Aa
Newbie...needs a lot of info!
I was recently diagnosed with hep c. I have genotype ll and was told that is a better type to have as there are higher cure rate statistics. I will start taking Ribaviran 200 mg and pegasys (interferon) 5 ml this friday. From reading the patient advisory leaflets...it appears the cure could be worse than the disease. I wish i knew what to expect. I hear it is different for everyone..if you are prone to or diagnosed with depression you could become suicidal...I had a friend who committed suicide while on the drug interferon for M.S.
Is there anything I can do to help improve my quality of life while on these drugs? Will it help to eat more veggies, fruits, drink more water, milk, or exercise and possibly get some sunshine? Does anyone have any suggestions? I have always been a positive person and I was told this would help...
What happens if the treatment does not work? How long does one live...what is the prognosis? I don't know anything, which is why I am here...trying to find out all i can.
Is there anything I can do to help improve my quality of life while on these drugs? Will it help to eat more veggies, fruits, drink more water, milk, or exercise and possibly get some sunshine? Does anyone have any suggestions? I have always been a positive person and I was told this would help...
What happens if the treatment does not work? How long does one live...what is the prognosis? I don't know anything, which is why I am here...trying to find out all i can.
I was told about a new med that would be out later in the year. I was given the option to wait. The doc told me that right now there is no way to know (without waiting for more info to come out) if the third drug would be used for G2 tx...but may only be used for other genotypes. I would have to wait...and I don't know about you...and everyone else here...but I have to be concerned about insurance to cover this. If I put it off..I might not have insurance when that day comes..as a matter of fact..insurance will go to a new company in July...this would be a pre-existing condition...Other choices for my decision to treat now include being a grandmother for the first time in July..I need to be healthy enough to help take care of a little boy...and hopefully, not pass this on to him. I made my choice based on a lot of factors all not medical of course. I just can't worry about myself anymore. My ex-husband went through the same treatment a few years back..he had the same genotype..is Hep free now..and undetectable. That gives me hope..he is 60 years old..looks great..but did have a rough time during tx. He eats a healthy diet..exercises...and gets plenty of rest. That seems to be very important...I try to eat Organics when I can...etc...hopefully...this will help.
I typo'd AGAIN, what else is new? I meant to say, "I" for one, not "if" for one, on the A/D's. Just to clarify, some people do need to take them. Susan400
Stay well hydrated. Sleep as much as you are able to. Light exercise is very beneficial for the muscle aches and helps your mood, too. Cautious w/the sun, the meds can make you very photosensitive. Fatty foods when you take your pills. Avoid alcohol. Take an antidepressant if you need to, but some of us have found that they can handle it w/o and A/D..., if for one, don't do the A/D's. Come here for support. That's about all I can think of for now. Susan400
I was under the impression that the new drugs will change G2 tx duration to 12 weeks. If this is true. It would seems the less amount of time the drugs are in your system, the less chance you would have permanent damage from them. Also, we all know sx effects are different for everyone. I barely made the 24 weeks. If I would have been told that new drugs were soon coming out that would cut my tx time in half, I wouldn’t have treated because I was F1. F3 would have been a total different outlook. How does one know the difference in F1 and a F3 with out a bx.
Like you, I would want the additional information the bx provides. It is not fair to make someone walk around the rest of their life not knowing if their liver is healthy or not.
Like you, I would want the additional information the bx provides. It is not fair to make someone walk around the rest of their life not knowing if their liver is healthy or not.
Brent..thank you...and I believe you are correct in your assumption. I remember the doc saying something to that effect. He did not feel a need to put me through the biopsy...he did take more blood tests. I can't imagine not treating the Hep C. There does not seem to be any alternatives...I looked into the holistic approach...even chelation therapy. I am a believer in using alternative treatments in place of drugs...but none seem to have any statistical evidence of cure. I would love to know there is something we could do to replace these toxic meds.
Rick,
Right or wrong, the rationale for not doing a BX for geno 2 patients is this: that it does not influence the decision of whether to treat or not. Since the new drugs don't really improve outcome for these patients, and their odds on the SOC are so good, the wait and watch philosophy doesn't make much sense for them as it does for geno 1 patients. You have to ask, if the BX won't change the decision, why go the the risk and expense of the procedure?
I am a little bit of a control freak, so I would want the additional information a BX provides, but I understand the rationale.
Brent
Right or wrong, the rationale for not doing a BX for geno 2 patients is this: that it does not influence the decision of whether to treat or not. Since the new drugs don't really improve outcome for these patients, and their odds on the SOC are so good, the wait and watch philosophy doesn't make much sense for them as it does for geno 1 patients. You have to ask, if the BX won't change the decision, why go the the risk and expense of the procedure?
I am a little bit of a control freak, so I would want the additional information a BX provides, but I understand the rationale.
Brent
Bad as the TX can be, I wouldn't say it is worse than the disease. I did it for 84 weeks and some here have gone longer. As has been noted you are fortunate to only have to do it for 24 weeks and your odds of success are very good.
Depression can be a problem. I believe the serious problems have been in cases of previous condition of depression. If you have a history for depression or anxiety your doctor would probably advise a psych evaluation before proceeding. There are several antidepressant drugs that have been used successfuly for patients on interferon. I took Cymbalta from about eight weeks into TX on. If you think you are having a problem do not hesitate to bring this to the attention of your doctor and get treatment for this started.
Welcome and good luck with your treatment.
Brent
Depression can be a problem. I believe the serious problems have been in cases of previous condition of depression. If you have a history for depression or anxiety your doctor would probably advise a psych evaluation before proceeding. There are several antidepressant drugs that have been used successfuly for patients on interferon. I took Cymbalta from about eight weeks into TX on. If you think you are having a problem do not hesitate to bring this to the attention of your doctor and get treatment for this started.
Welcome and good luck with your treatment.
Brent
I don’t agree with not doing bx for G2s. Even though G2 is easier to treat is does the same amount of damage to your liver. How does one know the exact condition of the liver without a bx? I was a G2 and would have insisted on one.
I know I am blessed to have Gen 2 instead of a worse type. I am going to be proactive in my treatment; I need to beat this thing as I am going to be a grandma for the first time. My daughter is living with me and needs my help..she is young and unmarried. I have to be well and strong. I am determined. I would like to reccommend a good book for anyone who has time to do some reading ...it is named "Remarkable Recovery." It might help someone learn some coping skills. It helped me. Thank you for the support everyone. God speed your recoveries.
I never had a liver biopsy. I guess the doc didn't think I needed one. I'm not sure why. He is a GI.
I never had a liver biopsy. I guess the doc didn't think I needed one. I'm not sure why. He is a GI.
I wonder how comes some ppl get really bad sympotms and others dont. Once i have my shots i go to uni and then off to work later that night. Its only really once a month i feel the effects and its only really a fever. I think that if you dont think about it, it helps. I guess thats why i go to my doctors to get it done, that way i dont think about it at all and its like i havent even had a shot. Im genotype 1 and got told i only have a 50% of the meds working and by the 2nd month into treatment my levels are undetectable. I guess i just think of that as well and that keeps me goin along with the fact that i will be healthier after treatment and wont have to worry about it again.
Exercise it also really good, i go on the x-trainer for an hr every morning and it works wonders.
Exercise it also really good, i go on the x-trainer for an hr every morning and it works wonders.
I just started treatment two weeks ago also. My first injection was pretty bad from 5 hours after injecting until about 2 days later. My 2nd injection wasn't anywhere near as bad although I still felt pretty crappy. I've been a little depressed, but not very bad. The thought of 46 more weeks of my brain being so foggy is hard to deal with at such an early stage of treatment. Some days I wake feel almost normal, some days I am very spaced out.
You are very lucky (for someone with hep c) that you have geno 2 and only 24 weeks of treatment. I wish you the best!-Dave
You are very lucky (for someone with hep c) that you have geno 2 and only 24 weeks of treatment. I wish you the best!-Dave
Did you have a Liver Biopsy? If you did, what were the results?
I wish you the best along your journey, may you reach RVR then on to SVR, and you come out the other side unscathed.
I wish you the best along your journey, may you reach RVR then on to SVR, and you come out the other side unscathed.
I had my first shot and drugs yesterday. I thought I would be one of those who would not get sick or have any signs of depression. It came on me about an hour after taking the meds. I had a fever, chills, headache, flu-like syptoms, and I cried watching Oprah! OMG!! I have learned that I can't watch anything on TV a little sad...or I will become weepy. I tried to sleep it off. I took some tylenol to get rid of the headache, chills, and aches. That seemed to help. I am drinking a lot of water. We (my daughter and I) got a new Jack Russell terrior yesterday...I don't know what I was thinking. She is adorable...but a ball of fire...and not potty trained yet.
I hope today will be better than yesterday...hopefully...it is the shot that gives me the symptoms and not the pills. I think I need to reconsider when I take the shot...Friday is not a good time...I don't want to be miserable all weekend. Anyway, it isn't that bad so far...I just hate the idea of feeling like this for 6 months...but I can do it...and I know it must be much worse for others on this site...I wish you all the best...and hope for a speedy recovery for you and me.
I hope today will be better than yesterday...hopefully...it is the shot that gives me the symptoms and not the pills. I think I need to reconsider when I take the shot...Friday is not a good time...I don't want to be miserable all weekend. Anyway, it isn't that bad so far...I just hate the idea of feeling like this for 6 months...but I can do it...and I know it must be much worse for others on this site...I wish you all the best...and hope for a speedy recovery for you and me.
Hi, Im on 180micrograms and 200mg ribavirin 2tabs twice a day. Ive hardly had many side effects. I found that when i was doing the injections myself i would make myself sick with worry, like if i was doing it the right way etc. I then decided to see the nurse at my local doctors who now does it for me for free every week. Since then ive been fine with minor fever every couple of weeks only lasting a few hrs. Other then that about 4 months into treatment my hair has started to fall out, not in clumps or anything, just thinning out. Not so bad though. good luck
I heard that drinking a lot of water helps to dilute the solution of drugs in the system and making the treatments not so bad. "
No why on earth would you want to dilute the solution of drugs? You NEED the proper amounts of them in order to get to SVR. The water however will hydrate your body and dehydration is a big cause of many of the side effects of treatment. In fact you want to take riba with your breakfast and dinner and make sure you have fatty foods so that it has something to bind to and is NOT just urinated out fast. A high, proper serum level is critical especially in the first 12 weeks.
Half your body weight a day in water meaning if you weight 120 pounds you need at least 60 ounces of water.
No why on earth would you want to dilute the solution of drugs? You NEED the proper amounts of them in order to get to SVR. The water however will hydrate your body and dehydration is a big cause of many of the side effects of treatment. In fact you want to take riba with your breakfast and dinner and make sure you have fatty foods so that it has something to bind to and is NOT just urinated out fast. A high, proper serum level is critical especially in the first 12 weeks.
Half your body weight a day in water meaning if you weight 120 pounds you need at least 60 ounces of water.
FiGuy is kidding about having fun.
These drugs block serotonin from being absorbed in the brain which leads to depression. I didn't think I would need an anti-depressive medication, but turns out I was horribly depressed and so my doc put me on one and even though that was only 2 weeks ago, I can tell I am feeling better. I also ended up needing a sleep aid because these drugs can interfere with falling asleep and staying asleep. Now, my RBC is almost at 9 which may require me to include an additional med to help with my anemia. The point here is that your doc will help you along as you go with these types of side effects.
Water and lots of it, is the most important thing you can do for yourself. These meds are very drying and also water helps move out their toxic effects to our bodies. Many say light exercise is important. When I feel stronger, I plan to add that to my schedule.
Definitely a healthy diet is important. When you take your Ribavirin, you need to take it with food that has a fat content so it is better absorbed. As you go, your body will let you know what you can and cannot eat and do.
There are many here with great advice so just post whenever you have any questions, or just want to vent and the good people here will answer you.
Welcome aboard!
jaz
These drugs block serotonin from being absorbed in the brain which leads to depression. I didn't think I would need an anti-depressive medication, but turns out I was horribly depressed and so my doc put me on one and even though that was only 2 weeks ago, I can tell I am feeling better. I also ended up needing a sleep aid because these drugs can interfere with falling asleep and staying asleep. Now, my RBC is almost at 9 which may require me to include an additional med to help with my anemia. The point here is that your doc will help you along as you go with these types of side effects.
Water and lots of it, is the most important thing you can do for yourself. These meds are very drying and also water helps move out their toxic effects to our bodies. Many say light exercise is important. When I feel stronger, I plan to add that to my schedule.
Definitely a healthy diet is important. When you take your Ribavirin, you need to take it with food that has a fat content so it is better absorbed. As you go, your body will let you know what you can and cannot eat and do.
There are many here with great advice so just post whenever you have any questions, or just want to vent and the good people here will answer you.
Welcome aboard!
jaz
It is true that you will feel worse before you feel better, and it may seem strange to think of doing that to yourself but if you were to wait until you are feeling really sick from the hep C, your liver would be too far gone to save it.
The way I looked at it was... I can feel lousy for a year so I can have a healthy rest of my life, or I can feel OK now, and gradually get worse, and have a miserable rest of my life. I'm type 1a, so my chances of SVR are roughly 50-50, but it still made more sense to me to do the treatment and shoot for a chance to a healthy "rest of my life".
My side effects so far... I'm on shot #6 this Friday... fatigue, brain fog, achy from the waist to my feet sometimes, which responds well to Ibuprofen, evening gas (my poor husband!), occasional diarrhea, and irritability. I started taking anti-depressants 2 weeks before I started treatment because I also have a history of depression, and so far I'm fine. Sleep doesn't come easy either, so I take Ambien CR and get a pretty good night's sleep.
It isn't fun, but I'll be darned if I'm going to let the dragon stay in me any longer than necessary and do any more damage to my liver.
There are some new meds on the horizon that are supposed to cut down the treatment time that you can check into too.
You've come to a good place for advice.
(:-)
The way I looked at it was... I can feel lousy for a year so I can have a healthy rest of my life, or I can feel OK now, and gradually get worse, and have a miserable rest of my life. I'm type 1a, so my chances of SVR are roughly 50-50, but it still made more sense to me to do the treatment and shoot for a chance to a healthy "rest of my life".
My side effects so far... I'm on shot #6 this Friday... fatigue, brain fog, achy from the waist to my feet sometimes, which responds well to Ibuprofen, evening gas (my poor husband!), occasional diarrhea, and irritability. I started taking anti-depressants 2 weeks before I started treatment because I also have a history of depression, and so far I'm fine. Sleep doesn't come easy either, so I take Ambien CR and get a pretty good night's sleep.
It isn't fun, but I'll be darned if I'm going to let the dragon stay in me any longer than necessary and do any more damage to my liver.
There are some new meds on the horizon that are supposed to cut down the treatment time that you can check into too.
You've come to a good place for advice.
(:-)
Gonzogirl, you might have been prescribed Ribasphere; this is provided in 200, 300, and 400 milligram capsules, I think. Most of us use the 200 mg tabs, several times daily. Pegasys is typically flat dosed at 150 micrograms/week, I believe.
Some patients become photosensitive as treatment progresses; you might want to enjoy the sun cautiously at first.
Bill
Some patients become photosensitive as treatment progresses; you might want to enjoy the sun cautiously at first.
Bill
It's my belief that some amount of exercise is beneficial, even if it just walking. The meds can sometimes make a person a little hyper and then can drain your energy (an impact on the oxygen producing red blood cells). The meds can also affect your appetitie but it's important to make sure that you continue to consume smart nutrients. Some people find that they become adverse to some foods and attracted to others. Do what you can.
Yes, the dosage on the bottle says take two tablets by mouth twice daily. The pagasys is one shot per week.
I eat healthy now...I was just wondering what foods I should avoid to keep from getting sick and I heard that drinking a lot of water helps to dilute the solution of drugs in the system and making the treatments not so bad. I wondered if exercising would make me more tired and if the sun would be beneficial.
Thanks, I appreciate your reply
I eat healthy now...I was just wondering what foods I should avoid to keep from getting sick and I heard that drinking a lot of water helps to dilute the solution of drugs in the system and making the treatments not so bad. I wondered if exercising would make me more tired and if the sun would be beneficial.
Thanks, I appreciate your reply
ask doctor for an anti depressant like Lexapro.
don't worry about all those things on the pamphlet that comes with the drugs. they will scare you right out of treating! those things don't happen that often but they are requiered to state it even if it happen only one time.
once treating there are many meds & other things to minimize side effects.
best of luck
don't worry about all those things on the pamphlet that comes with the drugs. they will scare you right out of treating! those things don't happen that often but they are requiered to state it even if it happen only one time.
once treating there are many meds & other things to minimize side effects.
best of luck
You should be taking more than 200 mg of ribavirin. They usually come in pill or capsule form of 200 mg EACH. So, you should be taking 4, 5 or 6 of them (some in am and some in pm).
Have fun.
Balanced diet, exercise to the extent you can, sleep and rest as needed.
Hopefully, you have discussed a plan with the doc for ongoing blood tests....
Have fun.
Balanced diet, exercise to the extent you can, sleep and rest as needed.
Hopefully, you have discussed a plan with the doc for ongoing blood tests....
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Most of us manage to plow through interferon therapy, one way or another. The warnings can be frightening, though… and shouldn’t be ignored, either. I dealt with garden variety depression on and off for much of my adult life; it wasn’t exacerbated by IFN treatment, at least in my case.
Diet doesn’t seem to influence treatment outcome to much extent. There are a couple of notable exceptions to this; avoid alcohol of course, and you might consider avoiding supplemental iron unless your doctor specified otherwise. For instance if you take a multi vitamin, Centrum Silver or generic equivalent might be appropriate; it doesn’t contain additional iron.
Many of us are started on an antidepressant prophilactically, rather than waiting for symptoms to arrive. If you haven’t taken one before, and aren’t on one now, it might be a good idea to discuss this with the doctor. Others here have completed their therapy without AD’s, but the general consensus is they help.
I’ve participated in this forum for nearly six years now, and have only seen a small handful of genotype 2 patients relapse or have a non-response to treatment; especially if they are fully complaint with their meds, and complete the 24 weeks. I believe your statistical odds of success are in excess of 85-90%; much, much higher than other strains of the disease.
For more general info on HCV, take a peek at Janis and Friends; I’ll link you to their page for newly diagnosed. Be sure to also look through the section ‘other HCV information’, located in the right hand column of the page as well:
http://janis7hepc.com/have_you_been_just_diagnosed.htm
Remember to drink adequate fresh water, try to get out for at least light exercise to help maintain sleep cycles, and let us know how things progress for you.
Best of luck—
Bill