Post-treatment Depression

[Alady1620]

I've never been a depressed person to where I need meds.  I took ADs the first 2 months of my treatment and quit them bc they were making me blah.  I finished treatment 2 months ago and I am having problems now.  I find myself listless and sad a lot of the time.  Part of it is that I am not working and I start a new job on Monday so that should help.   I'm wondering if anybody else has had a similar experience.

[Trishsweeet]

I finished my TX March of 2004. Felt real bad with fatigue, brainfog, moodiness, headaches, forgetfulness, depression, etc. You all now the post treatment side effects. And how desperately you're trying to move ahead in your life and get back on your feet and be able to do the things you once enjoyed. I say it lasted a well over two years for me. Last summer of 2006 I went through what it felt like a bad case of the flu. Body aches, headaches, very tired for about a month and half. Went to the hospital and found absolutely nothing wrong so sent me home. After that initial flu like symptoms disappeared I felt like a million bucks. Something I havent felt in years. It all started with me in 2002 getting sick from hepatitis. So in four and half years after diagnose with hep and treatment and post it took that long to feel like a new person. Now the story gets interesting. After finally feeling like my old self and lots of energy comes back, feeling normal once again. It lasted about three months. But a good reason. I always was interested in looking for cures the natural way or trying the detox programs which consist of cleansers with herbs. I felt I had the need to do more and try to flush out that poison what you so call treatment. Septemember I got into cleansers, big mistake on my part. It's now January and finally stopped doing them and feel awful. I'm back to square one all over again, that's how I feel. Now I'm trying to recover from them and unfortunately learned the hard way. I should of left it alone after it took all that time to feel human again, 2 and a half years to recover from TX it took me. I regret it so bad. My point is let your body naturally recover from TX no matter how long it takes because you will get there some day. Maybe tomorrow, weeks, months, or even years but you eventually reach that goal. You'll now and feel it when it happens. And enjoy it. Now I went from feeling finally happy to depression again because I decided to take matters in my own hands. I'm upset while writing this. I learned the hard way. Good luck folks and hang in there because it will eventually get better.

[cuteus]

it could be the interferon, everyday life issues, age, and just plain stress from having dedicated 48 wks to one lifestyle that is now over.  It is a long time, 48 wks, and readjusting to a new life, a new routine, and new concerns takes a toll in your mental health.  You can feel at a loss, and without direction sometimes while you readjust to a new life.  Make sure you not only excercise your body but your mind as well to counteract anything the tx might have done.  Do mental exercises developed for brain injury victims as soon as you can, don't settle for living with it.  I suggest for anyone on tx to do these exercises as well, keep the body and brain toned.  Hep c does affect the cognitive functions, and tx can make it worse.  If you do a web search of hep c and cognitive skills, you get the studies that have made the association. Then, tx might make things worse also.  \
to any one reading: search for mental exercises and make sure you do them so as to minimize damage by hep c, tx and aging.  They have been proven to work with traumatic brain injuries, dementia and other conditions.

[beamishboy]

very good thots on recovery & need for longterm lifestyle changes...it all makes sense to me& thank you for the clearheaded analysis-brainfog?..what brainfog??...CHEERS

[Alady1620]

Thanks for your replies.  I think it helps to know that we are not suffering through these issues alone even tho I wouldn't wish these problems on anyone.  Thanks again for your continued support.  Now I know that I am not crazy. LOL

[returntosender]

8 months here and some days feel worse than on treatment.  However, I do feel I am making very slight and very positive progress overall.  I dont have the depression that I had right after finishing, that went away in a few months after stopping.  In reading some of the excellent posts on the ronmetcalfe site about post tx, it seems that a lot of 48 weekers who take at least that long (48 wks) to recover.  Seems reasonable.  

I remember some time back a radio doctor taling about the flu. He said that it takes 6 months to fully recover from a bout of the flu!  Thats the flu - maybe two weeks at most of immune system overload - how about a year of the flu?  Using this analogy you can maybe believe a 10 year recovery is in the cards. Who knows? Regardless, I am MUCH happier knowing the virus is gone and that over time I will be feeling better and not worse.  Another thing, whatever the drugs do, they make us really sensitive to things - sugar, processed foods, stress, sun, infections, etc.  I really feel much better when I am living a more balanced lifestyle - good foods, lots of water, vitamins, exercise, proper rest, avoid stress as much as possble.  These are all the things I avoided pre treatment.  I always wanted to change, now I have to - go figure!  LOL. Hope the depression lifts soon for you.

[chellski]

same experience here.  i'm almost 9mo post tx.  depression, joint aches, fatigue....i did, however, just find out that my thyroid is underactive, which causes some of the same symptoms...i'm on a.d. plust i just started this thyroid med, hopefully, i'll see a change.  i'm in a new job also, and it helps alot....i work at a middle school, we just had a week off for winter break, and i did nothing at home! it was awful, i was glad to have to get up and back to work.....go figure...
good luck to you.   chelley.

[hippygem]

Same thing is happening to me, its been 3 years now since I tx'd, I am suffering the brain fog, (which cancer sufferers after chemo call 'chemobrain', even 10 years after treatment, studies have proven).

Ive been keeping busy, but the brainfog, memory problems are a huge dilemma, certainly effecting my life and others around me that rely on me.  I need to be reminded of everything or write it down, even then I forget to look at what I have written, sux.

Anxiety is another one, with depression, sometimes life just looks like a black hole, keeping busy is the key.

[rochammer]

Alady1620

Same here 4 months post and no real energy. It

[goldyn]

Maybe you are just worried about starting a new job, and if the twins will be ok, and maybe a little worried about the next post tx pcr, i have my 3 month post in feb...I am now taking blood pressure meds were now working on finding the right one that will do the trick, and i have joint aches but i think thats because im doing alot more , and for the first time i did develope a wierd rash on my arm...im thinking once you start working and see that everything will come together it shoud perk you right up....

[beamishboy]

i am 3 months post-trx and having same issues...hope the job jump starts you-GOODLUCK

[bobbyullc]

i guess this is one more thing that is not mentioned by dr's rushing to tx. 7 months after tx i still have major malaise and depression. i do not want to do many of the things i loved to do and the days just seem to be lifeless. on one hand i am grateful i cleared on the other i do not care????
good luck on your new job.

[DoubleDose]

Very common post-tx experiences you are having.  I think that post tx depression, lethargy, brain fog, and lack of motivation seem to be the biggest complaints.  Mine have lasted over three years beyond finishing tx, and I am SVR.  I truly believe that the interferon changes the brain chemistry, and possibly also the nerve circuits and pathways, thus causing a wide array of post-tx complaints long after the drugs have cleared from our systems.  The changes that interferon causes while we are taking it, might just remain in place even without the drug being anywhere in our system.  My doctor used to say that the interferon did not do anything in and of itself, but that it provoked our immune systems to attack the virus.  Well, maybe our immune systems learned the tricks a little bit too well!  And, maybe they do not know how to 'turn off' in many cases.

Don't feel alone, because these same issues are cropping up among the post-tx group very regularly.  Other issues have included brain fog, joint pain, rashes, memory problems, neurological problems, sexual dysfunction, blood pressure increases, blood chemistry changes, etc. etc.

It may well take a good bit of time for the symptoms to resolve.  Let's just hope that they do resolve.  Live healthy, exercise as much as you can tolerate, and eat in a very health conscious manner.  Also try to reduce stress as much as possible.

Good Luck.

DoubleDose

[Imagine]

Yes I experienced this for awhile post tx. I have heard stories of others experiencing this as well. Becoming involved in a new job hopefully will help. If it continues to be a problem I would talk with your Doctor about it. These drugs are powerful and takes time to leave your system.