Triple tx with incivek and cant sleep

Question

My husband is on the triple tx with Inc and cant sleep hes lucky he gets 4 hrs a day is this normal? Has anyone else gone through this? I was thinking of calling his Dr dont want to give him anything without drs approval any info is greatly appreciated.

Idyllic · Answer

Oy. Your husband needs the benefit from the restorative and healing powers of sleep now more than ever. I suggest you try a few of the above suggestions if anything just to say you tried all that when his doctor makes the same suggestions.

Benedryl aids sleep and has the advantage of keeping skin irritations at bay. On the other hand, **to me** the anticholinergic side effects rule it out as a sleep aid I would use every night. Atarax (hydroxyzine) is sedating and has fewer anticholinergic sides so if you are going the antihistamine route you might want to ask your doc about that one.

I have had OK luck with Metatonin. I normally take a couple of the sublingual 1 mg tablets since they are fast acting. 

Non-benzodiazepine sedative hypnotics are Zolpidem (Ambien, Ambien CR, generic), Zaleplon (Sonata),  Eszopiclone (Lunesta), and Ramelteon (Rozerem) which is the newest type of sedative hypnotic but it is not technically a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic. 

Be sure to read the section in the middle since it contrasts the different meds.

http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/symptoms/sleeping-difficulty/medications.html


Chamomile tea, warm milk and things like that never worked for me. If you go the herbal/supplement route be sure to read about them in advance as some of them can be hepatotoxic or may not interact with his meds

I hope you find something that helps!!

JasmineT · Answer

I used melatonin when I had sleep issues on tx.  It is a natural supplement.  I know it does not for everyone but felt is was worth trying before going for the ambien.  It worked for me.  I also had to take my riba at 5 and 5.  Later than 5pm kept me up.  Sleep is important.  Hope you find what works.

BoceprevirGal · Answer

Ahhh, the Ambien side effects! I'm a Care-Giver, and one of my clients takes that one. The first time I discovered him sleep talking (with his eyes actually open) he was not making any sense, because he was dreaming. But I mistakenly thought he was suffering from a psychotic episode, until I found out what he had taken, and that sleep-walking and talking can be a side effect.

Sentinel13 · Answer

Ambien/Zolpidem gets my vote. I took it during my entire triple therapy. It has some interesting side effects so make sure you understand them. Cheers, GB

hepchubby907 · Answer

My wife has been going through tripple therapy for about 20 weeks now.  She started getting a real bad itch which added to her not sleeping at night.  Melatonin helps her at night and she finally found an over the counter skin cream that has stopped her itch completely.  A company called Seacret makes a skin cream, among other products.  Just use the skin cream, all the products are supposed to contain minerals from the Dead Sea.  Dont know if that has anything to do with it, but her itch stopped the minute she started using the product and this was after trying about 10 other products

BoceprevirGal · Answer

I'm on Victrels, but have same symptoms, over-tired muscle feeling, but getting muscle cramps less this week, by increasing my water.
    I am so busy, during the day, that I make up for getting behind on my water consumption, by drinking it thru-out the night, because my mouth and throat feel dry, and I feel dehydrated- not good!
   So, of course, I go to sleep around 11:30, and then start waking up at 3 am 4 am 5 am 6 am..to pee. Only last night, I felt bloated around 6 pm, so made a reallly strong cup of coffee, as well~ I think it may have affected my kidneys, because around 4 am, I had a dream that I had awoken, and was peeing on the toilet...but it was a dream....I had almost started to pee the bed, and I have never done that, even as a child! We had just bought this brand new mattress also, but I leaped up just in time....hey I'm only 49 yrs, is it Depends time already? 
    And the irony in me being this sick, from all these meds (I had a Procrit shot with my Inf shot, yesterday, before the peepee incident) is that I have always been the healthy one, and I have always worked with paralyzed people, as a Personal-care Attendant....keeping everyones' bedding and clothing dry, etc....
   My other theory, about the incident was that I was emotionally upset, worrying alot, etc. But I never worry about the insomnia, because then it becomes "paranomia"...I would suggest yr spouse just go with the insomnia, it hasn't hurt my health, I've had it since last October, when I found out I had Fibrosis. I have therse huge dark circles, but my health is fine, and so is my driving ability, etc.
   I dont take any meds for it, I just avoid day-time naps

babs824 · Answer

i found riba kept me awake so doc said benedryl was ok and i used it every eve. helped with itching too. i was not on triple though. i took the benedryl and and read til i was groggy then popped the riba with yogurt and went to sleep before riba kicked in! seemed to work. best of luck. babs

working dog · Answer

its nice to see you helping your husband...be ready....he may not seem like himself...could say things that just aren't him...symptoms change throughout tx...up and down...4 hours sleep doesn't sound bad to me...i would lay in bed with my laptop...when i had the energy to look at it i would...otherwise i was itching or staring at the ceiling...at between 330am to 430am i would go to sleep for a little while..my girlfriend did loads of stuff for me..one of the neatest was taking me out for a drive...i loved to lay back in the passenger seat...turn the seat heater on and that was the most relaxing sleep inducing best thing i could ever get....nothing topped that!.....now 5 months post tx i drove 8 hours back home the other day.. no problem...still not all my energy back yet but its getting there...good for you and have a real nice night.....billy

Bill200 · Answer

Don't they prescribe Ambien anymore?  Last TX they prescribed even suggested it.  I don't care for it but they never withheld anything like that.

Joey48 -  know exactly what you mean.  Either feels like you worked out the day before and need to stretch the muscles.

joey48 · Answer

Im off inc now 3 weeks and yes i have sleep troubls, still not sure what meds are doing this , but my legs feel like my muscls need to be streached, not a pain but bothersome its hard to exsplane , i have used benadryl. to help get to sleep ,, ask your doc if you can,[joey48]

ceanothus · Answer

Difficulty sleeping is a very common sx with triple tx. For one thing you have to live around the timing of the pills. For another, most of us aren't accustomed to eating that much fat and our stomachs can complain enough to keep us awake (mine was so loud that my cat became afraid of it and stopped sleeping with me). On top of those two things, there is also the fact the problem of the Ribavirin making it harder to sleep, and finally the itching can also keep one awake. Talk to his doctor about the problem. Mine suggested taking 2 Benadryl tablets at bedtime - they help with itching and also make one more drowsy, at least for a month or so until your body gets acclimated to it. Mine also told me it was probably okay to take melatonin for sleep (but I worried and waited until after the Incivek phase was over). Many have reported being advised to take the second dose of Ribavirin in the afternoon rather than the evening, and some have been given prescription sleeping meds. At any rate, he should know that this is a common sx and that his doctor should be able to give him some help. That 12 weeks is brutal, but seems so worthwhile once you get the UND report - tell him to hang in there for the big payoff. We'll all be rooting for him !