can I get rid of the fatigue?

[jankar]

Week 8, symptoms I can handle -

1. diarrhea most days
2. chills and sweats now and then - temperature control is out of control but I am also menopausal
3. tender abdomen sometimes
4. joint and muscle aches most days but am arthritic as well so can manage that
5. occasional dizziness and nausea
6. pretty much breathless if I walk so I don't

I eat and sleep ok - appetite down a bit but lost a couple of kilos, all good.  My bloods are ok - not too low.

it is the fatigue that gets me the most - any suggestions other than lying on the couch all day. Is it the interferon or the riba or both combined?

[Trinity4]

Week 36 for me.  I still have chronic fatigue but I think my body and brain have adjusted and accept it as the norm now.  I have a few not so fatigued days here and there, but for the most part it remains a constant.  First 12 wks were brutal, but I really believe the body does adapt to the most undesirable circumstances.  It does help to push forward, despite feeling dizzy or weak.  Lying around will cause muscle weakness and the body does not respond well to activity if you do not stimulate it.  The more you remain sedentary, the weaker you become just as people who are hospitalized take many weeks to recover physically because the body is not accustomed to activity.  If you don't use it -  you lose it!
Rest, drink as much water as you are comfortable with (I personally can't drink alot of water, it makes me very uncomfortable) and set a goal each day, even if it's a walk around the block.  Get those muscles working, and they will be kinder to you over the long term.  Good luck -  hope the fatigue lessens.
Trinity

[jankar]

God - couldn't do that sum!  lack of brain cognitive function due to HCV going to brain?

I am beginning to realise just how important hydration is to the process.  When I first upped my water intake I felt bloated but after  few days felt better - only occasionally feel bloated now.  Will keep that in mind and stop drinking when that happens.
The water first thing seems to be really working well- and easy to drink after a night sleeping, as really d ehydrated then, I think

[epiphiny]

Good on you for upping your water intake.  I've been having a rough ride of it in the last few weeks and it wasn't till I upped my water intake that things started to improve, thank goodness...

Drink half you body weight in ounces is a pretty good rule of thumb.  For us Kiwis that means we have to convert our weight in kgs to pounds to ounces and then back to litres!  But it's a pretty good guideline.  I find if I drink more than that I start to feel very bloated and uncomfortable...

A friend gave me a tip of drinking about two 6 ounce glasses of water first thing in the morning, and about an hour before I have anything else to drink or eat so I've been keeping that amount by my bed and guzzle it down before I get out of bed and have my shower and whatnot.  Certainly has helped.

Amazes me how hard it is to be consistent with hydration, you'd think it would be simple!

[jankar]

I have been drinking about 2 litres a day for the last few days rather than about 1.5 litres and am feeling better and no diarrhea as well.  I will keep on upping the water intake in the meantime.  I just needed to re- strategise the drinking process and am now drinking nearly 1 litre before I go to work and the rest throughout the day.  Never drink cold water - always drink room temp. I am feeling better.  

Thanks for that advice.

Jankar

[Megan5515]

I have extreme fatigue from the Hep C itself, not from treatment.  My doctor recently put me on stimulants (Adderall).  It is a life saver.  Keeps me away most days and focused enough to do my job.  Just a thought...

[HCV_BSN]

All of your side effects are normal, Pegasys side effects usually peak around weeks 8-10 and start to get better after that.  Ribavirin side effects seem to level out about the same time except for the fatigue.  This may mean you are becoming anemic and need to add on Procrit or Epotien.  Do not increase your iron intake.  Many people hear Anemia and think they need more iron.  Your liver can not process the iron and may cause problems.  

The primary thing you can do to combat ALL of your side effects is very simple and inexpensive.... Drink more WATER.  The Ribavirin causes dehydration.  The symptoms of dehydration are as follows:  Dry mouth, headache, fatigue, nausea, dizziness joint aches, and dry skin or rash.  These are also side effects of the medications.  If you stop the dehydration, you can reduce the side effects of the medications too.  

If you are having daily diahrrea, you need to look at your diet.  Since the diahrrea is taking the fluids out of your body, you NEED to make sure you are replacing them with good old water.  Sports drinks are okay in moderation, but they can also cause diahrrea because of the high sugar content.  Make sure you are not drinking or eating a lot of things listed as "Sugar Free".  Artificial sweeteners can cause diahrrea as well.  

To help with Nausea, eat small frequent meals.  Never take your ribavirin on an empty stomach, and drink more water.  You may find that drinking the water at room temperature or slightly higher will help with the nausea much better.  Cold water can actually make you feel worse before you feel better.  

All in all, Keep going.  You've made it this far and it will get better.  When you reach week 12 and have the all important EVR if you didn't already have the RVR. Then you will know if this is going to work for you.

Good Luck.

[alijee]

fatigue and weakness is common side effect of tx. i faced same problem. you have to do some thing with diarrhea. ask your doc please. i hope he will help u? whish you good luck.

[merryBe]

It would be best to try to slow down your diarrhea.
Most symptoms can be helped with other drugs, check with your doc for each.

if you are breathless you may need to be put on procrit.
You will be less tired if you get nourished, but diahrrea means things are leaving too soon to nourish you.

I would try things like eating yogurt to restore intestinal bacteria, not over doing it with fluid and/or too much fruit or roughage. If this has no effect then a small amount of over the counter kaopecate may do the trick. If all this fails talk to your doctor. You need to be nourished to make it through this long treatment. Rule of thumb: for liver patients 3 bowel movements a day is optimal, but diahrrea is not.

mb

[geterdone]

Yeah, them first 8 weeks are hell… been there done that, lol.

jasper

Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone,
Help!

When I was younger, so much younger than today,
I never needed the treatment meds, help in anyway.
But now these days are here again, I'm not so self assured,
Now I find I've changed my mind, interferon and riba are sitting at my door.

Help me if you can, I'm feeling like I got the flu
And I do not appreciate you being 'round.
Help me find my feet so I can get them back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me?

And now my life has changed in oh so many ways,
My independence seems to vanish in the riba haze.
But every now and then I feel so dizzy and ‘insecure,
I know I just need the toilet, like I've never needed it before.

Help me if you can, I can keep nothing down
And I don’t like being this bloated and 'round.
Help me get my aching feet back on the ground,
Won't you please, please help me?

When I was younger, my blood work was better than today,
I never needed any meds help in anyway.
But now these days, my head in hands, I'm not so self assured,
Now I find my hemoglobin keeps me laying on the floor.

Help me if you can, I can’t breath anymore
And I do believe I can’t go on ‘anymore.
won't you please, please help me?
Help me,
Help me,
Ooooooo.

[jankar]

Makes sense and I feel I could do that easier.  I thought of doing yoga just before I started tx but the day I started made me realise it would be impossible then - still feel it would be too much to do a yoga class but light weights feels Ok. I must be feeling better if I can consider exercise.

[meakea]

Actually, I have read that a light weight program is actually better than the aerobic exercise.  Since we're already anemic from low RBCs, aerobic exercise is harder to do without getting short of breath.

[jankar]

Funny you should say that about exercise - I have been wishing I could do some as my muscles are getting really soft after two months without exercise or even without any walking.  I have a bike so I might try to have a bike ride in the mornings before I get too tired -start with two or three days a week and see how I go.. it is summer here

Other than that, would someone suggest a light weight programme might be better than aerobic exercise - that makes sense as it could build up muscle.  

I think I might be able to talk myself into doing some exercise......I am on holiday from 12 Dec - 30 Jan, staying at home so will be able to fit that into my schedule without too much trouble.  Thanks.

[meakea]

I took shot no. 12 Friday night and I can tell you that I felt everything you mentioned during my first 8 weeks and then everything started to get better after week 8.  I had my best week on TX this week and it has been a really good week so far (fingers crossed)...lol

So, it will get better for you.  As far as fatigue, as another poster mentioned, fatigue makes one want to lay around and laying around creates more fatigue so try, try, try to get some exercise even when you feel fatigued.  Anything, such as a walk around the block to keep yourself going.

I think our bodies gradually get used to the lower red blood cells while on TX and the early symptoms improve as our bodies adjust.

Good luck!!

[epiphiny]

Just lately my fatigue seems to have improved.  Or is that my body has just become adjusted to working with lower levels of hb and oxygen...

Anyway, I have found that varying levels of fatigue has been pretty constant throughout tx, some days are better than others.  In the beginning of tx I spent most of my time lying down!

I did go for a small walk in the park last week and although my bum muscles ached like all heII (lack of oxygen to the muscle from the lower Hb) I did feel somewhat better...

[lalapple]

maybe get hemoglobin checked for anemia.  tx made my lactose int.  stay warm during winter.  and walking is important especially with good air outside.  good luck!

[fretboard]

I've noticed the fatigue as well, especially at the end of the day.  I have noticed, with me at least.  Right after I take my Riba in the morning, I have a small amount of energy.  It's not alot, but if you want to start a light weight workout program, right after your morning Riba may be the perfect time.  I don't know if this works for everyone, but I've noticed it 3 or 4 days in a row.  I think I heard about it on this forum, or read it somewhere else.  Keep in mind that it's subtle, and don't expect much, if anything at all.    good luck

[Marc1955]

Jankar – boy are you going to hate what I'm going to say! My understanding is that one way you can limit fatigue is through moderate exercise. That might just seem absolutely impossible. I'm in week 40. I had fairly severe sx and then they moderated. Now, even if I'm exhausted (like this morning) I drag myself to the gym. Exercising does seem to help me get through the day, although in my experience nothing makes the fatigue go away entirely.

[HCA]

It is both!
Your side effects are fairly typical so don't think that something is going wrong.
If ,as you say your 'numbers are O.K' then you just have to soldier on.
Did you have a viral load test at four weeks?
The knowledge that you are successfully eliminating virus is a great motivator.