Hi,
I'm on week 6 and have had the same drainage problem as your husband since week 3. At first I thought it was a cold, but I've reluctantly concluded it is a side effect of tx. The post nasal drip and drainage are way out of control. I feel like I'm blowing my brains out. I don't know if your husband is blowing his nose a lot...I have found that using neosporin (maximum pain relief) ointment (not cream) in my nostrils and and around my nose relieves the tenderness and the crustiness/dryness. Also drinking lots and lots of water. I'm also using a humidifier, and it only helps a little. The thing that helps most is the water--and it's the hardest to do. You just have to keep drinking all the time. I hope this helps.
As to the blood tests, someone else who's had more experience with that will undoubtedly post a reply any minute. You're both very courageous to be doing this at the same time...I wish you both the best of everything and continued strength to fight this battle together!
Judi
Around week 7 when my rbc dropped rapidly and drastically low, I was bothered with a constant cough. I was then put on Procrit and continued to cough like crazy. I've had sinus surgery prior to my hepC treatment so I made an appt. with my ENT physician. Along with that I had a chest xray with my primary care doctor.
My CAT Scan came back and showed that I wasn't having blockage, infection or anything unusual with my sinuses as well as chest xray showed very clear. I still coughed and coughed. I was coughing like crazy day and night and didn't really find much to relieve the cough. I took some 'tussin' cough, but that didn't help much.
My GI, primary doctor and ENT concluded that it is and was a side effect from the treatment meds. My GI told me that he knows that hepC treatment patients suffer from this cough and that it may stay constant or may come and go. He said that some of his patients have this cough while on the riba medication.
I am on week 39 of my treatment, and still have trouble with coughing. My cough seemed to let up a bit around my 24th week but I still have the cough although not waking me up and disturbing my sleep much now a days.
A year of coughing on these medications? Yes, I believe it.
Had the cough through all 48 weeks of tx. Pretty much treated the symptoms with Rx cough syrups or I'd hurt too much from coughing to function.
Kim
Has anyone tried the halls fruit breezers. They are more for dry hacking coughs and so. that seems to be what I have so far?
Joni
I was caughing badly, started taking Vit E (400 UI daily) and my Hgb stabilized and later improved. Maybe Vit E could help you.
Hi all , I haven't wrote in awhile, but today I got the best new,s. I got a call from my DR. today ,and my 12 wk , I am nondetectable!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don,t go to the DR. till 2-6-04 I will know more than. I was so excited I couldn,t even ask ?
I am a 1a with a little over 1mil vl.Now thats all changed , I am very happy right . I hope every one is doing well. Thank you all for being here.
JILL OHIO
I have had a cough and nasal discharge on and off for the 16 weeks I've been on tx. My wife put an air purifier in our bedroom and I no longer cough at night.
That is wonderful news. You're on your way to a SVR. I'm happy for you.
So happy to hear your news! One more hurdle down. Sure helps you keep your eye on the goal!
ambush :)
This is the best, most absolute wonderful news!!!
I have started sneezing for no reason a number of times the past few days. Also have begun to cough. I hope this does not last, surely it does not for everyone?
Hi Vicki
I usually have a very low grade temp. off and on and have had since I started the meds.
At times, I felt like I was burning up and could almost feel my temperature raising. When I take my temperature though, it was always just below 100 and sometimes right at 100. Usually 99. something.
I use to call my GI PA and let her know when my temperature would rise above normal. She always talked with me to see if I was feeling unusually lousy during those times.
I've read where others have talked about temperatures. You should call your doctor just to let them know and see what they say. May not be too serious and then again, may want you to come in or do something extra with your blood draws.
Drink cold, and chew on a little ice. I ate popcicles like crazy this summer. Was good to get more liquid in me (something fruity and something other than just plain ice and water) and just soothed me all over.
No I haven't had any raised temp since starting. Have you called your dr and told him?
Yes! I also feel feverish a lot of the time. When I take my temp. it's not much above normal, but I can feel that my head is hot. Feels hot to me and like my head is baking. I don't know if there is a relation, but I've recently been dx with hyperthyroidism and the docs say the feeling of heat is realted to that. Who knows! I'm not sure what's causing what these days. I 15/24 and counting down the weeks. Best Wishes, caruu
I have had low grade fever all throughuot my tx #33 this fri., I have been feeling bad for so long that I have gotten use to feeling bad, I felt bad about 2 years before I started tx, I was always tired and thought it was from allergies, I actually use to feel a little better when I would take an allegra but it would only last for about 3-4 hours and I was taking the largest mg. allegra, It wasn't till I switched to another doc and that's when he ran some blood tests and well you know the rest(HCV)- I get around real good, do everything I use to do but just do it with low grade fever, headaches, body aches, stiff neck ect. When this HCV is gone and I start to feel better(it's been about 3 years since that was) I'm not going to know how to act. Let me quit complaining and go to bed - see ya and hope you start feeling better-- HD
Mom of three, congratulations on passing the first big hurdle in tx. This is a very, very good sign, to be an early responder.
I had low grade temp most of the time, usually between 99.3 and 100.2. When it went higher, I felt lousy and achy. It usually spiked after shots. After a few months I guess I just got used to it and stopped taking my temp. When I was achy, my doc let me take Alleve, and it's been my best friend.
Also in the first 5-6 months, I had what we referred to as "the dreaded hot-heads". My head would feel so hot, it would feel like it's about to explode; and I'd sweat profusely, ruining whatever excuse for a hairdo I had; looking good was not an option. The hot-head often came on shortly after I took the riba, and would pass in about an hour.
The cough was really a bother. Ribavirin causes it. I had some success with Dextromethorphan as a single-ingredient cough suppressant. I, too, had clear x-rays, and Rx cough medicine (I tried Tessalon and hated it) didn't help. The humidifier in the bedroom helped, since I spent so many hours there. I used a combination of zinc-ointment and Vitamin A&D ointment on/in my nostrils (like Desitin, but doesn't smell fishy), or any other acutely dry skin. I also used Tears Free Naturale in my eyes; it helped me open my crusty eyes in the morning.
I stopped having mouth sores after I started using Biotene toothpaste; the mounthwash helped a lot with bad tastes. Aveeno Skin Relief Body Wash, with one of those bath rosettes (tulle?)
kept my skin feeling a bit more like skin. In everything, I avoided fragrances, because they irritated my skin, membranes, etc.
Benadryl may help cut some of the sinus, etc. drainage; it may help cut itchiness; and it also may help you to sleep. Tavist antihistamine - without decongestant - may help help the same way without making you sleepy.
In all cases, I recommend store brand or generic equivalents; look for the same ingredients, and avoid extra ingredients. In retrospect, all these things faded into the background, and I just mucked on. Drink and rest enough, and hang in there, folks.
Maj Neni
Congratulations on the good news. Good luck. Mike
Thank you all for you support. I do shot 14 today, it makes things alot easier knowing the meds are working. I do wish I had some energy! I"m learned I really love my Bed...lol
I hope all is well today. Here we are all pretty much snowed in. JILL
If we live in an area where we must heat our homes, that and the fact that winter air is low in humidity dries our membranes and skin, a lot. Tx will aggravate anything. I don't have the cough, but lately find myself constantly clearing my throat. I use Nasalcrom for my daughter's constant sinus problem, it is now OTC and goes directly to preventing symptons at the master cell level. If she doesn't use it, she wil inevitably have a discharge and cough.
My skin is normally dry, now worse with Tx, the best thing for that is any lotion/cream with at least 10% urea, eucerin, glycerin and lactic acid in the ingredients(Dermatologist formula). I would "snow" skin without U-lactin in my life.
Vicki, the ringing in your ears could also be higher BP, I always had normal BP, Lower when I was pregnant, and since TX I had scary high levels. it has to be the tx, i am getting a cardiac eval today, to be on the safe side. High BP can cause ringing in the ears, check it out.
Jill, CONGRATULATIONS! What great news! I just started tx this past Monday and I hope one day I'll be able to report the same!
Everyone -
This is probably off topic but as I said, I just started TX on Monday. I've been waiting for the dreaded sides to take hold, but so far, I've really haven't had any. I do have a bit of a HA today, but it could be related to the weather we are having. My question is, how many of you that had little to none side effects in the beginning went on to having side effects later on? What week did it start for you? Did they really hit you hard?
I really appreciate all of you for your advice and support...as I said before, I've learned so much about this dreaded disease from all of you.
Thanks,
Sue
Have you heard from ringading? I really miss her jokes. I haven't laugh so hard in a long time; the horse's smudge, Grow a date, etc. How is she? I found a new site called hepc palace with a chat room also. I did not check it out yet.
Be well
Ive
hello,i am 29 years old and i have hepatite b chronical,what can i do to escape of this virus,my analises results are ag hbs positive anti hbc positive,ag hbe negative and ag hbc igm negative,thank you!
Are you hep b or hep c? If its chronic, it is probably hep c not b. big difference in terms of tx and outcome.