post tx. health issues

[lmrhc111]

Hi All,
I am new to this. Just wondering if anyone out there post interferon / ribavirin therapy for Hep. C is or has been having continued health issues? I have never fully recovered, in that I still experience severe chronic joint & muscle pain, fatigue, headaches, nausea, decreased appetite, depression, numbness in my fingers, trouble sleeping...I could probably go on. Any help, support or suggestions would greatly be appreciated.

[lalapple]

I'm about a year post treatment and it took me about 6 months post treatment to pull off Neupogen completely, but I guess I was a more severe case since I also took thyroid meds that further suppressed the bone marrow.  Pegasys/ Riba also gave me thyroid issues, mostly have resolved by now, but as I've been reading my TSH, it seems like it's increasing very slowly so hope the problems won't return for good *fingers crossed*.

Before I started treatment however, docs did warn me that if there were any hereditary diseases that would appear later in life affecting the person treating, the meds could bring out the symptoms at an earlier stage.  For example diabetes etc.  Also, did you get your eyes screened before treatment?  Some side effects include eye issues such as bleeding etc.  

I definitely felt like I experienced depression post treatment, but was never treated for it.  It's just important to get oneself back to normal as soon as possible continue routines and take a vacation have some fun bc you truly deserve it.

Good luck

[Bill1954]

I just sent you a note; you can find your inbox in the upper right hand corner of this page…

Bill

[lmrhc111]

Thanks for your input. I was beginning to think I was alone on this issue. I do hope others who might be experiencing the same will chime in. I am so very tired of feeling alone on this journey.

[Bill1954]

I don’t want you to think you’re alone; this group gets a little quiet on weekends, but should pick up again on Monday. I personally didn’t experience any notable long term issues as a result of IFN therapy, but there certainly are others that report problems very similar to the ones you’re describing, and will hopefully weigh in later. Perhaps you can compare notes with them and see what steps they’ve taken to help manage symptoms.

I hope you’re having a relatively pain-free and peaceful weekend so far—

--Bill