2.5 years post Interferon Treatment and still throwing up

[hootiemomma]

My boyfriend had Hep C from being a heroine user and sharing a needle.  He had the PEGylated interferon treatment back in 2009.  To this day, he complains of a weakened immune system which causes him to be sick A LOT.  He throws up and/ or has diarrea at least once a week with the illnesses sometimes leaving him too sick to work or function normally for 4 or 5 days.  He also has an ulcer and is plagued with Reflux.  His quality of life is severely diminished due to this treatment, or so he believes.  

Has anyone else suffered from similar long term side effects?  Has anyone found any solutions?  I cannot imagine going through life constantly throwing up and being susceptible to every bug out there.

Is this normal?  

Or, could he be using Opitates behind my back and this is a side effect from the opiates?  I'm confused and unsure of the realities of PEGylated interferon treatment and opiate addiction.  I know he has used heroine, pain pills, methadone, and morphine in his past.  He gives me reasons sometimes to think he is still using, but denies it vehemently and I am not sure what to believe.

If it really is from the treatment, then there must be a solution to the problem.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.  I can't stand to see him suffer.  It's an awful way to live.  But I don't want to be duped into believing he has a serious medical condition when he is actually still using/ abusing opiates behind my back.

Any advice or suggestions or similar situations would be greatly appreciated.

[JasmineT]

Speaking only from my own experience with addicts.  When dealing with an addict, the lies and the manipulation can entangle you and make it very difficult to do what needs to be done.  Staying enables the situation.  Confronting just gives an open door to for the lies which make it harder on you.  It's hard to break the cycle of a codependent relationship.  If he is doing drugs again, he is not going to stop because you caught him or confront him.  You cannot help him.  You cannot fix this for him no matter how much you try or how much he tries to defer to you.   Just walk away and move on.  Don't let him pull you into the arguing.  Keep moving forward, do not fall into the cycle of going back.  It's just time.  It is the best for you both.  Hector's description is excellent and I am guessing you already know whether the answer fits.  Some love is not a healthy love and you have to move on for both of your sakes.  Hope you find what you need.

[HectorSF]

Just a guess as I don't really know your situation but you should get to the bottom of this as it could affect you in various ways.

Based on your own suspicions I would look into it further for sure. As somethings just don't add up. And if he is injecting he is highly likely to be exposed to HIV and hepatitis B both which could be transmitted though sexual relationships. You don't want to risk infection, as these diseases are something you will have to treat and manage for the rest of your life.

Having ulcers, reflux and asthma are all treatable diseases. There are millions of people living with these condition who live normal lives and work 40 + hours a week.

Note that none of these symptoms are symptoms of reflux, ulcers or asthma.

After taking heroin the user experiences a rush is usually accompanied by a warm flushing of the skin, dry mouth, and a heavy feeling in the extremities often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and severe itching.

After the initial effects, abusers usually will be drowsy for several hours. Does he fall asleep a lot?

Around the time he is vomiting have you ever noticed the pupil part of his eyes (the black part) being very small. So most of the eye is the colored iris? That is a tell tale sign of heroin use. I could always tell when my friends where high from their eyes. They can't hide it and pupils never get that small even in bright light. In darker places the pupil remains tiny. Look at your eyes in the mirror. The pupils will dilate in the dark. A heroin users pupils stay small.

Does he tend to scratch himself when he is 'tired'? After getting high the user will usually scratch themselves as they experience itching.

Have you ever looked for needle marks on his body?

Ever looked for needle and drug paraphernalia (needles and syringes, small plastic bags)?

No one throws up weekly for months on end from any treatment of disease that I have ever heard of.

Best of luck to you.
Hector

[orphanedhawk]

I think ceanothusus gave you good advice.

Your boyfriend should get a complete lab.
I've  never heard of vomiting as a long term side effect from interferon tx.
Anytime vomiting continues for more than a few days, a person should seek medical help.

[jpinthekeys]

A shout out from a former Overland parker.

     My opinion and only an opinion
If he had succesfull treatment with peg-intron and ribavirin in 2009, the only
lasting compication from that would be worsening depression as the treatment is notorious for that even in people that had no prior history of it before treatment.
     I would make sure he has a complete physical not just a basic checkup but the whole 9 yards x-rays blood tests everything. I would if I were you go with him and make sure he gives a complete history ( prior drug use ect)
I would make sure You are present for test results.
     Now if there is no medical explanation for his symptoms then I would say trust your gut, However if he is using heroin again it should be revealed in a complete blood work up that includes a tox screen.
     Do you know the extent of his prior drug use? was it heavy?
What about drinking does he drink now or did he drink heavily prior to treatment?
    Has NA or AA been a part of his recovery??

I am a former drug user back in my 20s, heroin is why I now have HepC
I am also a recovering Alcoholic 8 years now.
    I dont know what to tell you but Ruling out medical cause of the symptoms, It sounds a bit like myself when I was drinking and druging.

     I hope he finds a simple overlooked medical reason that is easy to correct.
                 Best of Luck

[Idyllic]

I agree with the others. Be sure he has a complete physical and another set of labs.  I would view his illness as a stand alone one and not related to treating for the virus four years ago. It might give you a fresh pair of eyes and enable you to consider other possibilities that may not be apparent.

On the other hand, throwing up constantly and your suspicion of possible opiate use could be a huge red flag. Sometimes you have to trust your instincts with these type of things.

Either way it sounds like it is time for some solid answers since I agree with you: it is no way to live. Hope this works out :)

[ceanothus]

Have you been with him a long time, and is he generally honest and straight with you? I usually think that if people know each other well, then they should listen to their gut when big suspicions come up, but sometimes one's guts lie too, so you also need to know yourself quite well. I'm afraid the question is beyond us here.

I do strongly recommend that your boyfriend get a really thorough work up to rule out other problems. A few people do have long-term side effects after using interferon, but the cases I've heard of have mostly involved auto-immune related problems like fatigue and joint pain. I can't recall ever hearing someone complain about these sorts of long term stomach problems.

[hootiemomma]

Thank you for your answer!

Has he seen a doctor about these symptoms ? - He has seen a Dr. and she gave him Prilosec.  

Was treatment successful or rather does he still have hep C ? - The treatment was successful.

Do you know the condition of his liver? I do not know.

Does he have any other health related issues ? - Asthma.

What is his diet like? Does he exercise ? - We eat healthy and he is does general labor work so he gets plenty of exercise.

I know that no one on-line can tell me if he's lying, but I thought maybe another former heroine user who went through the same treatment may have some insight.

[can-do-man]

You say he has an ulcer, that could cause what your talking about. Could he still be using? You would know that better then anyone I would think. Myself I think he needs to not focus on past HCV and find out what is really wrong with him......... Best to you both.

[orphanedhawk]

Can you give us more information ?
Has he seen a doctor about these symptoms ?
If so what did the doctor say?
Was treatment successful or rather does he still have hep C ?
Do you know the condition of his liver?
Does he have any other health related issues ?
What is his diet like? Does he exercise ?
All these things can affect why he feels the way he does.

Please note none of us are doctors.
Long term side effects are possible from interferon treatment.
However, the symptoms you describe could also be from many other causes.

One last thought, I know you are trying to help him but he is the one who needs to want help.

There's no way anyone online can tell you if your boyfriend is lying to you.