Aa
Aa
A
A
A
Close
Avatar universal

What am I in for?

I won't start my treatment until Feb 1st, well that my first apt with my Gastro dude. I am drinking now even though I know what I have. What will this be like?getting weekly shots trying to beat this hep c? How long will I be on it. What side effects do I need to know about?Can I work and care for my 2 yr old?
8 Responses
Sort by: Helpful Oldest Newest
194605 tn?1246921938
Dear Jed,
firstly you will have to stop drinking, I went through the same thing.
I am sure it is worth it, treatment is not easy, but it is nothing like a killer.
Expect some serious insomnia, sore throat, fatigue and some other weird stuff that will happen. The worst for me at 11 weeks is the sore throat, it is just killing me, no one can help, no medicine helps, just one canker (afta) after the other in the back of the tongue, deep in the throat, everything else I have found another medicine to compensate the pain, however you will need to be strong, specially if you have problems with nervousness, if you were wild at younger age, if you had problems in your infancy, things like that, it just pops out from nowhere and you really become a little crazy sometimes, that is due to the medication altogether, but again...nothing that cannot be fixed, there are medication for all of these, you just have to let your doctor know about it and he/she will help.
The only problem no one was able to solve for me so far is the CANKER in the throat! that is really a pain buddy.
My answer was really about my feelings, I hope no one feels bad about me being realistic.
Best ad a super 2010,
Luiz
Helpful - 0
1151539 tn?1262151603
Listen to Trish, she's right on all accounts!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
"I won't start my treatment until Feb 1st, well that my first apt with my Gastro dude. I am drinking now even though I know what I have. What will this be like?getting weekly shots trying to beat this hep c? How long will I be on it. What side effects do I need to know about?Can I work and care for my 2 yr old? "

You might want to deal with first things first. You don't say how much you're drinking, you leave the impression it's more than just a rare one.  You obviously know it's a lousy idea to drink while you have Hep C.  So maybe you want to see someone to help you address that first.  Alcohol decreases the effectiveness of your treatment drugs, treatment is not an easy endeavour, so you want to make th emost of it, not sabotage yourself.  

As for working and taking care of your 2 year old - what kind of supports do you have in place with regardst to a partner, family and friends?  Alot of us worked through treatment and that was challenge enough.  I can't imagine parenting a two year old on my own through treatment on top of it unless I was under the gun with advanced liver damage and had very little options.  Even at that, I'd want to have supports in place for those times when I'm feeling very lousy and can't give that child the attention and care required or desired.  A two year old can't be dialogued with the way an older child can and won't understand why mommy is not able to do certain things.  

You say your first appointment is Feb. 1.  I would take it from that, that you have a diagnosis of Hep C but it hasn't gotten much further than that?  Have you had a biopsy to tell you how much liver damage you're at?  Depending on that and the age of your child and the amount of support you have available to you, delaying treatment until you're in a better situation with regards to caring for your child is an option to keep your mind open to.  If the results are such that you can't / shouldn't / don't want to delay then be prepared for the fact that the side effects can make you very fatigued and can become quite difficult.  It may also make you more to much more short-tempered than you will want to be with your child and if nobody is there to step in, it could be a very difficult situation for both of you.  You will want to investigate supports for both of you in a variety of ways.

I'm quite the merry little ray of sunshine, aren't I. :)   Treatment CAN get very difficult and it's different for everyone so I am of the opinion that one should be aware of how difficult it CAN get and be proactive about strategies to have in place in the event that things get difficult - particularly critical when there are children to be cared for throughout.

Good luck.

Trish
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Just think back to when you first found out that you were pregnant and what you did to ensure that the health of the baby was your sole responsibility and as such you changed your life style. Now what you might be in store for while treating is X number of months of morning sickness.

jep
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Protocol at the GI office where I'm seen requires patients to be clean of all drugs and alcohol for 6 months prior to treatment.
Definately stop drinking Jed, then consider treating.
Helpful - 0
1021643 tn?1265573848
You cannot drink alcohol, and the treatment is from 24 to 48 weeks.
If you have low virus load and get UND (free from virus) in the first 4 week will tell the doctor how long your treatment will be. 12 weeks will also tell the doctor that you are a “responder”
After treatment start it is normal to feel illness the first time of the treatment, but that is very different from person to person. Some feel little illness and can work another feel more, and cannot work.
You will maybe need some help with your child.
Talk with your specialist-doctor about all moment with your treatment.
God Luck.
Helpful - 0
446474 tn?1446347682
Dido. No drinking.

If you continue drinking...how serious are you about treatment?
Do you realize that your odds are roughly 40%-50% that treatment will be successful?
If you aren't compliant throughout your treatment, the odds of the treatment working is very low.
Why waste your time going through 24-48 or more weeks of treatment if you don't care to or can't stop drinking?

Go luck.
HectorSF
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Stop the booze first.Im surprised they even letting you treat if you are starting TX this month.
Helpful - 0
Have an Answer?

You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community

Top Hepatitis Answerers
317787 tn?1473358451
DC
683231 tn?1467323017
Auburn, WA
Learn About Top Answerers
Didn't find the answer you were looking for?
Ask a question
Answer a few simple questions about your Hep C treatment journey.

Those who qualify may receive up to $100 for their time.
Explore More In Our Hep C Learning Center
image description
Learn about this treatable virus.
image description
Getting tested for this viral infection.
image description
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
image description
4 steps to getting on therapy.
image description
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
image description
How the drugs might affect you.
image description
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
Popular Resources
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.