interfiron

[lilly_flower]

i am going to start to take interfiron in a couple of weeks. how sick do you think that i will be in the first few weeks? will i be able to start college 4 weeks after i start? if i start it then stop, will it work next time i start it?

[nan535]

This is a very old thread. Please start a new thread with your post and I'm sure you will get lots of responses.

[Sadiestar]

My mom had treatment 20 years ago and now finds she must do it again at the age of 72. I hope she will be ok, it was very hard on her the last time and she's much older now.

[Wilful1]

Dear Lily Flower,

I haven't started tx myself, so I don't know how much help I can be.  However, this forum has helped me so much with my confusion, treatment effects, and just knowing there are other people out there to talk to about these issues.  Some are just starting, some are in the middle of treatment, some are ending, but all in all, the discomfort seems to be on a continuum .  I guess we won't know until we personally begin tx.  I begin in a few weeks myself.  I just found out about a month ago, had the liver biopsy, found this forum, and on the advice of my GI, I am going to go with the best attitude I can muster.  Good luck and "keep your eye on the prize"!

Wilful1

[Andromedae]

"i am going to start to take interfiron in a couple of weeks. how sick do you think that i will be in the first few weeks? will i be able to start college 4 weeks after i start? if i start it then stop, will it work next time i start it?"

Everyone reacts differently.  Some people here report first week symptoms that pretty much put them out of action.  Some report symptoms that get worse over time and some say that the symptoms are manageable enough to not be a show stopper for work.

I am on my second week of treatment and have a variety of mildly annoying symptoms the worst of which is a physical tiredness that hits me later on in the afternoon.  Nothing that has stopped me from work so far.

It's important to get regular blood work (every two weeks or so) when you first start treatment so you can monitor what's happening to your red and white blood cell levels 9as well as many other things).  That way you can avoid trouble before it becomes a show stopper.

Andromeda

[Marcia2202]

Hi lilly, welcome to the forum. You have come to a place where you will be able to gather a lot of information and get a lot of support.

Everybody reacts different to treatment. Some people have a really hard time and others fly through treatment, but generally young people have less side effects. Many people work through the whole time.

What genotype are you? And have you had a biopsy? How long are you going to treat?

I myself have not started treatment yet. I'm 45, genotype 3 and should be treating for 24 weeks.

Marcia