treatment ?

[gizmoesgirl]

I started treatment Monday, can anyone tell me if it is normal for my legs to be hurting me?  Also how do you sleep through the nights?

[gizmoesgirl]

Again thank you so much i truely appreciate you advice.  MerryBe, i think I will stay away from the mustard because sulfer does indeed bother me.  Thanks for the heads up on that.  Rangle, I am going to take a nap then try to go to the grocery store and get some bananas, hopefully this helps.  i can handle pretty much anything but this leg pain is outrageous!!!  
Again Thank you everyone!

[merryBe]

Jim is right, sometimes the body adjusts to the meds, it's best not to get permanently on anything if you can avoid it.

Be sure and take your Riba with an early dinner, with some fat in it.
the later you take it, the more chance of sleep probs.
If it does make you too spacey to sleep though, don't tough that out too much because rest is very important to your overall health as well as to how well you respond to treatment. So it is important.

Personally, I'd be a little careful with the mustard suggestion only because it can be an irritant
especially to the bowels, and many liver folks also have colon/leaky bowel and intestinal issues.
As far as I know, it's the sulfur IN the mustard that actually gives some people relief as sulfer has some antibiotic and antiinflammatory qualities, (MSM for instance is used for arthritis by folk into alternative remedies) however this idea only applies if your body does not have an allergy or sensitivity to sulfur, which many people do have. Plus as I said, mustard, and black pepper as well are both bowel irritants, so if you have gastritis/colitis/any such stuff, it might be best to go another route.
I know this because sulfur and I don't get along. MSM, as well as the muscle relaxant skelaxin, both make my joints MUCH worse, not better. So some words to the wise.
maryB

[Rangle]

Try eating a banana The potassium may help the leg cramps....gl

[sldb]

Try a spoonful of french's mustard for leg cramps.  I had horrible leg cramps and it worked.  

[gizmoesgirl]

Thank you so much for your quick responses!  I called the Dr.'s office waiting for a return phone call!

Best wish to you all!

[merryBe]

also you need to go with one or the other, do NOT double up on stuff. like if I've already taken an ambien and it does not work, I can take half a benydrl but NOT the trazedone, and especially NOT the temazepam or anything in that stronger classification.

check with your pharmacist as well as doc (particularly check on line as well) to discover drug interactions so you do not mix 2 things that cannot be mixed, or you may not wake up!

sorry I forgot to complete my thoughts above, kinda tired today.
Good luck with your treatment!

[jmjm530]

There seems to be two ways to approach the sleep issues. Either take something for it right away, or wait and see. I took the latter approach and by week 12, was sleeping like a champion without anything. In fact, sleep was about the only thing I did well on treatment. The advantage of waiting for your body to adjust to the ribavirin -- the likely culprit -- is that you will be taking less drugs, plus if you're on a sleep aid, how do you really know if you need it down the road or if you're just dependent on it? Anyway, two ways to deal with it, no right or wrong.

[merryBe]

yes muscle pain is one flulike symptom. I take Ambien CR, 12.5...if you are small 6mg will work.
it has less addictive properties. If the Riba gives you sleepless night ask for something stronger for once in a while. they gave me temazepam for bad nights, it has more dependancy issues.

If you also have Riba rage/blues you might try a mild antidepressant like trazedone (I cut mine in half) for the sleep help and daily help. (taken at night as it makes one drowsy). Although all the sleep aides have some effects on the liver.

sometimes, if the Ambien does not work, I'll take half a benydrl rather than the stronger more additive things, but this tends to waer off in 4 or 5 hrs, so not a whole night sleep.

you kind of have to experiment until you find what works for you, that doesn't make headaches appear, which while of the SOC can be more pronounced.
also stick with the lowest dose possible, and don't cut anything up that is controlled release (CR) like the ambien.

be sure to stay hydrated and away from pop with phosphoric acid in it, or caffine in any form, which will both rob you of calcium as well as water, both needed for muscles to stay at rest.

hope that helps.