your input everyone. Very much appreciated. I wish you all well.

[khoffman]

I am on week 21 of 48 of tx.  I have been able to continue to run and workout.  I have not had any bad side effects so far.  But I have to miss a couple days b/c of being too tired but i also have 2 young children that wear me out :P

[pcds]

I'm a runner and did my morning run through my 12 weeks of treatment.  As my HGB dropped it was difficult, so I just went slower.  If it's important to you and you can do it you should.  I cut out going to the gym after work, it was really too much while on tx.  Now I feel fine after stopping tx, so you do return to normal eventually.  Good luck.  With your genotype you should do fine.

[paen53]

Yoga was the one routine that I could do for the duration of tx. I walked daily until the very end until a very low hemoglobin took me out. I did a vinyasa flow that I had pared down to suit my strength at the time, and I think it helped to keep my muscles limber and keep the blood circulating since I spent most of the time after work in bed by that point. The breathing through the sequences helped with some of the anxiety I was dealing with at the time too.

[vik97]

I'm sorry to hear about the unfair way that you contracted hep C.  As you said, genotype 2 is good news!  You will probably only have to do 24 weeks instead of 48.  The success rate is higher than for genotype 1.  

[Junebug812]

Thanks Vik :)

[vik97]

UND = undetectable

EOT = end of treatment

SVR = sustained virological response

INF = interferon

tx = treatment

[Junebug812]

Thanks for the input. I'm of course trying to be as optimistic as possible that I will have little side effects and will just carry on as normal. I have some idea as to what to expect, but not a whole lot. I guess I need to brush up on the lingo because I don't know what UND, EOT, and SVR mean. Ah, newbies.

I have genotype 2 which I hear is good. I apparently got it from a blood transfusion when I gave my kidney to my brother in 1986. I found out about 7 years ago by chance. I was pissed (kidney didn't work, he died, I had complications which cost me a year of my life). I haven't been able to really deal with this because of the anger around how I got hep C. I'm ready now and my doc suggests this is the best option for me. I'm scared, as I'm sure you all are, of being ill, especially after everything else that has happened, just because I gave away a kidney when I was young and stupid.

[Bali05]

I saw a study where people where submitted to either a 30min moderate cardio
or a 90 min more strenous exhaustive excersise.
The body`s own natural interferon levels were measured 24hrs after exersise.
Results showed an increase in natural INF for the 30min group and a big drop
in the 90min group.
If this means anything in reference to tx I am not sure but my recommendation
is to stop exercise until UND is reached and stop it during the waiting period
after EOT and hopeful SVR when your system has to switch back to its own
defenses. Since you have an active lifestyle already refraining from it in just those
2 periods will not be any problem for you.

I like you excersise a lot and had the same thought process trying to be extra
healthy going into tx by excersising even more , I even did Sauna ect... in my
first few weeks.on INF. I would not do that today.
After UND is reached and until you get EOT on the other hand moderate
excersise is a life saver for me. Listen to your body during tx it will gradually need
longer periods to recouperate from excersise because of low blood counts ect...


No sweat Josette :-)

b

[vik97]

You should be as active as possible during treatment.  I too had an active and healthy lifestyle before I started.  Unfortunately, I have no energy and so my elliptical trainer has seen no action since I began tx.  My exercise is limited to long walks and I look forward to resuming workouts when treatment is over.

Vik