How do ifn injections make you feel?

[randomRU]

I am just about to begin hcv treatment and am wondering what should I expect - how does it feel?  Why do I have to do injections on Friday night? Would apprecaite if anybody who done it would share their advice/thoughts.

[Studio58]

I barely know I am on treatment.  A bit flu like sometimes.  In 1995 & '98 when I was on treatment, it was dreadful.  I would have the injection, then it was cold shivers and sweating.  And the injections were three times per week. It was absolute horror show.
Injection number 6 tonight and I just started Victrelis today as well.

The issue at the moment is a very dry rash over about half my face.

Again though, no big deal.  I have just gone UND at week 4.  STOKED.

[flyinlynn]

That was what my doctor told me to take on interferon only tylenol. His instructions were to take tylenol and wait half hour to give the tylenol a little time to get into your system and then do the shot.

[susan400]

Everybody does not react to the interferon in the exact same way.  You cannot generalize.  Some people are hit hard with side effects and for others it's a walk in the park.  Also, you can have 4 great post shot experiences and then, out of the blue, get whammied on shot 5.  There are no guarantees with this.  I am unable to take any NSAIDS or aspirin, so using those for pre-shot preventative muscle aches or sides is not something I can do.  I do take a couple of Tylenols on shots night, but that's all the Tylenol I take all week long and my doctor was totallly alright with that.  I've always felt like crap on the day after the shot.  That's not to say that some days I didn't feel less like crap than others.  But, my body is very sensitive to certain medications. Some people can use Penicillin and have no problem and I went into anaphyllactic shock and almost died from Penicillin.  I have NEVER had any life threatening reactions with all the interferon I've injected.  I do my shots on Mon. night, but that was my choice.  I also don't work.  I do have to drive on a weekend for several hours to visit with a family member every couple of months, so I wanted to feel better on the weekends.  Susan400

[Catalan]

Everyone put the fear of God in me and how sick and disabled I'd become....never happened.  I felt great...I lost so much fat and got ripped.  34 waist to 31. This drug should be studied for its fat-loss properties.  I carried a full day at university and went to the gym 5x a week.  I was an ACUTE patient, not chronic.  I was undetectable after 4 months.  My doctor stopped treatment after 7 months and up to a 18 months I was still undetectable.  

BUT, 6 months later it resurfaced and I am back on the treatment again.  First shot, I got a tired and the second day a migraine.   Other than that, normal.

I totally understand I am in a slim minority when it comes to the side effects.

[DanYiddo]

I heard that the interferon is actually targeting the immune system to kind of disable it to an extent and this is how the actual interferon's fix you up?

[Virusbuster]

I take my shots on Tuesday night. I'm free from work on Wednesdays and  in the weekend. I had read somewhere that the interferon level peaks halfway the week (which would be in my weekend), while I could use the Wednesday to overcome the initial impact.

It turned out a bit different. The first 24 hours after my injection I usually have no problem (I've taken 4 shots up to now). My worst days have been the 2nd and 3rd day, I feel fatigue then and sometimes a bit flu-ish or nauseous. My boss is very understanding, I can go or stay home when I want, and here in the Netherlands you're fully payed when sick (I'm really greateful for that, when reading the horror stories of Americans here! It's high time you guys re-organize your health care system). Even though I try to do my job as best I can, I don't force myself (and my docter advised against that as well).

What has surprized me the most is the rollercoaster effect of it all. One day I'm fatigued, the other day I'm hyper active. I can't really make plans, as it's hard to predict how I will feel. On the other hand, the shots are no big deal really. I expect them to make me sick after injecting them, but that doesn't happen with me.

[bandman54]

ps- I also took 1 benydrl , one hour before shot... and usually slept like a baby...
a couple of shot nights I had the cold sweats, .. which just a nuisense... no big deal.
and the shot doesnt hurt at all.

the shot and shot night were the least of my problems.

good luck, don't sweat it, and start drinking water today!

bandman

[CMcH]

Everyone of course is different, I did not feel much the first month but I am pretty obtuse and was expecting the worst. It was kind of a relief to get it over with for me.
I agree with Bandman, that it usually takes 2 to 3 days. Sunday through Tuesday being the worst when I feel the most fatigue. I take mine on Friday's but it would probably be better on Weds.???
Good luck, it's not as bad as you might imagine. Yet it is impossible to even imagine what this stuff does to you. Time fly's by just be cautious making plans ahead of time.
This is a great forum, you will learn a lot!
Connie

[bandman54]

think long and hard about friday night shots.

There is a poll I started around here somewhere and most people, myself included felt bad around 3 days later.

my doc would only let me move it back one day to thursday.  Looking back on it, wed would have been my first choice.

Just remember, they may let you move it one day forward or back... and they are reluctant to do that.

water, water , water, all day, all night.

bandman who still drinks water!

[topar4u]

First of all let me say good luck on the treatment. I hope it works for you.

I've read some of the comments here and what I need to add is that YOU MUST drink lots of water. If I didn't I got migraine like headaches.  I did my shots at night so I'd sleep through the sore muscles and flu like symptoms. One side effect I must stress on is loosing your eyesight.... It's rare but it happened to me. So have your DR. Watch for eye swelling. I ended up with 2 detached retinas.

I am off treatment now because off my eyesight....I wish you the best of luck

[AnotherJourney]

I take Ibpropehn right before my shot and then at 4 hour intervals for the evening of my shot. If I do that it keeps the flu like symptoms away. It also helps me to get some good sleep on shot night. But I don't think the shots are that bad, it is that darn Riba that is the worst... itching rash and dry skin and some nausea.

[Tippyclubb]

No one can really tell you what to expect because it varies from person to person.  So far the shots have not been that bad for me.  One time  ( shot 9 ) I had some mild flu symptom.

I take my shot on Monday afternoon and I choose that day so I would feel good on the weekend.  I do notice around Wednesday I start feeling sluggish and have some nausea for a few days but by Saturday I am fine.  The worst for me is the Riba because of the rash and itching.  I can deal with the nausea and fatigue but the itching drives me insane.

You do not have to do your shots on Friday nights but most people do so they can rest over the weekend and feel okay to work all week. It was more important to me to feel good on the weekend than to feel good at work so I picked Monday to inject.  So far I have not missed a day of work, but I do move a little slower. It just depends too on what type of job you have, if you want to risk being ill at work.

[annieCinMD]

Most people do the shots on Friday so they can have the worst of the sides on non-work days.  I think I sleep through the worst of mine. I do try to lay low on the weekend, but I am fine for my desk job on Monday.  I haven't had too bad of a time with the shot. I think the Riba bothers me worse, itching and super-dry skin. Your first one might well be the only one that really gives the flu-like stuff.  I felt like I got hit by a train after the first one, but it was only that evening, and I was OK the next day.

[lalapple]

shot itself doesn't hurt at all, you'll get used to self injection very quickly, the needles are super tiny and short, just inject into where you have some fat.

first 30 weeks was a total breeze for me, now i'm nearing the end of treatment, really feeling those side effects

[Rockerforlife]

Most do them on fridays...i do...you will feel like you have a flu for a few hours...thats it...dont worry too much about the first shot....its not as bad as its portrayed sometimes..you will just get chills...hot and cold...maybe some shivering...it the drugs boosting your immune system,killing the virus...it usually lasts for the evening,,,6 hours or so for me