Mental Struggle

[beeblessed]

Anyone else out there having mental struggles out of the norm for you??  I haven't been depressed but very unmotivated, depending on the day.  I am keeping a journal of side effects, and also of any noticeable mental changes, to share with my doctor (and to help others who may be wondering about sides).  Considering asking for an increase in the AD, but not really keen on that idea, as I don't want to be sleepy.  Any opinions on increasing??

http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/318167/Mental-Struggle

[glair]

Thought you might get a laugh out of this. When I went through tx in 2003 I found it put a little humor in the equation.
God Bless,
George

This was copied from a forum entry back in 2003 by Waterspider:

If your liver's getting bigger and your ALT's are high,
And your RBC's are dropping like a cloud of dying flies,
And the best that you can manage is a feeble little sigh,
Then your treatment is a-working like the apple of your eye!

If your coughing like a dog and your throat is scratchy-dry,
And your eyes are kinda yellow like a San Fransisco sky,
And your wife and friends all left you cuz you always made them cry,
Then your medication's happy as a piece of pumpkin pie!

If you're unemployed and facing jail and psychaitric care,
But the riba-rage still leaves you like a mad old sore-pawed bear,
And your pillow's all but covered with your newly fallen hair,
Then you know your drugs are working in a good way very rare!

If your mind is all distorted and you're feeling very lost,
And your aches and pains won't go away at any ******* cost,
And your guts are knotted up and your cookies getting tossed,
Then you know your meds are working like an evil old Jack Frost!

If your body's feeling beaten-up and washed right down the drain,
And the Energizer bunnies have absconded with your brain,
And the only thing to get you up would be a ten-ton crane,
Then it's time to do another hit, just don't jam it in a vein!

[ptz]

Well, I was cruising along in week 16 of triple therapy (boceprevir) undetectable at week 12,  I was managing the low blood counts with procrit and nuprigen, I take 20 mg of Lexapro a day.  Some of the typical side effects fatique, dizziness, head aches, insomnia etc.   Last week suddenly my red count went from 11.5 down to 8.5 and whites from 2,7 to 1.7. They wacked me with 60,000 nuprigin and a big dose of procrit.  I have missed four days of work for the first time this week.  All these drugs I think have a cumulative effect.  Just about the time you get adjusted to a certain level or regime... Wham! your system gets jolted with a new attack of stimulus.  This ***** but I'm in it for the long haul.

[Dee1956]

Forgot to mention that my doc strongly "suggested" I get on A/D's because Tx was going to me make me anxious.  I was already anxious and decided I would listen to the doc
In my mind you do what you can to get through this tx
Good luck
Dorene

[Dee1956]

Hello, as you can see you are in good company.  When you are on these meds, tired, or your blood levels drop it is hard to have any motivation.  The first tx I did it drove me crazy that I could not force myself to clean or do anything I did not have to do.  This time I know it is the nature of the beast and I  just do the best I can.  Now if I could figure out what to do about the itch attacks :)
NYGirl7 thanks for the info on A/D's I was thinking of increasing.  I am taking the A/D's to help with the tx
Wishing you all well
Dee

[jerialice]

yes yes yes all that's true- i was advised to get on the AD meds and i resisted until i got so wacky, i gave in and took them. it helped, but i had major reactions to the tx meds. soooo i did stop after about 6 months post tx and then it took another period of time to ditch the anti-ax meds! i am finally drug free, but hoping to get back on drugs :)))

and you will feel fine once you are done and your body can re-balance!
endure.

[beeblessed]

You people in this community rock!!!  I appreciate your honesty in sharing your experiences so much, you just don't know.  Decisions are difficult because we are not trying to "doctor ourselves" but at the same time....we do still have to monitor, and give our docs a heads up when needed.  Thank you for the reminder that it's the meds and not me.  Thank you for reminding me also that the only reason I started ADs was for this treatment, so I am not looking to stay on them long term, and don't want to deal with stepping down from too far (so to speak).  That said, I think the coming days, prior to my next doc visit, will better tell the story.  I am journaling so I won't just cast my feelings aside, as only happening once.

Blessings and hugs to all of you!  Wishing us all SVR, and for those of you who have reached that already.....wishing you the best of health and happiness.  Never forget the encouragement you received from total strangers in this forum.  You have more strength than you realize, in other areas of your life, as well.  Have faith, through the bad as well as the good.