Started Treatment Today

[Reidmusic]

I started treatment today with my first shot of PegIntron. I start taking Incivek and Ribavarin tomorrow. Just thought I'd check in and I'm sure I'll have some questions along the way. Maybe I'll even be able to answer a few.

[James10500]

Good luck!!!!  

[piglet222295]

I finished incivek sept 12. While I can say it was a very long 12 weeks and I got to a point that I hated food, I am glad I started treatment.  My viral load was 4 1/2 million when I started.  at 4 weeks it was 5 at 12 weeks it was negative. Now I hv 33 weeks left of pegasys and ribavirin. I can say its a tough road but you can do it with plenty of rest and fluids. U will probly gain weight from fatty foods but u will lose it. Just hang in there. Write it down, it helps!

[Reidmusic]

Thank you for your help and tips on the water intake. I drank over a gallon yesterday and will try to keep that as my benchmark. I was on the stationary bike for 40 minutes and that helped. I'm shooting for 25-30 grams of fat with every dose of Incivek. If I gain weight, I know I can lose it once the 12 weeks are over.

I will post for help when the side effects start hitting me.

[pooh55811]

As far as water, my doctor said to drink  a gallon a day, and I did. I measured it and lined up the quarts. 1 quart in the am, 1 quart in the aft., 1 quart in the eve, and the other quart dispersed through the day. Plus, I did not count the coffee or anything else I drank, like broth. Then, I also drank extra during the night. I was peeing every half hour it seemed, even at night, and I was dry as a bone. So every time I went to the BR I also drank a bunch of water. The drugs make your mouth feel parched.

If you are feeling okay, that is a good sign. Maybe your side effects will be mild. There is no way to predict, though, and they change from day to day and week to week. If you start getting bad side effects, post here and we can help. It is imperative to get on top of the side effects immediately or they can and will snow ball out of control.

I think your attitude is great. Keep active and hope for the best. Some people have few sides and mild sides. Maybe you will too. Best of luck.

[sadmommyjoy]

Congratulations!

[Reidmusic]

Thank you for the info on your water intake. I've read some of your posts and you've really been through a lot. Everyone here is like a survivor on a ship wreck. Congratulations on being UND.

I still feel pretty good but I know it's too early to tell how it's going to go and the drugs are just getting into my system. I just called a lady who started a week before me and she's going through hell.

I'm not going to sit around a wait for the bad side effects to come but I'm preparing mentally for the raging storm that may be brewing.