How long do the effects of Ribaviron/Inferon last after treatment?

[Trying2BSupportive]

How long do the effects of Ribavirin and Interferon last after a person stops taking the medicine.  I have heard 6 months to a year.  Has anyone experienced very strange behavior..almost psychoic?  Saying and doing things that they do not normally do?  Not being rational, arguing all the time about things that can be avoided.  Staying away from loved ones.  Being tired all the time and mumbling incohertly, at odd time (which I assume is when he is tired).  My friend has been off the meds for about 4 - 5 months and I see some things getting better, but then some things not.  He seems to be working all the time and I think it could be because he is tired and finds it hard to concentrate, so it takes him longer.  He doesn't want his boss to know what is going on.  Someone please help me understand what he is going through.  You have helped me before and I appreciate it.  The symptoms just keeps changing, one gets better and then another happens.  He still doesn't remember everything and that is why things aren't good.  He is beginning to explain these things, but then I wonder if it is a crutch.  Thank you, I am just so confused.

[orphanedhawk]

This thread was began in 2006. Most the posters have moved on and no longer come to this forum.
If you'd like to discuss this topic, I suggest you begin a new post, not add on to an old one.

[uriah1]

A couple of things are helping me.  I have found that there are a lot of feelings I didn't allow myself to feel during tx, couldn't afford to since I was really intent on surviving it and wanted to get through it with a postiive attitude.  I started feeling all that stuff near the end of treatment and still am. I'm told it takes time.  So I do have a counselor I talk to, I write a lot, and talking one-on-one to someone who has been through this treatment (on the phone and texting) has been a lifesaver.  It feels like the only people who really understand are the people who have been through this.  Then and only then did I really have hope that I would be okay.
Good luck.  Your friend is always welcome here :)

[Peter2012]

I found after rebetron in 2003, the worst lingering side effects were depression, fatigue, and not getting enjoyment out of my former activities.

Instead of going out with friends on the weekends like before treatment, I'd just stay home and watch sports and movies.  

I was mentally less sharp especially during the first year after rebetron. For example, the quality of my work declined. I had been an excellent snooker player but after treatment, I started missing a lot and losing to people I used to always defeat.

In the years before rebetron in 2003, I had been very fit and at an ideal weight. But I gained about 25 pounds during the year after treatment and another 20 pounds during the next 5 years. Now in my 23rd week of pegatron, I've lost 30 pounds and this time, I know about the change in my metabolism because of interferon and I'm prepared and determined to prevent the weight gain after treatment.

  

[MickeyS1x1]

Hi There,Good freinds Are hard to Find,your freind is lucky,The Effects of the chemo Cocktail Didn't really kick in For me till About 6 Mos into treatment,Then I Had to Start On The Effexor, Zoloft, Then Zanex,The Ambien To Help Me Sleep,The things i Discovered Was That I Did in Fact begin To have And Still have,One Year After treatment,urges To Harm Loved ones,To Just Sit While talking With them And think How It Would be to just Smash their heads open,To Just Kill Them, I Felt Threatened All The Time,I Began Carrying A Knife At First,Then A Gun,I Had A Guy Try To assault me During A Road Rage incident,He Caused It,And Was Charged,I Stabbed Him And Cut him Up So bad he Nearly Died from A collapsed lung And Multiple Stab Wounds In His Neck,During The Whole thing I Felt Detached,I Just watched As I killed(i thought) Him,I Only Stopped When He Stopped moving And Started calling For His mother,I Started Carrying My gun So That The next time I Wouldn't Have To make Such A mess,People on Chemo Are unpredictable And can be Dangerous,But Still Need Support And freindship,I Had None,And its been rough,It's Disturbing,And Frightening,I Still have The Symptoms today,I'm Told its Chemo brain,The damage the Chemicals Did During treatment, I Stopped All Of the Anti Depressants Cold Turkey,They Caused tremors,Sickness,Massive uncontrollable Diahrea,intestinal bleeding bad enough to need To Use Womens Panty liners to Protect my Clothes And upholstery in My car,I Lost So Much weight i had to Hold my pants up To Keep them from Falling Down,The Side effects Are,,For me,Worse than if i'd just took my 6-7 yrs And Developed The cancer And Died,It Would have been more Humane I think,My thoughts Now On Death Are Greatly Changed,I Look Forward to My End,Death Is One Of The tender Mercys That God Has Given Us,The Struggles of life Can Be Horrible,Then The release of Death Is Indeed A Tender mercy,My Continued Existence Is meaningless Now,my Family Abandoned me When i got Sick,I Did My Chemo Alone,I'm Still Alone Now,I Lost my Wife,Through Divorce And my Children Won't have Any Contact With me,So Your freind is Lucky To have Someone Who Cares Enought to Ask,Good luck

[sfbaygirl]

Don't be sorry you brought up the biting incident. It was great! Had a great time with it, not at your expense. We like to have fun around here and that was a great distraction from otherwise not so fun topics.

[Myown]

glad to hear your one friend achieved svr and lost 170lbs. thats amazing. as far as the biting thing, gotta put things on the forum if your concerned, no sense carrying it around. Everyone jokes alot at times, but all in fun, but no harm intended to anyone.

[bikeaddict]

thanks for the insight folks, you helped chase away my fears and gave me a good laugh too.

sorry for bringing up something that might be considered an urban myth but on the other hand, I think it's got to be good to toss around any information.

FYI - The biting info came from my friend who went through a clinical trial, it was something his doctor told him had occured with another patient.  My friend actually dropped out of treatment 4 weeks shy of the 48 because he and his out of control 17 year old got into a fight.  He was knocked out by the boy and when he woke up he raged on him knocking out his tooth.  He was jailed for this and subsequently lost his job with the county.  Sad story, he didnt achieve SVR and is not very motivated to get back on the meds.  On the lighter side, another friend went through treatment, achieved SVR, lost an excess 170lbs that he had been carrying around and had little sx.

[Eisbein]

I heard of a woman who was on tx and while watching tv with her husband leaned over and bit a chunk out of his arm...

I agree with Reveniere, cannibalism is a frequent side effect... but most here just don't want to admit having done it.
Lucky for that man that she didn't lean further down and bit something else off.
My husband, always cautious, wore something like a chastity belt, just in case.
Later on, he bought one of those armored suits that soldiers used to wear during the middle ages.
But he had to sleep sometime, and that's when I got to him...nothing could stop me...the desire to devour human flesh was overwhelming.
I am almost 9 month post tx, and I am getting better.
The doctor said there is no cure for this affliction, and some of us will forever want to dine on our partners.
SVR comes at a price...for some.

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

Ina

[abbas11]

hello.you know it is easy for me to tell you some boalshits and never be informative and applicative for you.it look like it, that your friend has been cought a cold and then I tell you bring him/her to barbershop then she will recover...lol
that is what I know :interferon induce brain toxicity and damage brain stems where nerotransmitters exist.interferon damage synaptic connections in brain and even can kill nerons.

The problem is that most of the damage interferon does is Brain Damage. It seems like it is somewhere in the body but it is usually in the brain stem.You could try some cleanses to get rid of toxins.
interferon also damage hipothalamic regolatory canters on brain and gonads and can increase prolactin levels and decrease SHBG(sex hormone binding globilin),testestrone,free testestrone,lh,fsh...
doctors allways miss these side effects.if you want know my personal expirince is that I am more than 1 year post tx but I still suffer from side effects,,, it could take 2 year or maybe more to recover from sds of that toxic garbage(interferon).
some of sds will be permanent and ireversible.
the links below maybe informative for you.
this text has been writen by  DR.russell

Dr.blaylock is a board certified neurosurgeon,author and lecturer.he attended the LSU scholl of medicine in New Orleans and completed his general surgial intership and neurosurgical residency at the medical University of South California in charleston.

blaylockhttp://www.interferon.ws/Interferon_Harmful_to_The_Brain.htm

[sfbaygirl]

Perhaps this poor lady biting chunks outta her husband was just trying to get enough fat to take with her Riba! They say sometimes we crave the foods we need....LOL

[headsrtails]

I got one for you to go with the Dalhmer joke and it happened just today: went to get blood taken out so I can see how  bc is doing after day 11 of tx. The nurse (bless her soul) missed twice so when I left the hospital I had 3, count em, 3 of them little bandages on my arm that signal syrnges. I met my wife at the gym and she aked if I could stop by the drugstore afterwards and pick up the syringes for our cat who is diabetic. I told her sure; I turned my back to her and rolled up my sleeves and tunred and said to her as if I was talking to the pharmacist: "I am here for the needles??"(we laughed soooo hard, and yes we need more of that type of soul tx to go with the body tx)(I know that little ditty may be un-PC, but what the heck) headsrtails

[Trying2BSupportive]

Thanks, again, everyone.  I think it is the irritablility that is causing the problems.  We did just begin going out just about the time he began treatment.  So, I only knew the "real" him for a short time.  Sometimes he "snaps" out of it and begins telling me, "I said that, that isn't like me".  I think things will get better, but he goes to the doctor in a couple of weeks.  I am trying to hang on, but now it is affecting my health and that is not good.  If we are meant to be together, it will work out.  I just want to know that it really is the meds and I am not being "played".  In my gut, I feel it is.  Thank you, again, for your comments.  By the way...he hasn't tried to bite me yet....but that because he hasn't been interested in sex much (just kidding).  But, on a good note, the libido is coming back...

[bobbyullc]

he is not faking,
i can not remember anything short term and read a sentance 3 times to get it? 4 months now and wonder if it will get better.
all the time on tx i never could get one spritual thought....i still do not..i do not feel like being with friends and have low level depression and fatigue.
this is not 18 weeks of tx but 60 weeks so far and counting...do not expect him to be grateful for your support as he should be but it is the drugs.
bobby

[tipiwoman]

PS. When I read your friend is working all the time alarms bells go off for me. I personally think many people are living imbalanced lives on this planet, whether they are on treatment or not.

Can your friend consider taking time out to heal his mind and body and balance things up a bit? Does he have anyone he can really talk to, many men hold things in with loved ones and keep soldiering on, not wanting to burden their spouses or friends. Then we wonder why they die on average much younger than most women. Check out any nursing home its full of women!

Also does he have anything in his life that is now giving him joy? That helps lift him if only for a while each week? I think this is fundamental to aid our mental health...having a project we love, a passion....just a personal view.

[beamishboy]

who has the REMOTE now??-that is the question

[katiefitz]

I've been off treatment for three weeks now and I'm as fatigued,brain-fogged and itchy as when I was on it.  The only difference I notice is mental - I'm non detectible so my outlook has never been better.  My doctor said a good month before I start to feel better and a good six months for the drugs to be mostly out of my system.

[Lady E]

Ohhhhhhhhhh! That was great..my liver is still hurting from laughing so much. thanks!

[tipiwoman]

Ah needed a good laugh...thanks heaps! Particularly like yours Grandoak, you imagine the court hearing can't you!! Oh and the headlines!  

I must admit though to becoming more reclusive which was an old pattern in the first place....and must admit to also sleepeating nygirl....but taking chunks out a people...not yet!The dog phenomenon was very interesting!

Hey don't buy into the worst case scenario's you need your family right now and they need you! Everyone is different don't fill your head with fear! A friend of mine in Oz said apart from itching he had no sx! The very best of luck on your journey, stay strong. Blessings All.

[Penelope1911]

AHHH hahahahahahahahaha...thats too much for one day guys...thanks for the "daily dose of healing laughter"...on a serious note to the ones worrying...if we want to get rid of this disease, we do what we must.

[jmjm530]

"I heard of a woman who was on tx and while watching tv when her husband leaned over and bit a chunk out of his arm ...
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Thankfully, treatment also affects ones aim.

[sfbaygirl]

I haven't bit anyone on tx...yet! Sometimes I sure feel like doing  it though! Geez, I haven't heard of anyone turning into jeffery dalmar on tx yet, perhaps its a rare sx.

Biker, I sure wouldn't worry about doing such things on tx, especially moving out of the house. You need all the support you can get. So you sure don't want to bite the hand that feeds you. yuk, yuk!

[sfbaygirl]

Ahhh, that's a thought!!

I couldn't help it, but after reading this thread I had to go down and bite John on the butt to see if I had the propensity to do such cannibalistic acts....don't think I do! LOL

[GoofyDad]

I heard of a woman who was on tx and while watching tv with her husband leaned over and bit a chunk out of his arm ...

I bet that's a man who doesn't bug his wife to watch p0rn with him.....

[cuteus]

biker, no need to move out, urban legend as someone said.  You will get cranky, but not homicidal, if you don't have the tendencies already.
I am sure my daughter would have told me if I bit or killed someone during my 72-74 wks of tx, even if Brain fog was acting up!