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HEP C TREATMENT AND WEIGHT LOSS
Severe weight loss and wasting as side effect with Hepatitis C Pegintron treatment. What medicines can be prescribed to help appetite and gain weight?
"Severe weight loss and wasting as side effect with Hepatitis C Pegintron treatment. "
The terms "severe weight loss" and "muscle wasting" are usually used by hepatologist to describe some of the complications that occur in the final stage of cirrhosis (End-Stage Liver Disease). This is when the patient can no longer ingest food due to nausea, pain, ascites depressing appetite, and anorexia.
The term "severe weight loss" means the loss of 30-40-50 or more lbs. And the patient constantly loses more and more weight as time goes on. This is a common occurrence in patients who's liver are in the final months of liver failure. The average weight loss for interferon & ribivirin treatment was 6% - 10% of body weight. With the addition of Incivek and the addition of fat I would imagine it to be much less over the 24 or 48 weeks.
Wasting or more accurately "muscle wasting" means they are no longer able to create muscle and the body's muscles wastes away and the patient only has skin and bone remaining. The skin hangs on the bones and you can see all of their bones on there entire body. If you have seen people staving in a 3rd world country or a concentration camp survivor that will give you an idea of how they look.
Obviously these complications of End-Stage Liver Disease have nothing to do with Hepatitis C and its treatment unless treatment fails and in time a person develops End-Stage Liver Disease.
This is one of the aspects of severe liver disease that can happen if hepatitis C is not stopped before it destroys a patients liver. Luckily most hepatitis C infected people never have to deal with these extreme conditions.
Most people on treatment that have issues eating are due to nausea. If this is your issue then you need to treat your nausea. There are drugs that work to eliminate the nausea (ie Zofran/Ondansetron ) and some find alternate methods also may work. Talk to your treating doctor and they can help you with this side effect of treatment if it bothers you.
Hector
The terms "severe weight loss" and "muscle wasting" are usually used by hepatologist to describe some of the complications that occur in the final stage of cirrhosis (End-Stage Liver Disease). This is when the patient can no longer ingest food due to nausea, pain, ascites depressing appetite, and anorexia.
The term "severe weight loss" means the loss of 30-40-50 or more lbs. And the patient constantly loses more and more weight as time goes on. This is a common occurrence in patients who's liver are in the final months of liver failure. The average weight loss for interferon & ribivirin treatment was 6% - 10% of body weight. With the addition of Incivek and the addition of fat I would imagine it to be much less over the 24 or 48 weeks.
Wasting or more accurately "muscle wasting" means they are no longer able to create muscle and the body's muscles wastes away and the patient only has skin and bone remaining. The skin hangs on the bones and you can see all of their bones on there entire body. If you have seen people staving in a 3rd world country or a concentration camp survivor that will give you an idea of how they look.
Obviously these complications of End-Stage Liver Disease have nothing to do with Hepatitis C and its treatment unless treatment fails and in time a person develops End-Stage Liver Disease.
This is one of the aspects of severe liver disease that can happen if hepatitis C is not stopped before it destroys a patients liver. Luckily most hepatitis C infected people never have to deal with these extreme conditions.
Most people on treatment that have issues eating are due to nausea. If this is your issue then you need to treat your nausea. There are drugs that work to eliminate the nausea (ie Zofran/Ondansetron ) and some find alternate methods also may work. Talk to your treating doctor and they can help you with this side effect of treatment if it bothers you.
Hector
Funny about that fish thing - my husband usually loves fish, but on this tx he hates it in any form. Hope he gets over that as it's a main staple of our diet, but right now he gets to eat whatever he wants.
He didn't gain an ounce on the INC portion of tx, instead I gained it for him just being around all that food with extra fat. Now he's off INC and I'm on a diet!
He didn't gain an ounce on the INC portion of tx, instead I gained it for him just being around all that food with extra fat. Now he's off INC and I'm on a diet!
appetite is gone, I find that I have to force myself to eat. But when I get it in my head I want something, nothing is going to change my mind......smells really get to me. Love fish but during treatment cant eat it . Sweets are always good. :) I've lost about 10 lbs but it isnt good weight loss.
This is one side effect I can't speak too ,I was hoping I would lose weight but I gained 6LBS eating Fat morning, noon and night.
I have lost 23 pounds and in the past I have lost 30+ pounds. I eat whatever I want that will stay down. My husband and I try to eat healthy. If resturants would let order kids meals I would. I just can't get to full or I am in pure agony.
Cannabis will take away nausea and increase your appetite.
Ginger also is great for nausea whether it's ginger tea, ginger chews, ginger root.
I started eating whenever I'm hungry because often I'm not.
Making healtyh oatmeal cookies helps. They're my filler.
Cookies and coffee. Yum.
Ginger also is great for nausea whether it's ginger tea, ginger chews, ginger root.
I started eating whenever I'm hungry because often I'm not.
Making healtyh oatmeal cookies helps. They're my filler.
Cookies and coffee. Yum.
I am doing dual therapy and I haven't had any weight loss issues yet or any nausea,butI know people have gotten prescriptions from their docs for the nausea...I can't remember the names off the top of my head, but I am sure the others will be along with that info. In any case, you should talk to your doctor and tell him you are having weight loss and appetite issues and would like something to help with that.
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