Got Medication Amounts and OPEN for any Discussion

[Shanaenae]

So i just went to my last doctors appointment before i start treatment on April 19 and she gave me my medication amounts.

1000mg of Copygasus daily and 180 Micrograms of Pygasus weekly

Just curious what others amounts are and if anyone knows much about the amounts and how it relates to side effects and what not.
Getting very anxious to get this ball rolling. The doc also refilled my xanax prescription, so i should be good to go as far as my anticipation goes LOL.

26 days and counting down!!

Hope everyone is having a HAPPY friday:)

[Shanaenae]

One more thing.......Do you guys take the generic form of copygasus????

Was excited to find out that there was a generic form cause with my insurance i only have to pay a $5.00 copay for all generic medications and i had KNOW idea that this medication was $1,200 a month. I almost pooped myself when the pharmacists told me that. So my insurance is covering the $1200 dollars and i just pay $5.00 a month. I was jumping and dancing around my office yesterday when i found out.

[NYgirl]

I dont take the Pegasys I take the PegIntron but I do take Riba (same thing) at 1,000 a day (although that is WAY above my weight at 5'7 and 117 lbs I CHOSE to take the extra pill a day of my own volition to help achieve UND).

I also take Epogen, Paxill, Ambien and a ton of vitamins on a daily basis.

Best of luck on the journey - it's not fun but it's doable!

[friscosue13]

I do shot 2/24 tonight.  Peg 180, Copeg 1000 (non-generic) with a $35.00 copay.  Started Lexapro 5 mg about a month and a half before tx'ing. I started the mail order 90-day for the discount. This is weird b/c it's nothing I've heard of from anyone so far, but the riba is making me laugh!  I'm considering myself lucky from all that I've heard.  It also gives me a headache, but the dr. said to do Advil, and it takes of that.  I also had my primary give me a rx for Ambien last night because I'm wide awake at minight after a full work day.  Best sleep I've had in years.  This laughing thing is a pleasant surprise, though.  Hope it lasts for the next six months!!!
All the best, Shanaenae.  Thanks for the open thread.
Be well, everyone.

[NYgirl]

Hey I wondered how you've been doing this week!!!!!  Where have you been!

I guess if you are going to do shot 2 you are still alive LOL.  Don't worry it gets better (then worse...then better...then worse) but you know all of that already!

[friscosue13]

I've been at work waiting for the sky to fall in, instead I'm sitting at my computer laughing and hip-hoppin' to KISS, (our radio station of choice).  5'7" 117 lbs!!!!!!  I really hate you, ya know.  I only signed on for this for the weight loss LOL only to find myself thinkin 'bout what to make for dinner to eat with my riba!  Sure do miss my Spanish tempranillo, though!!  How're things going at your job?

Carol

[GoofyDad]

I always think waiting is as bad if not worse than what most people experience on the meds.

As far as your ribavirin pills, usually a weight based dosage is followed. 13.3mg/KG is seems to be a standard, but more doctors seem to be taking a more aggressive approach, in the neighborhood of 15.5mg/KG.

I like the approach where they will start you a little high on the riba, and dose reduce later as needed. It seemes generally accepted that higher riba early on pays dividends down the road.

Good luck.

[Wasabi Pea]

Hey Everyone,

Sorry to hijack.  Just wanted to whine a little, look for a little sympathy.  Had a doctor's appt yesterday...got my final shot date of 4/20/06.  Yay!  Can't wait!  I just did shot #57 last night.

However, feeling like warmed over poo.  Turns out the old hgb dropped again to 7.7.  So here I am at work trying really hard to sit up straight at my desk. <g>  I can drop off into REM within five minutes if people leave me alone.  

But the drop in hgb explains all the mood swings and emotional outbursts.  Can't wait to quit all this stuff.  Hope I can continue on the procrit for maybe a month afterwards though.  My arms get tired just carrying a regular-sized hardback book.

Gonna try to stick with 600 riba a day for another two weeks and do another test.  If it drops again, I imagine we'll drop it down or drop it altogether.

Should have seen the doc's face when I asked if I should cancel my afternoon skiing plans for this Saturday. <g>  Okay, okay.  It was a stupid question.

Anyway, thanks everybody for just being here and cheering everybody on.  Even though I don't post too often, I check here every time I log on to the Internet.  Hope everyone's doing well.

Ang

[can-do-man]

Sorry to hear your hgb is going north, that has to be rough. But i have to tell you i laughed by azz off on you asking your doctor if you should cancel you ski trip. Thats summin your doctor soon won't forget. Oh its good to know im not the only crazy one here. Hope you get feeling better soon and good luck to you.

[Dale_Ray]

I'm with Goofy on this one. We're like the two buzzards out in the desert setting on the tree limb. Patience H**l I'm gonna kill something. I'd rather take the lickin and have it behind me than wait. Difference in personalities. I started earlier than doctor really wanted but I wanted to be through with it before next Thanksgiving (and have a reason too) Kidding around good luck to ya and you'll do fine. NYgirl is on a new combination drug that has helped her immensely its called gold bond and fudgecicles. Seems to work. I think her son Can do man is on the same secondary treatment or was his bon bons. Dale

[MissMiss]

Hey which pharmacy do you get your Riba?  I want some of that so I can laugh a bit too!  lol

miss

[susan400]

So, I get this good news about my viral load.  Then, I go to the doctor's appt. yesterday.  This was my internal medicine doctor, not my liver doctor.  Anyway, he had run abdominal ultrasound test and this appt. was for follow-up.  The report that came back showed that my 'pancreatic head is enlarged'.  The other abnormality was a 'soft tissue mass in the mid pole of the right kidney, possible angiolipoma and it says 'mild pelvic dilatation right kidney'.   The doctor writing the report says to 'follow-up with a CT scan'.   But, everything on my liver read as normal, A GOOD THING.  So, now I'm thinking, I wonder if all the meds I'm on are causing this abnormality?  For now, I'm going to wait and see what the CT says.  I'm scheduled for a CT of the abdomen and pelvis with contrast, next Wed.  Comments anyone?  Does anybody know if treatment can cause weird unidentified masses to show up?

Susan

[can-do-man]

said..... It seemes generally accepted that higher riba early on pays dividends....
________________________________________________________________

Now you tell me, here i've been keeping them under my bed when i could have been earning dividends by keeping them in the bank.
Thanks pal, oh Being a little SHEEPISH were we?

[Wasabi Pea]

Thanks Kalio,

Not that I'm glad that you've been there and understand this level of "poopness," but I am glad that there are folks who understand.  My husband still doesn't quite get it, but tends to leave me alone when I embark on my marathon sleep fests.

Thanks for the encouragement.  I'm hoping things perk up a little over the weekend.  In the meantime, I'm hiding in my office using my hoodie as a pillow. <g>

How are you doing?  I hope well.

Ang

[Shanaenae]

So i just heard back from the eye doctor and he said i may have borderline glaucouma (sp?) because i have large glaucouma cupping in the back of my eye.....He is calling me back with my GDX results...

Has anyone ever heard of issues with going through treatment and resulting in making the glaucouma worse OR is it not at all related???????? Should i worry about this?????

[can-do-man]

I know some have eye problems while on this but i havn't heard of it causing  glaucouma though. But thats not saying it couldn't. Would be best for you to let your treating doctor know about it and the test results. Good luck to you

[wMich]

Hello Shanaenae,
FYI, my meds are Pegasys 180 mcg/week and Copegus 1200 mg/day. I'm told dosing is sometimes weight-based and that there can be other factors involved in dosing. Almost half way through my anticipated 48 week treatment I was switched to generic Copegus (Ribasphere)in December 2005 and to a different generic (simply labeled Ribavirin) a few weeks ago. I have sensed no difference between the three types I've taken. Other than a daily iron-free multivitamin, thats it for me so far. Week 35/48 begins tonight for me. Good luck and take it a day at a time :)
   - Lee

[omyst]

Hi

Tonight is shot 43/48, but I think I am getting the flu ( sore throat, ear-ache, etc ). My daughter has had it since Monday, she had a fever for three days which peaked at 103. I am waiting to hear from my doctor, but I was wondering if anyone had a similiar experience. If I develop a fever I am a bit leary of doing a shot tonight.

Thanks

[Mister beagle bailey]

You are a real trooper, you and I have the Thalassemia and 2 weeks ago my HGB dropped to 7.7 then last week to 7.1 so last Tues. had a blood transfusion.  I now feel great and will cont. on full meds, but I felt great even with a HGB of 7.1.  With people like us I guess it affects us different, where others can't even get out of bed, etc.  I'm so glad your almost done with txs.  Can't wait to hear of your last PCR results.  You must be so excited I know I would be.

          Beagle

[lionesss]

susan: ouch! hopefully someone in here can help you with your question.
Shan: I am on 800mg riba ( my weight 130p). think I am on 100 of pegatron. doesn't seem like much compared to everyone else. also on 20mg citalopram, antioxidants and herbs.
Frisco: love your laughing story.  I was so tense prior to tx that when I actually started and faced my fears my mood lightened up, maybe that is what is happening to you. I am on shot 4/24. so not much further then you, and generally still cruising.

[Wasabi Pea]

Thanks!  I'm glad to hear you're doing better.  Are your docs planning on using transfusions to keep you on tx?  I tried to get mine to do that so that I could continue on full dosage, but they were real leery of it.  So although I had no problems with the full dosage of peg, the riba was another question.  

Actually, the sudden drop from 9.0 was due to a short-lived two-week effort to increase my riba from 600 daily to 600/800 every other day, which works out to 700, I guess.  At least I know the precise balance point between my procrit and riba.

Anyway, I'm starting the countdown.  I can't wait.  4/20/06 is my last shot, which will be #61.  Will probably take riba a few days after that shot, and I imagine I'll continue on procrit for maybe another month.  I haven't discussed that part with my doc yet.  But if the hgb doesn't make its way up in the next two weeks, we may either have to cut it short (ha, ha) or drop the riba to 400.  

I don't know how you managed on 7.1 though.  I think the lowest I've been is 7.6, and I usually become a spineless jellyfish when I hit the 7's.  I'm very glad to hear you're doing well and feeling good.  How far are you along in tx?  Are you doing 24 or 48 weeks?

[lionesss]

I wish i could understand your hb values.  My hb is 130 here in oz (within range)they don't transfuse till it drops below 90.  does anyone know the conversion?

[OnAPrettyPoison]

I just did my pegasys and obviously the snap on needle was not tight and I saw part of it drip to the floor.  Should I do another or just not worry about it???  HELP!

[GoofyDad]

Wasabi: Sorry you're in a slump. Hang in there - we all go through peaks and valleys, so you no doubt have have better days to look forward to in the short term.

I was there in the 7's for a while myself. Not much fun, huh? It didn't take too much of a climb for me to feel marked improvement.

You taking your b12 and folic acid there girlie? Of course, be sure to check with your doc.

Can-do: Me sheepish? No way, Bub! Settle down there, Dairy Man.  Nothin' with any sheep like features here. Hey - Ya know where they get virgin wool from? Yup. Ugly sheep.

[GoofyDad]

I'd call the be in charge line, if I were you. Or my doc, or both.

I would think tht if much was dripping, you would have noticed, but you would know better.

Were it me, I would probably draw some water up into the syringe, and squirt some out on the floor to recreate the scene of the accident. That would help me get a feel for just how much I had lost.

It's not too uncommon for folks to double dose, especially early on - so that might be an argument for topping yourself off with at least a partial supplemental injection -- as long as your counts are good (wbc and platelets).

Good luck.