New to Meds!

[surfergirl]

Hi
I will be starting the combo treatment in  a few weeks. I have found this site to be very informative. I am very leary of the meds. I am type 1a and hear that the meds. don't work well with this type. I work full time and am hoping I will be able to take some time off, at least to see how I cope with the side effects. I would really like some feedback and support from anyone who would like to share there story with me.
surfergirl  

[Penney]

Hi surfergirl,
I am starting my treatment next Friday the 13th....

I am genotype 1b...also very difficult to treat, but I have been hearing some great things about the new combo treatments.....the success rates are increasing, even for people like us with the genotype 1....

Take care and let us know when you begin....

Penney

[surfergirl]

Hi Penny,
Thanks for writing back. Are you just starting for the first time also? I am so undecisive about doing this. I'm just not sure its the right thing to do. I know I have a choice but do I really? Is this disease slowly destroying our liver's, or are we just maintaining? I live a healthy lifesytle. Don't drink or anything. I guess it's just anxiety about all the side effects. Well, we can be support for each other, through this difficult time.
Surfergirl

[dragnslar]

Hey Surfergirl,

 Go into your treatment with a positive attitude and you'll have 1/2 the battle licked. It's ok to be leary about the medication, it's new and unknown, but with research and the knowledge that you have help here, it'll all be fine.

 The side affects acts differently with different people but from my experience and readings the physical aspects of it are very short lived. Start it on a Friday, relax the weekend, and there's a good chance you'll be good to go Monday. At least that was my experience.

 Good luck to ya                  dragnslar/Sam

[Penney]

Hi Surfergirl,

Yes, I am just starting also.  

This disease is slowly destroying our livers......there is no maintaining.....the treatment gives us a chance to fight this.  It allows our livers to 'regenerate' while it tries to fight the disease.  We have about a 70% chance of full success on this treatment.....that's 70% more than if we chose not to do it.  

Sam is right, I also hear that positive attitude has a huge affect on the treatment and the side affects...that is why I am being as optimistic as possible.  I also have anxiety about the side affects.  Infact, I am more fearful of those then I am about the injections.  But, I am doing it anyway cause the thought of the Hep C destroying my insides is a WORSE FEAR.....  Keep positive and keep posting!!!!  

Take care,
Penney

[surfergirl]

Sam,
Thanks for that positive feeback! I got a call from the doctor that they did the wrong blood work, and I had to get it done over again. Now, they have to cancel this weeks appt. (last minute). I want to be positive, but I have had a bad experience with the medical field, and don't really have that much trust & faith in them. I lost a full term baby boy 2 days after birth, due to the negligence in testing during the pregnancy. Needless to say I am very skeptical! I have tried homepathic  & natural theraphy and everything else under the sun. I guess that's way I'm ready to give this a go. I don't have much good to say for the Doctors in this area of Florida!  Anyway, I shoud be starting about the end of June, if they can get there act together with the appt.
Thanks for taking the time to write back,
Surfergirl

Penny,

Please let me know how it goes this week for you? Good luck!

[geow]

Hi Surfergirl and welcome.
    I am new to this site too, however, I am at 3 months left on tx. I have been getting bugged by a friend of mine to try a Naturalist Doctor. After enduring this low grade fever feeling, and other sides of tx for the past 8 months, the last thing I needed to hear was to quit the tx treatment and try something new. I am so glad you shared that the natural way has been tried by you and did not work out for you. I can now rest easier and I can believe I have made a wise decision to stay with the tx till it is completed.  
    I bet that if you keep gettin up and gettin on, you will fly thru this treatment. Keep surfing no matter what.
George

[dragnslar]

The wrong blood work, boy does that ever sound familiar. Happened to me in March. Of course I had to go back for additional lab work which is never any fun. Just got to hope the lab tech has a light touch.

I could surely understand why you have a distrust with the medical profession. Unfortunitly we have to deal with them the best we can and not be shy about asking questions and questioning their methods and treatments. While we need their medical expertise, it's still our bodies and we have every right to question whatever they do.

I won't be starting (again) treatment untill July. They make you wait 6 months after treatment ends to insure that all prior meds are out of your system. So I still have a few weeks to go. Maybe that's why I left, and just returned, back from vacation!

As far as taking time off from work, I'd wait and see how things go. You never know. Maybe you'll be able to hang tough and not need time off due to the meds.

Anyhow, stay positive and things will work out. And as far as surfing goes, there were many surfers out on the east coast last week. No swimmers tho, the water was way too cold.
                                dragnslar/Sam

[surfergirl]

Sam,
Why do you have to start again? What happened after your first 6 mos. on treatment. Did your count go down?Also I'm just curious were you live, because the ocean down here is great! Not cold at all. Well, I mentioned it to my boss today and I think I will just try and see if I can get the first few weeks off, to see how those first shots react on me. Did you work all through your first 6 months? You sound like you handled it quite well. You give me hope. Did you get depressed at all. I feel like I'm getting that way already. I hate that feeling! Anyway, I'll try and be as positive as can be, but it sure is good to have such supportive people on this site to relate to.
Surfergirl

[surfergirl]

George,
Yes, I tried this therapy called vigression. From a nutrionalist and also chinese medicine. I did it for 6 mos. and the count didn't show any difference. Insurance doesn't pay for it and it was quite costly per month.  You mentioned your in your last 3 mos. good for you! How has your last year been? Have you showed a significant inprovement?  Well take care!
Surfergirl
Are you a surfer as well?

[geow]

Hey Girl,
It’s great to find another Ocean lover on this web site. You are the fourth one counting me that I have found. I spent my whole life trying to surf. Grew up  near the Beach. We had head high and over waves. Was pretty rough and I mostly got ran over by the more experienced surfers. I never owned a board till my 30's, which is when I finally caught a wave. I was at the Inlet with my then 1o-year-old son, teaching or trying to teach him to love the surf. My son never developed a love of it so he went on to roundball instead.
Having just read this link regarding the signs and symptoms of HCV, My side effects are all there. It would be hard to say if it was the TX or the hepatitis causing my side effects or if I am having some other conditions clouding the picture. Mostly my side effects are fatigue and fever or temporary fever. The heat seems to come and go and it is often triggered by any amount of tension, or stress. I try to avoid all the stress I can.
I got a little delusional for a while, but anti-depressants are helping that.  I had read here that the TX can strip the Serotonin from the brain and that’s what an Anti-depressant replaces. I always fought taking anti-depressants because I could not see how a drug you couldn’t “feel” could help you. Then my friend said it was like replacing a lack of Iron or a vitamin deficiency; so now I take the Anti-d’s.
Please remember that the sides are very different on everyone and maybe it’s better not to have too many pre-conceived conceptions as to what they will be. Although the drug company readily publishes the side effects to be expected. I heard a female acquaintance describe the side effects of TX to having a baby. While you’re in the middle of it, you will swear to Never Again do it. Only after the baby is born, you tend to forget how bad it was. I am really looking forward to the day when I can forget these minor yet constant side effects. I find it is better for me to stay as active as possible cause the TX has a tendency to just sit and eat away at you. When I stay moving about, it kind of helps circulate it out. But not always out, sometimes a little more intense, then endorphins kick in. I will wait to hear how they affect you after you start them. I don’t want to taint your chance of a cure from this hideous disease.
George
     

[surfergirl]

Hi George,
I just wanted to write back since your practically a neighbor. I'm exactly 45 min. south of Sebastian Inlet. I also bought my son his first board at age 8, now in his 20's. He never liked the Ocean like his Mom.  His board is just sitting in his apt. collecting dust. My daughter who is 13 now,  loves the Ocean and many of our days are spent body surfing and boogey boarding.  I love the feel of the wave's wrapping around your body and carrying you up to the shore. Man is that an awesome feeling!
As far, as the meds. go. My biggest fear is the depression. I hear a lot of people talk about how it changes them and they have uncontrollable outbursts. I know if that happens were I work, that will not go over too well. I am considering changing positions, while I'm on the meds. to a less stressful job.  Staying were I am, but changing departments. Just makes sense to me. One think that really bothers me, is that I don't like taking OTC drugs. It seems like you have to take this for that and that for this, and its bad enough you have to take the tx to begin with. Well as you say, I am just going to "go with the flow". I don't want to think about it anymore, I'm driving myself crazy already with anticipation. It will be here soon enough. So I will let you know after that first shot, how it is going. It is so great to be able to share your feelings with other people that can relate to you so well. Especially someone who has a love for the Ocean like you!

Surfergirl

[Dude]

Hi Surf, Joris here.

I have the same problem with otc drugs... I don't even take aspirin for a headache. During one of my doc visits I mentioned that I was having some difficulties with emotional feelings, like I could be grocery shopping and suddenly feel this overwhelming saddness, eyes full of tears and all. Or I would just be sitting there and start laughing like it just jolted out of me for no reason... weird, huh? I knew it was the med's causing it so I sort of ignored it, but my doctor said it was depression and scheduled me to see a psychologist. She prescribed Paxil, which I had a hard time taking because I figured I could manage without it, so I ended up taking one and just put them on the shelf where they sit now. I haven't taken any since and I've adjusted to the emotional swing thing.

I imagine it really depends on how you feel, and if you are having a real hard time with it. It is pretty hard to overcome on your own, and I still have the same problem now and then, but I just accept it as one of the sides, knowing that one day I won't have to keep taking the med's anymore and I should be able to get everything back to normal.

Anyway, good luck on the first one, and all the shots to follow. I hate poking that dang needle in my leg. It took me about 40 minutes last night to do my 20th shot. Sometimes I find a good spot where it just slides in with no real pain... other times it hurts so I try a different spot, and it hurts, too, so I just keep poking around till I feel okay with it and go. There's hardly any fat in my thighs at all so it's skin and muscle. I end up going in at a real tight angle to hit just under the skin. What a hassel! I used to love Friday nights... now I dread them.

Take care and stay wet and salty! (Don't forget the sunscreen!)

[dragnslar]

I did 11 months on the combo treatment and the counts did go way down while I was on it. Unfortunitly, shortly after going off, they shot back up again. Alas, I didn't respond so if you first don't succeed ...........Do keep in mind tho that peoples circumstances are different and what might apply to me might not apply to you.

I worked thru the first 8 months but I ended up getting layed off. It had nothing to due with the meds or tx as I never let on about mu circumstances. As far as depression goes, sure, I got bummed out at times. We all do as I believe it's all part of the side affects of the treatment. I was able to get thru it without taking any meds for it (but did seem to vent an awful lot more than usual). If you feel yourself getting bummed out and can't handle it, your doctor will gladly prescribe anti-bummer pills. It's one of the things they're good at.

I live 7 blocks from lake Michigan, a body of water that NEVER gets warm. Or clean come to think about it. But was in the NY/NJ area a couple of weeks ago. I might be mistaken but I believe the water temps were in the high 50's.
                          dragnslar/Sam