Starting Sovaldi/Ribavirin for Type 2

New to using this forum. Have been reading posts while waiting for approval and medication. Lots of good information that has helped me prepare for treatment, and I am grateful, but when the medication was delivered today and reading all the information included, I found myself having an anxiety attack. I will still start treatment tomorrow morning but I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I've never really had to be on any medications and am not on any now, which is probably a big factor in being anxious about taking meds now.
I am 67 and was diagnosed in 1992 (although I suspect I had it some time before then), I have taken Milk Thistle and Turmeric for years and the main problem I have dealt with over the years is tired days. In fact, the reason I got a diagnosis was because I went to the doctor in "92 for extreme tiredness. Of coarse I was drinking then, which probably explains why. (Haven't drank since then) I'm sure I will be OK after I have taken the meds for a few days and know what I am dealing with.
I haven't had a liver biopsy but a scan was done and it came back normal. I actually had to call the doctor to make sure it was my scan with no fatty liver or anything else. It didn't seem possible with Hep C for so long. Anyway, I have type 2. My alt and ast were normal last lab, but my viral load 13 million! I'm going to be taking 400 mg Sovaldi and 600mg am and 400mg pm of Ribavirin. The doctor does not want me to take any herbs, only a vitamin. I already eat as organically as I can afford, and don't do fast food or pre-packaged foods. Grow my own lettuce and chard and eat a salad everyday so I should be ok in the diet department.
I do get migraines and am hoping drinking lots of water will keep me from the headaches. I've always just taken Ibprophen and coke to settle my stomach for migraines because I don't like to take medication. I do take 2 magnesium pills each night which really helps with frequency and intensity.
I really am glad to have found a support system of good people fighting the same problems, many worse then mine. I am open to any advice and will keep everyone posted as to how I am doing. Sending all of you positive energy for your recovery.

Hi Arizona- Wishing you a good first day of treatment!! I too was scared when I started a month ago on the same medication you are taking, also for Geno 2. I also am not a medicine taker and I get migraines as well. I have done pretty well on the medicine and only side effects I have had are fatigue and more headaches then usual, especially the first few weeks and on days when I have a full day at work. The mistake I made was waiting to take my headache medicine (Tylenol or Imitrex) as soon as I felt a headache coming on. The doctors said that I could take this medication with the sovaldi and riba but I did not want to take any extra medicine. I am better now that I take the headache medicine when needed. For the fatigue, just let yourself rest when you can-- its just for a limited time so do what your body tells you you need to do.
Look on this website for advice on other side effects. Its all here and feel free to ask any question.
We are routing for you. GC

AZ.
If you look at my posts, you will see I went through the same thing in October; and actually DIDNT start. I stared at the pills all the first day, and just psyched myself out.
I was put in a new slot on Jan 8, and have been taking now for a month. And I have had relatively little or NO side effects at all. I just had to prepare myself mentally for this treatment. In October, they told me I was going on plan, and then 2 weeks later I was supposed to start. I just didn't do enough research to ease my anxiety.
Today I told the nurse, how silly I was, because I would have been completing the program this week, rather than having to continue for 2 more months.
Like you, I found out about this in the early nineties, prob something I did in the 80s. Never been sick, never had any complications, other than it was something on a blood test.

I drink lots and lots of water. Take my pills with lunch and dinner, and have little issues. (maybe a little extra irritability in traffic, but thats about it).
Good Luck

Thank you LAsurvivor for letting me know I am not the only one that was freaking out at first. I'm glad you are doing so well on the treatment. I just took my second dose at 8pm and thank goodness the anxiety is gone.I noticed you said you take your doses at lunch and dinner. My doctor said I needed to take them 12 hours apart. I'm not much of a breakfast eater so that was a bit of a challenge. I have been drinking lots of water and I didn't get a headache today. In fact, the only think I noticed is I felt totally drained of energy about 1pm today. After a couple of hours that passed. I'm keeping positive that I am going to continue to do well on the treatment. The fact that you are doing so well is very encouraging. Thanks

That's great news on your labs LA. Bet the results of the next one will show undetected. Let us know when you get them. Hope I'm as fortunate. I visualize the meds as little Pac Mans running around my blood eating up the virus. I think drinking all that water must really help with the sides, especially the headaches, from what I read. Of coarse I spend half my day going to the bathroom, but it's worth it :)

Good to hear AZ. Hope it stays mild.

I had one day (last Sunday) where I just layed on couch ALL day and nite.  Not that it is unusual, because during football season I would do that anyway, but this week just felt a little more exhausted than usual.  And I have had a few episodes where my I lose my temper/patience, mostly in traffic, just a little more animated than usual.  But, once I am in the safety of my office, I am usually fine. 

Just deep breaths, and drinking a Lot of water.

My 4 week labs came back undetected, so that's a good sign.  (I think I mentioned the 2 weeks labs were at 16, down from 5M).  Let hope the next round stay down.

If things stay the same, it will be no problem to get through the next 7 weeks. Almost halfway there..

 

Took my 2 week blood test yesterday. Doctor called and said my blood count was 11. Normal is between 11.5 and 16. I thought that was awfully low for only being on meds 2 weeks. They are taking another test in 2 weeks. Didn't change any meds. Talked her into doing a viral load next time as she didn't want to do any until end of treatment. Eating a lot of dk green veggies and avacado. My hands and feet are cold all the time and my fingers get so cold they go numb. I'm assuming my circulation isn't doing that well. Any suggestions on other foods that might help me keep my count up? Doctor wasn't much help in that area.

Hi , A drop in hemoglobin( red blood cells ) is to be expected, when using ribavirin. A count of 11 can bring on minor fatigue, and winded at times. Your dr. Is monitoring, you will be fine.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I have not heard of any patients, needing rescue drugs ( Epo or neupo ) on 12 week treatments.
Keep eating those greens, and other iron rich foods. But no iron supplements.

Let us know your v/l results
Barry

Thank you ppm and getcured. I don't know what my number was when I started treatment but am going to ask when I go to doctors beginning of March. I didn't have any problem with headaches until 3 days ago I got a whopper that lasted for 2 days. I had to take Ibuprofen during that time and try to sleep sitting up. It has finally subsided today but I feel like it is looming and my head feels like the size of a basketball, if you know what I mean. Right now I have 0 energy and can only get anything done in small spurts. I'm normally a doer, so being a couch potato is not easy for me. I did alot of research today on the net about high iron diets and found that there are two types Non-heme iron from plants and Heme iron from meat. I am supposed to be eating some of each and beef is recommended. I don't normally eat alot of beef. I am altering my diet now and eating raisins inbetween meals to help with circulation. I am disappointed that my doctor who is only working with patients with Hep c on treatment didn't give me better information on diet. Before the headache I had 3 really good days so I can only deal with this one day at a time and hope tomorrow will be better then today. The level of dizziness, light headedness and tiredness vacillate greatly. I'm not giving up. Will keep plugging along.

We are encouraging our treatment members to drink lots of water on treatment, half their wt in oz. And to take their Riba with a fatty snack....a peanut butter cracker, no need for a half gallon of ice cream, but something to help wiht the digestion.

Folks with bad headaches are getting an rx from their treatment doc and taking the med at first sign of the headache, not waiting til the pain gets ahead of them.

Tylenol and liver disease don't mix well, so be sure to keep THAT dose under 2000 mg a day if you use tylenol as your headache med.

Beef, while high in some nutrients, is also hard for the liver to digest.

I suggest you stick to "heart healthy" and lite diet, then not worry so much about every single nutrient during treatment....your body is trying to use very strong meds to rid itself of a DEADLY virus and as soon as that virus is gone, you should start feeling better. Sometimes it takes some time after treatment for the drugs to totally clear also, but most on here are ridding themselves of Hep C forever with your treatment protocol.

I pray that this works for you too.

Hugs,
Mama Lama

Hi Arizona- So glad that you had a good day and hope that your terrible headaches can be attributed to the first several weeks of treatment. I know what it is like to have a headache for days-- to go to bed and wake up with it and then feel like you have a headache hangover for days after it is gone. You are not alone! I read the discussion about what over- the -counter medication to take and thought it interesting that my Dr. (who happens to be one of the primary drs that ran the trials for the new treatments) told me ONLY to take Tylenol/Acetaminophen for my headaches while going through treatment (unless I need Imitrex which I have a prescription for) I have always been careful not to take Tylenol thinking it to be dangerous (which it is with alcohol) so double checked with him but he confirmed that Tylenol was best. I did not ask why but found this article on line that may have the answer??

http://blogs.hepmag.com/lucindakporter/2014/12/harvoni_and_headache_1.html

Not sure if thats what he had in mind but will ask at 2 mth appointment.
I also feel extremely tired on and off and cant seem to predict how I will feel when-- which makes me sound crazy. This morning I described the feeling as waking up in the morning and taking a dramamine or sedative. So again, you are not alone Arizona. GC

Themister was also told to use Tylenol, and NO ibuprofen, during treatment for sides. Also advised to take as sparingly as possible. Less is more :) I know this has been a discussion here in the past. Big Hugs

Every doctor and every bit of information I've read says not to use naproxin, or ibuprofen types of meds. Tylenol is all right in small doses. I haven't used any of those, even when there's pain. I use an herbal remedy that isn't going to affect my liver adversely.

Ask your doc (not the eye guy) about diphenhydramine. It's the generic version of a number of allergy meds, but costs almost nothing. I pay less than $10 for a hundred doses. My hepatologist and transplant surgeon have no problem with it.