3 weeks post Rib&Solvaldi treatment

Greetings,

I hope everyone is doing well. I am about 3 weeks post treatment now and have not had one good day of feeling well since my last dose. The fatigue is just as bad along w other lingering side effects like insomnia, moodiness/irritable and horrible focus/memory. I've also had some eyesight changes, blurrier vision and eyes have been jumping when focusing on something or looking down. It's been doing throughout treatment and not sure if it started prior

Good news is 2 weeks post treatment I continue to remain undetectable w normal LFTs though below normal glucose and gfr levels w slightly higher creatinine.

I'd appreciate if anyone out there can shed some insight on their experience or knowledge if feeling worse post treatment seems normal and this vision jumping/blurry thing.

my doc said he doesn't know why as other patients have always bounced right back. I'm going to a new specialist in nyc for second opinion.

Best regards, Mia

Hi Mia, I will be 3 wks post tx on Tues. I felt better about 2 wks post tx but this week, not so much. Yesterday I took a 3 hr nap, first nap since finishing tx. I had decided I would NOT nap anymore but just had to yesterday. I've been feeling irritable and disgusted that I'm not better yet. Patience has never been one of my virtues but I had high hopes when I took the last pill that relief was at hand. Hopefully in another couple of weeks we will both be much better. Hang in there, we can get thru this!

Hi Mia,

Was wondering about you.... and if you've found anything helpful for detox. I'm drinking turmeric tea once a day as it's suppose to be a good liver detoxifier.

I finished two weeks ago today so I'm about a week behind you. I felt pretty good the last few days on treatment and then still strong a few days after but then not so much. I spent a day sad and teary. Since then it's been up and down for me. The "up" is that I'm sleeping better or that appears to be the trend although no one night is the same. The "down" is that I'm very low energy and I too am experiencing eyesight blurriness (hyperopia) which didn't occur until after treatment. My problem does not sound as bad as yours though and may be due to aging although I really doubt it - too coincidental. I'm trying not to worry about it until the 3 month post mark as I read that the half life of the ribavarin is about 12 days so it' going to take a while before it's out completely. Unfortunately, I've read that those who've SVRed on S/R still see irregularities in their bloodwork at 3 months EOT so until the dust settles, I don't think an MD will listen to you. That said, I think your doctor cannot speak with authority on post side effects as this combo is brand new and it's unlikely he/she has that many patients using it! I was shocked when I asked my doctor how his other G2 patients were doing and he told me I was the only one! I'm glad you are getting a 2nd opinion and will be curious to hear how it goes.

Mia, getting better sleep is a really great sign so you are probably healing albeit slowly. Take stock in that.

I also have other issues at play. Been dealing with digestive issues for years and had them at bay prior to starting treatment but ending the meds has seemed to cause a bit of a relapse which is very frustrating. I know my mood is tied to my gut so I know when I'm down there's something going on with my digestion. I feel grateful to have made that connection as it helps to understand my lack of motivation and depressive feelings. I've read of many on S+R who seem to experience digestive symptoms after treatment so I know I'm not alone. And neither are you! I cling to "this too shall pass".

Hope you feel better soon.
HF.

Sorry to hear this Mia. Having a sick family member is always very stressful. I hope he recovers quickly and his problems don't drain you too much.

Be well,
HF

Hi Hold Fast, thanks for checking back. I'm not seeing much improvement yet and 2 months post treatment. I went back to my doc yesterday. he did some tests because in addition to the extreme fatigue I'm also having cognitive issues (memory, slowness in thinking, and the vision issues) I didn't do that well and have to get an mri of my brain and cognitive decline evaluation next. I've been seeing quite a bit of information about hcv and interferon/rib treatment causing cognitive and neurological issues (incl memory issues, slow thinking, lack of concentration, all the brain fog stuff, vision jumping, mood issues, and a couple other things).

I had some symptoms prior to treatment but its much much worse since completing treatment. I was on another forum and saw numerous posts regarding quite a few having similar long term to permanent effects that didn't exist prior to treatment, (pretty much everything I'm experiencing) only difference is they all had interferon w the ribavirin. I can't help but feel the ribavirin has triggered new things and escalated other things. Hopefully it's temporary, short term and reversible. My concern is how many people that are saying this and how they regret taking the treatment even though they're grateful to achieved svr/cure. I try to take it w a grain of salt but can't help but feel ribavirin is key but time will tell. I try to stay positive and cling to the hold fast motto, this will pass :O)

Its Funny you mention acupuncture, my friend suggested it a few days ago. I will ck into it but may have to wait until for my disability to be approved at this point, it's a big stress/concern right now, as they're not giving me good vibes.

How long did it take to get relief and/or notice the improvements from acupuncture? do you mind me asking what you were targeting for relief?

Btw- my dad has to get triple bi pass in the next couple of weeks. Our family has some major life challenges lately. I can't wait to we are all through w them and on to new and better beginnings.

Hope the acupuncture keeps helping, please feel free to keep posted on the developments.

Take care, Mia