How grueling are hep c treatments.? have not had a biopsy yet. Just hep c positi!
Question: Some work while doing the treatments, others cannot get out of bed and face great depression. Most problems can be medicated and over come. Each person acts differently to the interferon and ribiviron treatments
Answers: Some work while doing the treatments, others cannot get out of bed and face great depression. Most problems can be medicated and over come. Each person acts differently to the interferon and ribiviron treatments
Just do it.
You will be fine.
A very wise doctor once told me,
"the fear of the anticipated event, is worse
than the actual event."
I put lots of Faith in what he says.
Be well.
xoxoxoxoxoxo
your friend always pisa :)
xoxoxoxoxoxo
My husband just started treatments 2 months ago. They only did an ultra sound on him and his liver looked real good so they did not do a biopsy. He has had hep c for 40 years. He became infected by a field blood transfusion in Viet Nam. His treatment is starting to bring his viral load down already. They said if it didn't start to come down after 3 months of treatment, it would mean that the treatment is not going to help him. His liver enzymes are at a normal level now, also. He is tired a lot, nauseated sometimes, and his white and red blood count got really low. He had to take injections to rebuild the blood cells (2 different types of meds) for 4 weeks. He still walks 3 miles every day. There are many different side effects, but the shot each week does not make him sick. Some people feel like they are getting the flu a few hours after taking it. He has done pretty well so far. His appetite has decreased so they gave him something to increase it again. He has lost a few pounds and will probably lose some more. It will all be worth it in the end. I hope you realize that you will never be cured. Some doctors will call it being cured if your viral load stays at 0 for 1 year. This is not true, the virus stays in your body forever and can be reactivated by serious illness or severe stress. The side effects are different for everyone so no one can tell you exactly what you will feel. Most people are able to keep full time jobs and are just as active as they were before they started taking the treatment.
The better mentally prepared you are, the better you'll do on treatment. Knowledge is power! Not all doctors require a biopsy, but if you have insurance, they'll probably do it. It gives a clear picture of how much damage the liver has sustained. The side effects vary from person to person. Not everyone has side effects, but the majority of people have some, mostly mild, like some nausea or fatigue. Most people get a little injection site redness that takes over a week to go away. In our support group, we recommend that people continue to work. I taught pre k special education when I was on treatment. I rested (sometimes on the floor of my classroom) when my kids went to PE. I put off any major projects at home until I was done. Just remember, treatment is temporary. After that, you'll have the rest of your life to get on with it.
By the way, if you have only had a positive antibody test, you will need to have a viral load to make sure you do, indeed have chronic hep c. If that comes back positive, then you do. If not, you'll be one of the lucky 15-20% that clear the virus through the body's own immune system.
If you do have chronic hep c, the next test you'll need is a genotype (bloodtest). Genotype determines the length of treatment.
Best wishes.