If you wouldn't mind, could you answer these questions :)

[brown_eyed_grl]

I'm asking b/c knowledge is power. I found these questions on another board and thought they were extemely informative. I know I'll be reading each and every one of your answers.
Thanks everyone!    Julia
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What tx are/did you doing/did?



What sides do/did you have?



Do/did you work on tx?



If you are done with tx do you have any lasting side effects?




If done with tx are you clear?

[Pdilly]

What tx are/did you doing/did?
Pegasys   Riba


What sides do/did you have?
sometmes fatigued
sometimes get irratated easy
dry skin and mouth and eyes.


Do/did you work on tx?
Yes almost 6 months and only left one day early 2 hours.
I have a high demanding job.


If you are done with tx do you have any lasting side effects?

Not done yet have 3 more to go.
UND so far

[Teufelhunden]

180mcg injection peginterferon weekly. 1200mg ribavirin daily. 34 of 48 wks. Geno 1a.
Besides the normal sides, brain fog is horrible, aches are more pronounced, my hair and eyebrows stick straight out (wierd), weight loss, patches of dry itchy skin. Taking 200mg sertraline daily to make me feel good about feeling bad. Tomorrow starts the routine all over again. Thursday's are my good days.
Worked every day except for 2. Sometimes it's rough. I start to feel it around noon, but it's doable.
There is a light at the end of the tunnel...

[brown_eyed_grl]

Did you choose your name from the song? I've always loved that song. I have brown eyes too, but I've been told that when I get angry they turn black, LOL.

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HA! That's funny! I love that song. One of my all time faves. Cheers to us brown eyed girls!
Thanks everyone for your honest answers. The post SX are freaking me out a little, but I'm hoping, like chemo most of you wont have lasting effects.

[hippygem]

Hi there, I am geno 3, fibrosis 2 which was 3 before treatment, so it did help my liver in some way to drop a stage, I treated for 24 weeks which is the recommended time for geno 3, but they now know that if there is any stage of fibrosis geno 3 should do treatment for 48 weeks, just wish they knew that back in 2004.
I had a rough time on the treatment, as you can see by the above answers, if I did not have any stage of fibrosis I would not have done the treatment and would wait till a friendlier one came along, which is where I am at now.  Here in australia they do not do maintenance treatment, and they wont let me do the treatment again.  I did do another trial called ISCOMATRIX Core Vaccine Trial, 3 injections over 6 months, it was to help find a vaccine for hep c.  I still have the virus and my viral load dropped down to 47,000 thereabouts, during that trial and was as high as 6 million.
All I do now is eat properly, take vitamins etc, and dont drink alcohol.

I read you want to stop tx early, many advise not to do that just in case you dont clear or it comes back then you will be kicking yourself wondering what that reason was.  You have come this far, try and see it to the end.  I know money issues are bad, but can you get any help from family or friends until you can get back to work?  Hope it all works out well for you.

Linda

[northstar]

180 peginterferon along with riba 8oo (weight based dose)
I was supposed to go 48 weeks, lasted 25. Sx were intolerable, possible due to very strenous job, ran a very large convenience store, and never got to sit down, 18 hour days. Got anemic, went on procrit, got  alittle better, but still ill.
I never had nausea once, but I would spin out behind the dizziness, unable to eat,...everything tasted like I was sucking on a mouth full of quarters.
Unable to sleep, when I did, it was non-recoperative.
Lots of mental sx as well, buzzing in my head, depression, paraniod thoughts. Unable to focus on small things. Lost tons of weight ,...but lost tons beofore I even started.
6 months post tx I have only gained 1 lb back, I do not believe I am clear, but no ins. cant afford PCR.
I am guessing due to all the fatigue, stomach problems.
I still seem to suffer long term memory loss. I am also dealing with major joint issues. My wrist feels like someone is putting a cigarette out on it everytime I use it. I am living off of naproxen, only thing that helps the pain.

[FL_Gal]

A time or two (or three) people have asked me at work if I'm feeling OK, kind of in a concerned way.  I just tell them yes I'm OK, I was just up late with the baby.  (I have a 2 year-old granddaughter who I watch most nights while my daughter works).  Since I'm new to the company, they can't just come up and say "you look like cr@p", like someone would have at my old job, LOL.

I don't know if I'm really fooling anybody, but I think that having to push myself on through the day and act normal is probably better than just giving in to the treatment and laying in bed all day(which I could easily do!).  Anyway, I don't have much of a choice, I really can't tell anyone at work, so who knows what they're thinking?