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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Hepatitis / May 2007Day 1--did the shot
Met with the nurse whose job was to explain all major points of Peg-Intron/Ribavirin treatment, injected myself with the first 120 mcg under her supervision...that was ~3 hours ago (around 3:30pm, Friday). Apparently, the nurse will be something like the liaison between me and the doctor...I can call her any time during working days/hours, and if I need to talk at some other time, she recommended "Be In Charge" program. I hope I won't have to resort to that too often, though. <g> So far, I'm not feeling particularly different. I haven't had the ribavirin yet, though, so that may change, heh. I'm supposed to take 2 capsules with breakfast, and 3 with dinner. I'm a bit dumbfounded by my doctor's logic--a lot of evidence supports 800 mg for genotypes 2 and 3 (I am 3a)...also, I thought my dose of PegIntron was slightly on a high side--I weigh 73-75 kg, and got the full 120 mcg of Peg-Intron. But, I suppose it can easily be decreased, whereas starting with a sub-optimal dosage would be less than beneficial. I'm drinking lots of water, as has been empasised many times, here and elsewhere...also, I took 500 mg of acetaminophen an hour before I had the injection. I asked the nurse about Milk Thistle, as well as vitamins C and E (read some studies that showed significant decrease of side effects due to these vitamins), but she had no information about that. Any input? I take clonazepam 2-4 times a week for anxiety...well, I forgot the vial when I went to work today, so I was anxious like f.ck, with sweat pouring over my forehead as the nice nurse was explaining procedures for injecting myself. When I got home, I took a bit higher than usual, 4 mg, but with my tolerance it's unlikely I will even feel sleepy. Just not anxious. Eh...so, I'll have my dinner soon and take my first 3 capsules of ribavirin. I try to keep a positive outlook, and not listen to my body for every possible side effect. Damn it, if I'd had my clonazepam with me, I'd have stayed in the city and gone to see SpiderMan-3 or Hot Fuzz. On the other hand, I hope they show a re-run of a previous "House" episode today on Fox (anyone else watches that show? I think it's bloody awesome!). That's about it for my rant. Yes, I keep drinking water, and yes, I'll make sure to have ribavirin with a fatty meal. I am calmer than I was a week ago when I was discovering all that stuff about possible interferon-induced eye problems. I'm determined to do all I can to improve my chances of success--I just pray I won't be crippled by anxiety/depression, unable to keep my P/T job that requires a moderate amount of mental exertion, or suffer permanent damage to my body as a result of this. I've made the first step (well, half of it...haven't taken ribavirin yet), and psychologically, it's much easier now. The people treating me seem to be concerned to keep me alive and well, for which I am grateful--not to mention this newsgroup, which has been a great source of support. Undoubtedly, I'll check back in later. Thanks to all of you. SB P.S. Btw, in the Schering literature it says that some studies link marijuana to to faster liver scarring/cirrhosis, and/or poorer treatment outcomes. Is it just some anti-drug bullshit, or some valid research behind it...anyone knows? I don't usually smoke, but I heard it helps with some sides, so I stocked up a bit.  SignatureSick Boy By golly good for you Sick Boy. You seem like an efficient fellow. Movie theaters are germy places. I didn't start having side effects until 4 weeks into treatment. There is research that some components in pot are anti-fibrogenic and some are pro-fibrogenic. So who you gonna call?! What is your name? I mean like Bill or Frank or what? Cheerios, Kathy hi thip roll call update tomorrow :-) "Indeed, cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 promote dual pro- and antifibrogenic effects, respectively." Cannabinoid receptors as new targets of antifibrosing strategies during chronic liver diseases. Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2007 Mar;11(3):403-9. Chronic liver injury exposes the patient to liver fibrosis and its end stage, cirrhosis, is a major public health problem worldwide. In western countries, prevailing causes of cirrhosis include chronic alcohol consumption, hepatitis C virus infection and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. Current treatment of hepatic fibrosis is limited to withdrawal of the noxious agent. Nevertheless, suppression of the cause of hepatic injury is not always feasible and numerous efforts are directed at the development of liver-specific antifibrotic therapies. Along these lines, the authors recently demonstrated that the endocannabinoid system shows promise as a novel target for antifibrotic therapy during chronic liver injury. Indeed, cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 promote dual pro- and antifibrogenic effects, respectively. Therefore, endocannabinoid-based therapies, combining CB2 agonists and CB1 antagonists may open novel therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of chronic liver diseases. www.pubmed.com [cut] > "Indeed, cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 promote dual pro- and > antifibrogenic effects, respectively." [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > www.pubmed.com Now that's f'n interesting!!!!!!!! Thanx!! >By golly good for you Sick Boy. You seem like an efficient fellow. Movie >theaters are germy places. I didn't start having side effects until 4 >weeks into treatment. There is research that some components in pot are >anti-fibrogenic and some are pro-fibrogenic. So who you gonna call?! I guess I'll stay away from pot--at least for now. I've never been a big fan of weed, just thought it might come in handy during tx, according to some other people. Good thing I didn't go to movies last night, though (and anyway, they had a "House" re-run on TV). I did my shot around 3:30, got home an hour later, took some clonazepam (thankfully!), and 600 mg of ribavirin with dinner. sh.t hit the fan around 9:30-10pm. Shakes, feeling cold, hurting bones/joints. I climbed under a warm blanket, took another 500 mg of acetaminophen...around 11pm, the shakes stopped, but the temperature climbed up to about 102.5. I kept drinking water, took a shower (as a nurse from "Be In Charge" suggested), and this morning I'm no longer feverish...feeling okay and clear-headed, except for joint pain and headache. Also, some fatigue and maybe an elevated temperature. Oh well...time for the morning 400 mg of ribavirin. It was bad, but not nearly as bad as I'd expected. Just like a nasty flu, really. Fortunately, I was able to sleep...only woke up around 10:30am (if you don't count trips to bathroom). If it stays on the same level, it'd be really awesome...but it probably won't, with the ribavirin. >What is your name? I mean like Bill or Frank or what? > >Cheerios, >Kathy I'm still the same "Sick Boy" who came here a few weeks ago asking for help in making the decision about starting the treatment, Kathy. No offense to you or anyone else, but I'd rather be referred to by my "nick" for reason that go well beyond the scope of this newsgroup. I hope you don't think I'm some paranoid case, but I have good reasons for not revealing my real name on usenet (even first name). God, this *did* sound paranoid, eh? I have a pretty nasty headache developing at the moment, plus pain in my lower back. I think I'll go for a walk...maybe it'll help. Thank you everyone for your support and giving me the confidence to start on this road. Rasta--I'm happy for ya, mate, and wish you long-term success. As usual...if anyone has experience/suggestions you'd like to share with me at this stage of Tx, I'd be grateful. Yes, I drink lots of water. I asked the nurse about taking vitamins C and E, and milk thistle, but she said I had to ask the doctor. Hmm... Cheers, SignatureSick Boy I'm at the 5th shot day and can't add too much. Some days the sides are worse than others and I can apply no logic to explain. My BCLD said Milk Thistle doesn't help, nor does it hurt, so do what makes me comfortable. These folks are great, and tho sometimes the Med articles are over my head I can usually get some info just in the way people respond. I didn't start with any anti depression meds and firmly believe it to be a mistake that myself and someone at the Va(Veterans Administration) are going to resolve on Tuesday. I felt good today so I fired up the tractor and headed out to the pasture to mow.Was OK until it dawned on me that I had made the same circuit twice and was cryin like a baby. Fer Krist Sake, someone prescribe some kinda dope that stops that foolishness. I've got 43 more weeks of this so it looks like we'll do this thing together and I can already tell that the more folk on my side the better. Am slowly losing desire to eat as nothing sounds appetizing, but I've got about six dozen assorted ice cream bars in the fridge that always go down pleasantly. They are hard to get enthused about when I'm freezing my butt off at the same time the sweats are soaking me and I'm shaking like nothing I ever imagined. My Mom told someone that I wasn't eating properly,( I'm 54 and Mom is dealing with this like I was 12, Ain't Moms GRAND) so my friends are keeping my fridge loaded. ( would trade food for a housekeeper and masseuse) The fatigue is the worst part and I can laugh at the brain fog, and a good laugh seems to help as much or more than anything. Even the Morphine pain meds. Hang in here Dog, we'll whip this thing. DrDigger Kansas City, Mo USA >>By golly good for you Sick Boy. You seem like an efficient fellow. Movie >>theaters are germy places. I didn't start having side effects until 4 [quoted text clipped - 48 lines] > thistle, but she said I had to ask the doctor. Hmm... > Cheers, >Met with the nurse whose job was to explain all major points of >Peg-Intron/Ribavirin treatment, injected myself with the first 120 mcg [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] >research behind it...anyone knows? I don't usually smoke, but I heard >it helps with some sides, so I stocked up a bit. The Schering literature is out of date. In the last few years there have been quite a few respectable studies that demonstrate anti-fibrotic and anti-carcinogenic properties of our bestest friend Herb. And - and this is so important - studies have shown the rate of SVR for folks that indulge is *much* higher than those that forsake. We can speculate about why all these things might be true, but the bottom line as far as I'm concerned is: Herb is a good friend indeed, *especially* for heppers on tx. 120ug of Peg and 1000mg of Riba sounds about right for 75kg. I was at 106kg (235 pounds) when I started therapy and I was on 150ug and 1400mg. It is generally advised not to take "alternative medicines" eg Milk Thistle and antioxidants while on therapy. They haven't been shown to boost the effectiveness of the combo therapy, and while Milk Thistle appears to be pretty benign, recent studies have shown indications that excessive intake of antioxidants is a bad thing indeed. Don't be worrying about "all that stuff" about sides and all. While you do want to get your support system in place, don't be expecting the worst of what you may have read. Stress is bad, ok? Take each day as it comes. Three hours....I'm think it was right around 4 hours that the rigors of the "first shot flu" symptoms were beating me about the head and shoulders. Tighten the chin strap on your space helmet ;-) Cheers /greyhackles > The Schering literature is out of date. In the last few years there have been > quite a few respectable studies that demonstrate anti-fibrotic and [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > as far as I'm concerned is: Herb is a good friend indeed, *especially* for > heppers on tx. > Tighten the chin strap on your space helmet ;-) > > Cheers > > /greyhackles Right Arm, Outta State, ya, ummmmmmmmmmmm what he said. Welcome to the ride of a lifetime, tickets are being sold at your local Walgreen's. Like you I was all anxious about the first shot etc etc, forget it. If you are a genotype 1 with any luck you'll be riding this Dragon for 12 months. I am wrapping up month 4 this weekend. Haven't had so much fun since I had a boil removed from my left a.s cheek, took 'em 3 times to finally get it. Drink lots of water, eat as much as you can and smoke plenty of Ganga, tell you friends and loved ones about it and ask for their understanding. But most of all, if you get a pimple on your a.s seek medical attention immediately. Good luck or Good f_ck, whichever comes first. Pea-sout, G <snip> > P.S. Btw, in the Schering literature it says that some studies link > marijuana to to faster liver scarring/cirrhosis, and/or poorer [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > -- > Sick Boy Can't respond to any study but personally I smoked like a chimney during tx. It helped with insomnia, loss of appetite, depression and nausea. Not sure I would have made it with out its assistance. 13 months post tx and still undetectable. >So far, I'm not feeling particularly different. I haven't had the >ribavirin yet, though, so that may change, heh. I'm supposed to take 2 [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >But, I suppose it can easily be decreased, whereas starting with a >sub-optimal dosage would be less than beneficial. I was a geno 2 and also did the 1000 mg of riba instead of the 800 and wondered about that myself. Near the end of treatment I went down to 800 when my RBC fell too low. I kind of like the aggressive start approach. Plus I think geno 3 falls between 1 and 2 so maybe that is warranted. Yeah, I don't know what to make of the cannabis studies I've seen. Alot of people around here seemed to feel it was indispensible though and got SVRs. I don't know how it would mix with those other drugs you're taking though. Particularly the clonazepam. Hope the sides stay mild for you. Don I hope the sides go mild for you. I weigh the same as you and was on 120 mcg of Peg-Intron and 1000mg riba, just like you. I didn't notice any particular sides from the riba. It was more a long term thing with sides from the whole package indistinguishable. I got through 48 weeks on that regime without anemia. Low white blood cell counts at first which required a reduced dose on interferon for 2 or 3 weeks then back to 120 mcg. Better to be on the high side than the low I thin, especially at the start. You don't want to have to do this again. cheers Jack > Met with the nurse whose job was to explain all major points of > Peg-Intron/Ribavirin treatment, injected myself with the first 120 mcg [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > research behind it...anyone knows? I don't usually smoke, but I heard > it helps with some sides, so I stocked up a bit. >I weigh the same as you and was on 120 mcg of Peg-Intron and 1000mg riba, >just like you. I didn't notice any particular sides from the riba. It was [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >cheers >Jack Indeed I don't. That approach makes sense...I suppose it's always possible to decrease the dose due to side effects. Yeah, I was curious about this side effects deal, 'cause it's been almost 48 hours after my Peg-Intron shot, and I've been taking ribavirin as instructed...hmm. I guess they take a while to develop, but so far, only some aches in joints/muscles (nothing major, although it varies...I take an occasional 500 mg of acetaminophen as needed, and smoked some pot yesterday <shrug>). Apart from that (and feeling a bit chilly, minor sweating, plus an occasional headache), I feel fine. I haven't been told (or can't recall from reading) about "timetable" of SE's...e.g., when fatigue is supposed to develop, when depression might hit, and so forth. And no, I am not waiting with bated breath for some really nasty symptoms to develop--if this is as bad as it gets, then I'd be very happy. Starting the Tx looked much scarier than it really was, for me. Thanks again to everyone who commented--much appreciated. I really value this place, and will keep posting. Cheers, SignatureSick Boy > >I weigh the same as you and was on 120 mcg of Peg-Intron and 1000mg riba, > >just like you. I didn't notice any particular sides from the riba. It was [quoted text clipped - 28 lines] > -- > Sick Boy It's a combination of sh.t dude, it changes, just roll with it, go with the flow. I had what I call Riba Rages for the first few months and now they have subsided. Take it 1 millisecond at a time. |
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