Post Treatment side effects

[gdr]

I am nearing the end of my 24 week treatment with pegasus and copegus.  I have experienced a variety of side effects from treatment and would like to know what physical/mental side effects I can expect post-treatment?

Thank you very much.

[AmIDoneYet]

You bring up a good point about the incidence of side effects.  I just can't understand how anyone can go through this treatment and not experience some type of side effect.  I have heard stories of people who have experienced no side effects.  The thing that amazes me is seeing a statistic like 30% of people experience flu-like symptoms.  While taking the treatment, I tried to minimize the Tylenol and Advil because of the liver toxicity.  I don't understand how anyone who doesn't take Tylenol or Advil would not feel bad after the shot.  The Tylenol and Advil definitely minimized those side effects but if I didn't take them, I experienced flu-like symptoms every time.  Even with the Tylenol and Advil, the brain fog was there.

[simpleman]

I finished Thanksgiving and I feel much better. I didn't cry but instead it affected me by making me mad at everybody and everything. That is much better already. I've noticed myself smiling a few times. The last three weeks I told myself every day  that since I had this day started I was going to finish it, but tomorrow I was definately going to quit. RBC low at the end but that's much better too. Not short of breath,cold,and legs don't feel like they weigh 100 pounds. My stomach felt better within DAYS of stopping pills. Except for low WBC I think I handled the interferon OK but the pills made me feel bad.
Kennedge-hang on you WILL get there.

[BethUK]

I agree that depression is a documented side effect, but if you read the side effect statistics on the drug companies web sites the incidence of depression is less than 30%.  Yet on this board  the vast majority of people go on AD's.  I know I may sound contraversial but dont you think some of you are confusing feeling a bit down with clinical depression?  Or are your doctors in the US, so wrapped up in the lawsuit culture that they stick all the patients on them to keep them quiet?

[BethUK]

I finished treatment just over a year ago and I feel fantastic about it.  I cannot believe that I had an illness that dragged me to the depths of despair, that I thought would prevent me from seeing my children grow up.   Well now I don't have it anymore, and it does take a bit of adjusting to.  Don't expect to feel great immediately, it does take a few months but I am fitter and certainly feel better than most of my 46 year old counterparts!  All my friends complain about lack of energy, the menopause, wrinkles, drinking too much etc. etc.  After what ive been through (48 weeks of the stuff), there dosn't seem much worth complaining about now!

[hopiangel]

Man, did I have those "memories" of past trauma, etc. while on tx.  It was outrageous.  Sometimes I thought I truly would loose it.  But I went on meds for it and it got more bearable, but the fog took months to lift after tx.  I still can't remember blocks of time or events while on tx.  My hair has come back a lot since I went off tx in April of this year.  I'm sort of the person I was before, but things won't ever be the same.  It's hard to describe specifics.  I just had to take care of my mother, who is 85, after she had surgery.  We had never gotten along since I was 3 yrs. old, believe it or not.  So, when I was called on to do this 2 week, 24 hr. a day care giving for her, there was so much resentment. She never could take care of me when I was a child or any other time. As it turned out, I used the things I learned on tx and got through it a lot better than I had ever expected.  So, I must be better now than I was before and during tx! I could have NEVER done this before.  God works in strange ways. Take care all of you and stay on tx if you are on it now, and know that whether you are pre-tx, on tx, or post-tx, you are not alone here.  We've all been there.  **Hopiangel**

[dheana]

I didn't finish my treatment yet, I'm week 46 and for me the worse part of the treatment was depression and anxiety. I can cope with the pain and other sx...
I wonder if I'll be ok after treatment, now I lost my confidence and crying and crying...
I feel like everything around me is something I'll never see again and this is paintful.
Do you think that only AD could help? I think I need a positive approach and I can't find it.
I know you've helped me a lot lately, where is my life?