Hi Saltlyfe,

Congratulations on starting. I'm almost done with 8 weeks (Harvoni prescribed for 12 weeks). I was concerned about possible side effects before I began but have felt really fine. Drink the water everyone is suggesting you consume.  Good luck 

Hey Polo,

Glad you’ll be getting that important testing and information earlier than originally planned. I’m confident the results will be excellent. Almost time to call for the forum wide “Happy Dance”! 

Hi SaltLyfe,

Interesting screen name! Welcome to the forum. Are you a coastal dweller, fisherman or beach bum? All of the above, lol? Congratulations on securing Harvoni treatment and getting started tonight. It will go by fast and successful. Stay positive and concentrate on yourself. Getting through this will be far easier if you heed the recommendations of proper hydration. One gallon of water everyday, without fail. Stay in touch!

Welcome SaltLyfe, you are at the station ready to get on board, awesome--

I've got 14 days left of a 12 week treatment of Harvoni. As you see from the posts, drink lots of water to cleanse and prevent headaches. When I started I asked the pharmacist about drinking water and they said, no more than usual was required, and that was not the right answer. Need to drink plenty of water and fluids everyday or one is at risk for the headache side effect. There are several folks here with years of knowledge and experience with HCV who will answer questions.

Hi Tig,

Thanks for the encouragement about checking on my testing cycle. I heard back from my gastroenterologist nurse and she said I should go the following Mon/Tues, Oct 30/31 for my blood work after EOT on Oct 26th.  That at least gives me answers a week or so earlier, whew!

Hey Polo,

I'm liking the new avatar! To the rest of you reading this post and have had the opportunity to be hounded by us regarding hydration:

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!!! OORAH!

I have to save a copy of that pic for use here on the forum. I love it!

Hey Tig,

I'm not sure why they are having me wait until the second week of November? My SVR testing is to be done week of Jan. 15th, 2018. I will ask why they want me to wait until second week of November. I think the ad I saw was from the CDC and not Gilead.

All --- I had a big reminder to drink water. We were in the car driving on Sunday to a State Park to 'get outside' for turning trees, a lake, nature time. I didn't drink as much water since we were in the car and country driving...yesterday I had a migraine! I know it was from lack of water on Sunday, so I've been tanking up again. Everyone, please remember to DRINK LOTS OF WATER EVERYDAY!

Hey Polo,

They have been advertising Harvoni for quite awhile and now Epclusa and Vosevi here. I have yet to see any mention of Zepatier or Maviret. Gilead is buying up the airtime! Just a matter of time though, because of their excellent success rates. Even those drug ads provide some good advice on testing, but we need to do more to get everyone educated. We have had a few HCV public service announcements as well. Of course I live in a predominantly Baby Boomer location. That’s code for, I’m getting old... 

You‘re coming into the Station, I know how exciting that is! Enjoy this accomplishment, you earned it. If you’re ending treatment on the 26th, why are they waiting til the 2nd week of November to do the tests? Usually they draw them at the actual end of treatment (EOT) and again 12 weeks later to determine the SVR status. Some docs even wait until the EOT +12 date. We have had several have to deal with the anxiety of waiting for confirmation of SVR.

What remains true is once you are undetected during treatment and the enzymes have returned to normal, you stay that way. This is good stuff!

I was downtown Chicago this week and there was an ad on the TV in a restaurant that all baby boomers should be tested for HCV. Wow! First time I had seen this type of promo on HCV.

I'm also on my countdown, I complete the magic pills on Oct 26th! Next labs 2nd week of Nov.

WOW!!! How wonderful you all are to send these good wishes.  It's really appreciated 

Hey Jenny,

Thats simply, OUTSTANDING!  Big congrats your way! We’re all thrilled to hear such good news. This information is the first best piece of news you’ll get and It’s only going to get better! Big cyber >>>HUG<<< for your first of many successes!

UNDETECTED!!  Sweet, Jenny!!  Keep up the good work!

Love those stats Jenny!! WTG! 

I'm smiling with you and for you!

Great news Linda. Gongrats on the UND !  Bet it feels good?  Now that your UND the rest of the treatment you spend killing the virus stragglers . My motto is Kill,Kill,Kill.  RC

Thanks! I know most people respond to Harvoni but there was that tiny chance I'd be in that tiny percent it DOESN'T work for, so I was very relieved and thrilled to hear the doctor say the words "not detected". I realized when I got off the phone I forgot to ask her what my viral load had been prior to treatment - never knew that number.

YAY Jenny!

Thank you, Saludahiker. I'm going to take my pill with a big smile this morning!

Thanks, Canuck!  I asked the doctor to send the full lab report when we spoke yesterday  - we discussed only the viral load on the phone. 

Congrats Jenny 1.  That's fantastic!!!  Keep up the good work!!!

Jenny 1 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Your first UND ....  VERY sweet indeed. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCJn9dqmTJc

Congrats. Got any ALT/AST's to top off this very good news?  C.

Had 4 week blood work. Well, actually it ended up being 5 week, but spoke to the doctor tonight and virus was undetected. Pretty sweet to hear :)

Hi again Precision,

Glad to hear a report back from you. Glad to hear you are finished (I think), BUT, I am still not clear on your "finishing". 

I do hope you took the entire course (save for the little hicoughs you had there, for a short time, where you went off for a day or so?, and then as well, did some "divided" doses of Harvoni).

I can't read between all the time-lines in your posts, to figure out whether you "completed" your entire course of Harvoni or whether you quit early? - I AM assuming you DID finish ALL the course??

When you were first posting here, I don't think we ever really had it clarified whether you were prescribed an 8 week course or a 12 week course, and you did not provide exact dates for your start - so, IF you were on 8 weeks then from what I can peice together (from bits of your posts) then an approximate stop date WOULD be "around" now ... BUT, IF you were on a 12 week course, then the End date would have/should have been around the last week of Oct or maybe first week of Nov??

I hope you were on an 8 week course and that you are all finshed now. I bet you are very relieved to be done.

Hoping you feel better soon, and that your BP issues quieten for you. It's very good you are going to the docs for labs and to keep getting checked out on all counts. : )  C.

Thank you Canuck. You're too funny!

Hi Gloria,

Always nice to hear from you! Do your best to ride it for all it is and that in my opinion is "success"! I'm sure you're going to begin to notice improvements, but each of us took a different amount of time to acheive it. BUT, we did acheive it! I know you're anxious to get all the hair growth back to normal and it'll happen. I was on a different treatment, lost a bunch of hair and a big patch of my beard. I looked like a werewolf that had a bad fight! It came back pretty fast and I'm confident yours will, too.

Keep us informed of your test results and if you need help getting off the couch, just remember that doing so will provide you the knowledge of your personal and successful conquest to slay the Dragon. That alone is a driving reason to move forward. Make yourself get back on track, even though you feel lower than dirt sometimes. We all had to clean our hands after crawling along that same dirt road. Trust me, it's worth the effort and you will better and stronger for it.

Keep up the good diet and hydration program. Harvoni doesn't last long after treatment, but your body is now in recovery mode and that takes awhile to accomplish. The better you treat your new temple, the faster it will repair itself. I know you can do it!

hello everyone on and off the harvoni, I too think everything is

related to the Harvoni thing. Ive had some discomfort on it

too but realized it happens anyway. Im totally off and doing fine.

now to get back to a normal life with the fluctuating blood pressure and bits of hair loss. Im trying to get myself to see my Cardio guy.

Thanks again for the support here.

Ill let you guys know whats going on soon. Seeing the doctor this week and just have to drag my butt to the blood drawing and see what unfolds.

peace and hang in there everyone,

precision

Woo Hoo PS!  You are on the home stretch!!!

POLO!

I swallowed my first pill of the 3rd and final bottle of Harvoni Magic last night!! Hooray!

What has 2 heads, 4 arms, 6 legs, no gallbladder and no VL?.

Saluda!

He needs the 2 heads, 4 arms to be sporting 2 jobs at the same time, 6 legs (2 pair for each job) and an extra pair for lab runs, and he didn't need the GB or the hep anyway. hee hee

Sure as shootin' you'll be UND for your EOT, just as you will be at your EOT+12 weeks (when we will be expecting you to officially throw the largest UND party), and you'll be UND at EOT+24 too, and on.

But really, you had it in the bag halfway through! You shoulda been partying since then! 

You and your gal must be so happy and relieved that you have finished and trounced this virus. And that you will never be bothered by an attack from a bad GB again either! No looking back. I think you are going to be far too busy to be looking back anyway, too much work! Hair straight back, full-speed ahead. Still ... keep trying to get enough good food, water and rest. : ) C. 

Good luck on today’s test, Saluda!! I know what it’ll be, but it’s still nice to see it on paper. Don’t let the butterflies take your mind off the success that’s coming. I remember those wings flapping in my stomach every time. They’re excited, just like you are!

Thanks everyone. Tomorrow I go for my 8 week EOT blood test. Robertsmax the new job is going well, but today I received an email from my previous Government project and they want to bring me back on. I'm trying to work out the details without burning the bridge of the current job, which is a 3 month project. The Government project is initially for 1 year with three 1 year extensions. The only problem is they want me to start right away. As far as the gallbladder goes, I have totally adjusted. 

Congratulations Saludahiker.  You responded to Harvoni fast! To be UND at 4 weeks is a good indicator that the treatment was working. You will get to SVR no problem!!  How's the new job going?  You asked about a harvoni and gallbladder problems, I haven't heard anything that associates gallbladder problems resulting from Harvoni use.  Has your system adjusted to life W/O your gallbladder?  It took me 6 months to find a normal rhythem.   Take care. RC

Hi C - I had routine labs done as I went to a new PCP. (CBC, lipid panel, thyroid, vitamin D. UA) My AST and ALT were on the high end of normal (I thought they would be lower) and I reached out to gastro as I had the results sent to him too, and he said all good he has no concerns. If he has none then I have none. Very happy with cholesterol results. If I could figure out how to block out personal info I would post but I  am not that savvy. 

Polo and Wen,

I heard just stress on the body (of all sorts) can make ya loose yer hair (and all Floridians, with all the stress down there, could be loosing it by the handfuls)!

I don't know where else to ask you this Wendy, except on this Harvoni thread - you said you yourself had "good" blood results recently - what tests did you have? C.

Saludahiker,

happy EOT! I did not have hair loss on Harvoni but sure did on interferon. Let's see what others have experienced.........

Congrats on finishing treatment, Saluda! Lots of good news coming for you. I have no doubt! You’ve had quite a ride, but it’s time to gather your bags, exit the Harvoni Train and enjoy EOTville! I’m sorry (not) but you’ll be leaving your Dragon behind! Darn the luck!

Canuck -- my blood draw rant was about the inexperienced phlebotomists at the clinics and hospitals since my favorite one retired. I'm okay now, just had to rant. I do have a question about hair loss,,,have other people had much hair loss on Harvoni and/or while in treatment? I have longer hair and I'm noticing in the last couple of weeks, after washing when combing my hair there is more coming out.

All - I want to report that I am feeling better and more clear headed than I have in some time. I am thinking it may be the VL UND. My brain fog is much less than at SOT.

Thank you Jenny1 and Polosilve. Tomorrow is definitely a big day. I have so looked forward to this day of being treated and defeating this dragon. We are all very fortunate that our time has come to rid ourselves of this demon. Best of luck and continued success to you both.

Congratulations Saludahiker!!

Way to Go! I do remember the gallbladder ER surgery scare and then the job contract ending. What happened though is truly amazing, healing, wholeness, new job adventures, new friends, a Happy Anniversary to celebrate with your wife. It all sounds magnificent and magical now that the hardest part is over. Grace be with you on the lab visit Friday! Look forward to a continuation of the UND results.

Last pill tomorrow...Very exciting, Saludahiker!!!!

Good Morning, Canuck

Things seem to be back on track. Had a third visual migraine the day after I wrote, but haven't since then and stomach is fine. Maybe the stomach thing was a virus and had nothing to do with the Harvoni but at the time I was panicked that it did. It was pretty nasty! I'm in Nashville now visiting one of my four kids who has a 1 1/2 year old and really didn't want to be feeling crappy flying here and staying with them. But happily things are OK. Thanks so much for asking.  Hope you have a good day :)

Jenny

OK Polo, "Rumour" has it ... that you have a blood draw rant - lets have at 'er - what's the scoop? What did they do to ya? Are you near "back on the road again" for work now, I'm losing track of your "time at home" allotments? How are you feeling? 

Jenny 1, ah ha, I know exactly what you mean by zig-zag! Ya, maybe the lack of water, hard to say. No more I hope. How is everything else feeling? Did the stomache/gut thing disappear.

Saluda, ONLY about a week away from your finish !!!!!!!!!!! Hope you are feeling OK now too. Hope the new contract is not keeping you too, TOO busy.

Precision, Hope things have eased off a bit for you, let us know how you are making out. : ) C.

Everybody - keep drinking and getting enough rest to the best of your abilities.

Canuck, I've never had any pain with the visual migraines - just silvery zig zag shimmery visual patterns. I assume that's what you meant when you referred "prisms".

Last night I also had stomach weirdness - some pain and diarrhea. I had spent a very busy, fun Sunday with three young grandchildren and didnt drink water consistently through the day as I had been doing. I wonder if I could have felt so bad from slipping up on drinking?  I had been feeling so totally good, I got sloppy :(

Its 6:17 in the morning where I live. Will see what today brings...

Hi Jenny1,

Sorry about your couple migraines. Hm, I can't say if there is any connection to Harvoni (and specifically migraines), or not, right off the top of my head (oh dear, i did not mean to pun there).

Migraines are awful, I live with a fella who gets them, they are not nice, altho, he thankfully does not get them very frequently anymore. I get migraines too, but wierdly and luckily (fingers crossed) mostly always without the pain part! I get all the "prodromal", aural-type, "heralding signs and signals, visual disturbances, etc, etc, and then it usually just passes without much pain at all. I can count on both hands how many times I have ever been forced to take a pain-pill for a migraine, or for even just a headache.

Everyone who has ever suffered with migraines has usually stumbled on to and found (by rx, or trial and error, or out of sheer desperation) somethings that will help, subdue the pain, or shorten the duration (for people who get long ones).

Lucky the 2 migraines you have had were (both?) short? Good you had something around to try to kill the pain. You could bump heads with the docs office and ask what pain pills they would suggest (just in case they prefer you take this versus that), and you could ask them if they think there is a "direct" connection specifically between migraines and Harvoni. But I think not, they will probaly just repeat that some people can get some headaches on anti-virals as a "side".

Of the sof and ledi in Harvoni, most of ledi is dealt with by the gi tract, sof more by the kidneys. With metabolized drugs needing to exit the body, water will allow this to happen more freely. If you read the Harvoni insert - it shows headache can be a fairly common "side".

I got some headaches on my anti-virals, and I could control/cure them fairly well by just increasing my water intake, I found (in my case) I would fall down on my water intake, and when I did, I generally felt worse and I could and would get some headaches then. When I increased the water it helped. I felt, well, kinda toxic, for lack of better explanation, and diluting the toxicity and flooding myself did help. 

I too did not know what BC powder was, the very first time Gabbi mentioned it on another thread, I also had to look it up, basically a special aspirin/caffeine formula.

I'll share my partners frustrations/misery with migraines - he always, always misses the "clues" that he is having one or is falling into one! He always chalks it up to "maybe it's just" this, or maybe it just that (hopeful-like) ... fighting it, ignoring it, slowing down, laying down, trying to nap it off, until (invariably) it is too late! Then, by that time the headache has fully engulfed him, getting it resolved seems even harder and slower when it is fully entrenched. By the time we get him started on his pills, its always a little too late. Frustrating! His sometimes last 2 or 3 days. (He can get some of the mimicking "flu" like symtpoms such as body pain, lightheadedness, nausea/GI type symptoms). If we can hit him with pills the first day it is of way shorter duration. His combo (by script - definitely NOT for everyone without doc advice) 2 - 250 mg. "Ponstan"(those prostaglandin ones) analgesic/anti-inflammatory, with 1 - 10 mg. metoclopramide. They potentiate and compliment each other, and work in a multi-pronged approach.

Polo is right to suggest adding some electroltye drinks to your water "repertoire", might help, can't hurt. And Gabbi is right, in that (I think) she double-checked with her doc (aforehand) what she might do if she got a migraine while on Harvoni. And you are right to try to drink it away with more water. 

Hope you don't get anymore.

When you say you get short and "visual" - do you see "prisms", get double-vision and/or get any lightheadedness, dizziness, nausea/vertigo to go with a visual disturbance? Just curious. C.

Never heard of BC powder... will look it up. Thanks

Jenny I'm a migraine sufferer of 50+ years and actually did not have even one during treatment. I did however experience regular headaches a few times. I always take BC Powders when I have a headache or a migraine. And there is definitely a difference between the 2. I have been pretty much amazed that I've not had migraines during the Harvoni journey.

Thank you, polosilver. I found Excedrin Migraine in the house (that amazingly hadn't expired!)  and quickly took one when I started experiencing symptoms. This happened for me,  during week 3 and 4 on Harvoni. I'll try drinking even MORE water :)

Thanks,

Jenny

Hi Jenny1 -

I'm keeping a daily journal on how I feel each day on Harvoni and on days 13-17 I had mild migraines. I had not had any migraine symptoms for several years. I started drinking more water and I now drink 4-8 oz of Gatorade if I feel that I'm getting a headache of any kind.

I am on Day 42 of Harvoni treatment. That is all I can say about Harvoni and migraines. I am only a newbie of 42 days into treatment. One of the experts/gurus may have more info.