Welcome aboard Peter.  I am on the same regime (week 37).  I found the sx to be mild at first. Bad rash, fatigue, throwing up, etc...  However, things really changed for the better after Incivek was completed.  Don't get too comfortable with lack of sx and conserve your energy.  I am 57 so sx should be a little rougher for me.  I have worked throughout, but do very little physical activity.  I hope you continue to experience little discomfort. Don't take rashes for granted.  I have found that Atarax and Rx cream for itching to be very effective.  Good luck and welcome.

 Hiya djones

   I had a rash also, started one week in and lasted maybe till the third week. It was a riba rash. Started at the wast band of my pants. Looked like hives all over my torso. DON'T scratch. Do whatever you have to try not to scratch. When you go to the john its a must to clean spotless or maybe I should say skidless use baby wipes I use huggies.  Then a little desitin to get rid of the itch and to protect the area. Try to not wipe so much with tp as it will make you bleed and that will make it worse.

   Your young and your VL is low, you aleady have two things in your favor.

good luck to you

Thanks, news, thats good stuff. I like your idea about the whole milk and keebler cookies. I can definitely do that ha. I expect certain side effects to creep up especially since the ribavirin and pegasys take some time to peak in your blood because of their long half lives. I have noticed that my rash is steadily getting worse. I guess it's a good thing that this is my worst complaint because physically I feel good. I just hope it doesn't get so bad to the point where its a real problem. So, I'm going to look around this board now and read all of your advice and see what i can do!

In my experience the side effects crept up slowly, allowing me to gradually adjust to them. But I was 58 years old when I started. You have an advantage.

My advice is to keep up the workouts, even if you have to slow down or reduce the reps or the weight. Even if you only take a walk, do it every day. Try to keep going to work and school. This will keep you motivated. Get some Aveeno oatmeal bath stuff, some good skin lotion, a mild dandruff shampoo, some unscented, non-deodorant bath soap, and some hemorrhoidal remedies of a couple kinds. I found the witch hazel towelettes to be especially helpful. You should also get some anti-itch stuff. It comes in tubes, and there must be a dozen types. But get some. Do your Incivek exactly on schedule. Carefully choose a good fatty snack or meal to go with it. You may begin to notice less butt burn with certain fatty snacks. Stay with those, and avoid the ones that cause you discomfort. By far my favorite was a glass of whole milk and four Keebler Pecan Sandies cookies. Check out the fat content on those puppies! No wonder them elves are pudgy  . But seriously, the 20g of fat, and the choice of fat sources, are two very important parts of treatment, both for effectiveness and for your comfort. Treat it seriously.

I really like the way you have taken time to educate yourself about this process as much as you can. There is still a lot to learn about your individual treatment, and this knowledge will come. Just listen to your body and pay attention to your symptoms. Stay as active as possible. You'll be fine.

Alan

Hi djones, welcome!  Stick close to the forum. We're here for you  - don't scratch what ever you do and stay on top of the rash. If it gets going don't hesitate to contact your doctor - I'm sure you know this already. and water, water, water, water......

Thanks! Even though my side effects aren't bad as of now, I'm glad I found this site because I feel like i have someone I'm going through this with, since other people in my life really don't understand what this treatment is about. Even just browsing the site provides support. 

Hi and welcome Peter.

As a youngster, you may not have severe side effects from the Incivek. You sound well-informed which is vital to get through this treatment. With little liver damage and a low VL, you should do very well. Good luck, and ask any questions you like. Let us know your 4 week VL, as that's a good indicator of likely success. Cheers.

Hi Peter, like Matt said a great place for info from fellow people undergoing or getting ready to undergo TX.. The "search" tool works great at the top of the page. Also try putting a little about yourself in the "signature" area of your user details. Many abbreviations used here too so do a search for "abbreviations".

Any questions or concerns just post them and usually someone has a answer. Take care.

~Bob

Hello Peter

Welcome to the forum you have found a great place to help you with your journey.

Their are many members that can give you valuable insight on the issues that come up with your triply therapy, just ask and they will respond.

Sounds like you have a very good attitude and are doing quite well so far, wishing you all the best in results.

Matt

Hello Everyone,

I just started triple therapy a week ago and this board has been very helpful to me. I will continue to use it throughout therapy! 

I take two incivek three times a day, 1200mg ribavirin daily, and 180mg pegasys every week. So far the symptoms have been manageable but I do see them getting worse. I had a headache the day after my injection and overall I feel more tired than usually, especially after I work out. However, it hasn't been serious enough to affect my work and school schedule. I suspect that the fatigue will get worse, since it takes some time for the interferon and ribavirin to do their damage. I do have some symptoms that I think are from the incivek. I get that terrible anal burning but I put A&D ointment down there a couple times a day and that seems to help. Also, it looks like I'm just starting to develop a rash. on my arms opposite my elbows. Hopefully this doesn't get too bad, but I do have sensitive skin. 

My stats:

Diagnosed with acute hep C in June, 2009 because my ALT was 2000. Genotype 1a. At my last bloodwork ALT was 250 and viral load was 114,000. I had a biopsy which showed minimal if any liver damage.