hey dianne. yeh im on shot 14 in two days. omg it comes around fast... yeh im a total tomboy, jeans and tee shirts, had number 2 haircuts when i was younger, but as for it falling out thats a bit scary... i feel its been thinning a bit, and my girlfriends have pointed that out... yeh lucky im a hat person, and will have to get some cool ones as well... summer is just ending here in new zealand , autumn on the way, so time for hats i guess...
yup hang in there mate... thats all we can do huh....
take it easy
kiwi
Islandgrl said
Feb 6, 2012
Thanks Anna Christie and you are right, it was like getting out of jail and having to go back. I think the Procrit is helping. My Hgb is still at 10 so maybe the next 6 weeks won't be as bad as the first 6 months were. I think my hair falling out is what is bothering me the most. I've had long, thick, blonde hair all my life and it is over 3/4 gone. I live on the beach(Gulf of Mexico) and its getting close to summer so don't know about wearing a wig. I've always been a tomboy and never knew how vain I was. Guess I'll just go shopping for some cool hats.
It looks like you and I will be finishing tx. at about the same time. I know we will get through this. I wish you the best. Thanks again! Dianne
Islandgrl said
Feb 6, 2012
Thanks kiwi and great news that the tx. is working for you. I know I need to keep positive and cont. the treatment. We are so fortunate to have these medications that will keep us alive and be able to live healthy lives again.
I had e-mailed my Dr. last week and he called me Sat. He said another reason for extending my tx. is he had to take me down from 1000mg. of Rib. to 800mg. during the 3rd month of tx. I had forgotten all about that. Anyway, thanks for replying to my post, it really helps to know that I'm not by myself managing these side effects. Thanks again! Dianne
Anna Christie said
Feb 5, 2012
Hi. Sorry you are feeling so bad. I just had my riba increased back up to full dose after PA dropped it first to 600 then to 400. I had my hgb come back up with dose reduction and increased Procrit and was glad of that. But I dreaded going back up on the Riba as it makes me feel really bad. I felt really good on 400. This was the second drop in hgb I have had wih Riba down to 400. First time back up to normal dose and it sucked then also. I wanted not to have to take it. Anyway I am taking it and am feeling pretty yucky. I have 7 weeks of treatment left. If it was me I would just do the next miserable 6 weeks rather than take a chance on relapse. I wish i could quit right now and know if i relapsed if i did I would be devestated.If he gave you that option he must think it will help. Odd that he did just not tell you to do it. Guess you could ask him if you realy need it. From my personal perspective on my own situation, what is 7 more weeks of misery on top of the last 21 weeks. I guess it was those two weeks mid-Jan. of being on reduced riba that gave me a taste of feeling almost normal like you had, and it made me really sad to go back to feeling bad. It was kind of like I got let out of jail for a couple of weeks then had to return. Not a good feeling. I don't know what you should do, but I do understand how you feel. Hugs.
kiwi said
Feb 5, 2012
welcome....
not sure what to tell you. cept we all hate the symptoms we get on the drugs, im on peg/riba as well. and generally have buggar all energy..
i would say finish up properly mate, you have come this far, do it once, do it right. and get rid of that virus once and for all...
hang in there... im just did shot 13 the other night. this aint easy, but its worth it if i can get rid of virus... if i had been und at 4 weeks, i could have had a six month treatment, but i still had some so im in it for the long haul of 48 weeks...
least i know it is working tho... so thats a plus
chin up mate. not long to go
Islandgrl said
Feb 4, 2012
I am a genotype 3 and started treatment on July 21st. with Ribavirin and Peginterferon. My doctor told me I would be on treatment for 24 weeks. When I went to see him on the 24th week he gave me the option to stop or to go another 12 weeks since I was positive at 4 weeks.(43 Qual Positive). At 12 week HCV-RNA <Qual NEG. ,24th week< Qual Neg. I decided to go another 12 weeks. On week 25 my Hgb was 7 and I felt horrible and was having second thoughts on cont. treatment. My doctor took me off the Rib. for 2 weeks and started me on Procrit on 1/10/12. On 1/17/12 he started me back on 400mg. of Rib.(my Hgb. had gone back up to 10). On 1/25/12 I went up to 800mg. of Rib. The 2 weeks I was off the Rib. I felt so good. I had a lot of energy and realized I would be so much better after treatment. Now I am on week 30 and I'm starting to feel run down, the headaches have come back, my hair is nearly half gone, the itching is driving me crazy and I'm getting red spots on my face and arms. I wish the Dr. had not given me an option and just told me to go another 12 weeks. I only have 6 more weeks to go but I keep thinking of stopping. Do any of you know anyone who has been in this position? Would I be crazy to stop treatment now? I'm so confused. I just did my 29th shot last Thurs. night. I decided I would go one week at a time. I just feel like crap today and I keep thinking of how good I felt the 2 weeks I was off the Rib. I think I've read every post on here and have not ran across anyone else that had an OPTION to stop or cont. treatment. Somebody please help me with this. Love Dianne
hey dianne. yeh im on shot 14 in two days. omg it comes around fast... yeh im a total tomboy, jeans and tee shirts, had number 2 haircuts when i was younger, but as for it falling out thats a bit scary... i feel its been thinning a bit, and my girlfriends have pointed that out... yeh lucky im a hat person, and will have to get some cool ones as well... summer is just ending here in new zealand , autumn on the way, so time for hats i guess...
yup hang in there mate... thats all we can do huh....
take it easy
kiwi
Thanks Anna Christie and you are right, it was like getting out of jail and having to go back. I think the Procrit is helping. My Hgb is still at 10 so maybe the next 6 weeks won't be as bad as the first 6 months were. I think my hair falling out is what is bothering me the most. I've had long, thick, blonde hair all my life and it is over 3/4 gone. I live on the beach(Gulf of Mexico) and its getting close to summer so don't know about wearing a wig. I've always been a tomboy and never knew how vain I was. Guess I'll just go shopping for some cool hats.
It looks like you and I will be finishing tx. at about the same time. I know we will get through this. I wish you the best. Thanks again! Dianne
Thanks kiwi and great news that the tx. is working for you. I know I need to keep positive and cont. the treatment. We are so fortunate to have these medications that will keep us alive and be able to live healthy lives again.
I had e-mailed my Dr. last week and he called me Sat. He said another reason for extending my tx. is he had to take me down from 1000mg. of Rib. to 800mg. during the 3rd month of tx. I had forgotten all about that. Anyway, thanks for replying to my post, it really helps to know that I'm not by myself managing these side effects. Thanks again! Dianne
Hi. Sorry you are feeling so bad. I just had my riba increased back up to full dose after PA dropped it first to 600 then to 400. I had my hgb come back up with dose reduction and increased Procrit and was glad of that. But I dreaded going back up on the Riba as it makes me feel really bad. I felt really good on 400. This was the second drop in hgb I have had wih Riba down to 400. First time back up to normal dose and it sucked then also. I wanted not to have to take it. Anyway I am taking it and am feeling pretty yucky. I have 7 weeks of treatment left. If it was me I would just do the next miserable 6 weeks rather than take a chance on relapse. I wish i could quit right now and know if i relapsed if i did I would be devestated.If he gave you that option he must think it will help. Odd that he did just not tell you to do it. Guess you could ask him if you realy need it. From my personal perspective on my own situation, what is 7 more weeks of misery on top of the last 21 weeks. I guess it was those two weeks mid-Jan. of being on reduced riba that gave me a taste of feeling almost normal like you had, and it made me really sad to go back to feeling bad. It was kind of like I got let out of jail for a couple of weeks then had to return. Not a good feeling. I don't know what you should do, but I do understand how you feel. Hugs.
welcome....
not sure what to tell you. cept we all hate the symptoms we get on the drugs, im on peg/riba as well. and generally have buggar all energy..
i would say finish up properly mate, you have come this far, do it once, do it right. and get rid of that virus once and for all...
hang in there... im just did shot 13 the other night. this aint easy, but its worth it if i can get rid of virus... if i had been und at 4 weeks, i could have had a six month treatment, but i still had some so im in it for the long haul of 48 weeks...
least i know it is working tho... so thats a plus
chin up mate. not long to go
I am a genotype 3 and started treatment on July 21st. with Ribavirin and Peginterferon. My doctor told me I would be on treatment for 24 weeks. When I went to see him on the 24th week he gave me the option to stop or to go another 12 weeks since I was positive at 4 weeks.(43 Qual Positive). At 12 week HCV-RNA <Qual NEG. ,24th week< Qual Neg. I decided to go another 12 weeks. On week 25 my Hgb was 7 and I felt horrible and was having second thoughts on cont. treatment. My doctor took me off the Rib. for 2 weeks and started me on Procrit on 1/10/12. On 1/17/12 he started me back on 400mg. of Rib.(my Hgb. had gone back up to 10). On 1/25/12 I went up to 800mg. of Rib. The 2 weeks I was off the Rib. I felt so good. I had a lot of energy and realized I would be so much better after treatment. Now I am on week 30 and I'm starting to feel run down, the headaches have come back, my hair is nearly half gone, the itching is driving me crazy and I'm getting red spots on my face and arms. I wish the Dr. had not given me an option and just told me to go another 12 weeks. I only have 6 more weeks to go but I keep thinking of stopping. Do any of you know anyone who has been in this position? Would I be crazy to stop treatment now? I'm so confused. I just did my 29th shot last Thurs. night. I decided I would go one week at a time. I just feel like crap today and I keep thinking of how good I felt the 2 weeks I was off the Rib. I think I've read every post on here and have not ran across anyone else that had an OPTION to stop or cont. treatment. Somebody please help me with this. Love Dianne