Tig - I read through the whole riba rage thread.  I hope neither hubby or I experience that, but it's good to know ahead of time so we can be watching for it.  So far, it's just a bit of crying.  (Me, not him.)  We're both on AD so I hope that helps. 

Bubble - I have officially stopped worrying, and will focus on the clickety clack of wheels on the track!  I used to like folk music and Arlo, but as far as train songs go, I like Mystery Train by Elvis Presley.

Penny

Try to relax Penelope. I was never aware of such a precaution. At least you are still on treatement so if you are worried you can switch everything out. I dont worry about it when I know my bloodwork comes back OK. (3X) You should be due in the 4 to 6 week window for one. Sit back and ride the train. What's your favorite travlin' music??  You an Arlo Guthrie fan? How bout CSN+Y ????  Good Luck to you and your husband.

Penelope,

You asked about these drugs affecting your moods. The answer is a resounding yes! Ribavirin is well documented for causing moodiness and occasional outbursts of rage. Use the forum search function and read up on Riba Rage. You'll see what we have all experienced and ways to head it off at the pass! Happy toothbrush shopping!! It's very important to maintain strict attention to dental hygiene while on treatment. It can cause oral dryness, among other issues. The old interferon treatments were particularly harmful, be glad you avoided that! A good oral rinse and toothpaste, like Biotene helped me greatly when dryness became a problem.

Thank you so much, everyone, for getting me back on track. I don't know why I got so panicked about this last night, but I really did spaz out!  Do these drugs affect your emotions? 

I thought I was so prepared to start tx, but apparently not so much.  I'm fortunate that I found this forum, and very thankful that you guys are here sharing your knowledge and experience with everyone.  I can't thank you all enough.  I'll keep reading. 

Now I'm off to the store for new toothbrushes.

You should not share items like razors or toothbrushes, but don't be worried about reinfecting yourself.

That's OTT. Cheers.

hi pp.i never gave any thought about reinfecting my self using razors toothbrushes etc.i was about half way through tx when some one mentioned it,i was virus undetected by then.but i got rid of all razors etc just to be on the safe side.there was never any mention of reinfection by any of the drs about that.am sure you will be ok.but it is a subject that has to be addressed thanks for bringing to the attention of people.best of health to you                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               william

Hi Penny, please don`t be alarmed, I seriously doubt you have anything to be concerned about, and please don`t feel bad. 

If it was that easy to reinfect yourself then it would happen to lots of us!  To be quite honest, I didn`t make a point of changing my toothbrush or razor throughout my treatment or afterwards, my nurse didn`t mention it to me as a risk factor and it wasn`t being discussed on the forum at the time.  I was too preoccupied dealing with the side effects to even consider the risk and I still achieved my SVR.

It`s good hygiene practise to change things like toothbrushes and razors on a regular basis anyway and yes, there is a slight risk of reinfecting yourself but really it`s too low to be worrying yourself about! 

I`m sure you`ll fine! 

even on the comercials.  these strps ate precaution

Doesn't do any good to see the links after the fact of just now finding out but thanks! This should be one that stays on the front page instead of having to search. I would bet I am not the only one that was never informed about this by doctors or anyone.

WOW!!! I just finished my last 12 week Harvoni last Thursday. Friday the script company called me to see how it was during the treatment. She asked me if I had thrown away my used razors and tooth brushes because I could get infected again! My immediate response was anger because my doctor nor anyone gave me those instructions prior to treatment nor during treatment! Needless to say now there gone and I only hope/pray I didn't re-infect myself!

Try your best to not worry. It's something to be aware of and to avoid the possibility of by using some common sense precautions. Many don't even consider this and do just fine, but the information is out there and sharing it among each other is what we do. If it helps us achieve our goals, then why not? Every extra chance we can give ourselves to succeed, is worth the effort. You've got everything to look forward to. Don't dwell on the negatives, it's time to be positive! You're going to do great!

woops - can't seen to stop talking!!  was just trying to put a more positive spin on the first post, but instead posted twice.  oh well...

Oh my gosh I just want to cry.  Why didn't I know this, or my doctor warn me about this.  Why didn't I think of it.  I know all the safety precautions, but never thought about protecting me from myself.  I feel a little sick to my stomach.  Thanks everyone for your responses and suggestions, and I'll do all of them, and thanks Tig, for the links. 

Going to the dollar store tomorrow for a bunch toothbrushes for me and the hubby. Already bought the big pack of disposable razors.  And I'll treat all our clippers, files, tweezers, etc, to a 1:10 solution spa day. 

It will all be fine, and I'm going to stop worrying about this.   

Oh my gosh I just want to cry.  Why didn't I know this, or my doctor warn me about this.  Why didn't I think of it.  I know all the safety precautions, but never thought about protecting me from myself.  I feel a little sick to my stomach.  Thanks everyone for you responses and suggestions, and I'll do all of them, and thanks Tig, for the links - I'm going there now.  I hope that since I still have 11 weeks to go I'll still be able to get well.

Hi 3P,

This is a topic we have discussed many times here on the forum. The thing to remember is that there is a possibility of reinfection, but it's low, providing you take some common sense precautions. Most of us did purchase replacement toothbrushes during treatment and used disposable razors as well. Clean them and change them at least weekly or sooner if you feel the need. Do not share any of your personal grooming items with anyone. Things like nail clippers, scissors, razors and toothbrushes should be kept separate of others in your household. Hard surfaces and clippers, etc., can be sanitized in a bleach 1:10 bleach solution. I'm including a link to the thread we have discussed this. If you have any questions, post to your thread here or the one below.

http://hepcfriends.activeboard.com/t44673475/change-your-toothbrush-and-razors/

Here's a Medscape article that discusses some of this subject matter:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/543531 (May require registering to view, it's free)

Hi Penny?

This question has been discussed before and you can probably search out  a tread about it. In my case I wasn't taking any chances i bought 10 razors and 10 tooth brushes. I was going to keep using new ones at lease every week.Kinda OCD  At some point I had a thought. Just after first  Undetected blood draw reading about 4 weeks for most part. Any old razor / toothbrush may have infected blood so throw them out. After I'm undetected it's my clean undetected blood that is running through me right now. Its clean blood I'm bleeding so if it touch it can't infect me/ Its my blood I already have that blood in me. But my OCD still had me throwing out the toothbrush / razor every week a little longer   just to be sure. i did finally drop that and got a better tooth brush I could keep for awhile.

Bill S

Hi PPP!

As the virus can live on surfaces for quite awhile the answer would be yes, it can happen. How likely is it? Well, I wouldn't chance it. For myself, when I started treatment I threw away toothbrushes, razors, tweezers and even the tube of toothpaste I had been using. I went to the 99 cent store and bought a bunch of brushes, new toothpaste and tweezers. Being me I opted to not shave during treatment at all - my German Shephard does not care if my legs are hairy!  I now change toothbrushes each week for my own peace of mind if nothing else. Small price to pay to do anything you can to achieve SVR!

Wishing you all the best on your treatment!!!

~Robin

I just finished week 1 Viek/Riba, so I'm assuming I have less virus than a week ago.   So I'm using a styptic pencil to staunch a little shaving nick; same pencil I used a week ago and just rinsed off after use like the package says.   Did I just give myself a fresh dose of HCV from my own pretreatment blood??   I used the same razor too.  Nicked myself last week & just rinsed it off, then nicked again today.

I went out and got a package of disposable razors, and threw out the styptic pencil so it can't happen again, but now I'm wondering about my toothbrush.....  

The more I think about this, the crazier I feel, like I'm being sucked down in a whirlpool of bad thoughts.  Has anyone heard of someone screwing up their treatment this way?