The first night after our discussion, I took an antihistamine. Then the next day I noticed  it was improved, so I didn't take it again & it continued to get less. Thx!

Great to hear! Thanks for letting us know that you're doing/ feeling better.

Wishing you the best,

Linux

Yay indeed! What did you do to combat it? I'm sure that makes a lot of things more comfortable 

Just to add a status update in case anyone reads this & wonders what happened - 

The rash is mostly gone 4 days after initially reporting it. Yay!

Thanks all!

Cheddy wrote:

---

 I'm confused.  What are the lady product for the lady bits?  You can soothe with cortisone if needed, but gold bond is gentle and smoothing,  Your doctor may have better stuff and should know you're having discomfort.  Drinking water helps.  Staying out of the sun helps.  This will all be temporary, so living with it is just another fleeting nuisance.  Keep moving when you can.  That will get you down the road that leads to the other side  SVR.  

Do continue to ask questions as there is always some help, empathy and wisdom in the group.  You are on an odd and excellent mission.  I applaud your bravery.

Water now.

---

Arghh Cheddy, its a wash emulsion for the lady parts. A lot of people are sensitive to normal wash products due to all the strange chemicals they add, scents etc. I use a product called Lactacyd, it keeps the lady region hydrated with an L2G-complex and no scents or chemicals that can irritate the skin. It's gyno. tested and an anti-allergic product. It has a PH of 3.5. :D

Hi awaw5,

Welcome from me too.

So glad you are on the "right" HCV regime now. Tough slog you had those years ago.

Sorry to hear of your lady bits trouble - I would not wait/hesitate to show your rash to "any" handy doc, sooner than later, for advice and possible rx treatment to resolve it.

I hope it has already started to resolve (on it's own), but if not, do not wait, do not gamble that it might clear up, it could (possibly) get worse, and it may well resolve sooner if you have an "experienced eye" physically examine you/assess the problem and there may-just-be a very nice easy soothing and appropriate rx ointment for it. Why delay an exam if it could result in you feeling more comfortable and resolving the situ sooner.

Any good GP should be able to help you with this skin thing - you do not necessarily have to wait for an appointment with your hep doc. Just make sure your GP knows you are on Harvoni and that he fully ascertains that what he prescribes (if anything) is compatible with your Harvoni regime and acceptable to your hep docs approval.

These perineal skin things can be VERY uncomfortable indeed. You do not want nor need any extra trouble brewing anywhere on or in your body whilst on HCV treatment. If there is something your doc can recommend for it, go for it! 

I was the unlucky recipent of quite a few minor but bothersome skin infection things, during, and post-HCV treatment, each time it was mostly just my GP who would prescribe something, and either he (or I) would double-check that the treatment was compatible with my HCV treatment regime. Once, I just phoned my hep docs office for verification that the drops, ointment and antibiotics I had been prescribed by my GP was going to be OK with them. There was no trouble.

Don't sit (literally) and wait in discomfort, if it can be relieved sooner!

Hope you get some relief soon.  C. (Hey everybody, just wait until syd finds out we are all over here talking about lady bits! She be so mad she missed out!)

 I'm confused.  What are the lady product for the lady bits?  You can soothe with cortisone if needed, but gold bond is gentle and smoothing,  Your doctor may have better stuff and should know you're having discomfort.  Drinking water helps.  Staying out of the sun helps.  This will all be temporary, so living with it is just another fleeting nuisance.  Keep moving when you can.  That will get you down the road that leads to the other side  SVR.  

Do continue to ask questions as there is always some help, empathy and wisdom in the group.  You are on an odd and excellent mission.  I applaud your bravery.

Water now.

Welcome to the forum aw5.  Hoping this treatment gets it done for you. As a fellow Friday nite dart club member this should be fairly easy on you. I'm hoping the rash thing is just a coincidence and goes away soon. Like they all will say- drink your water, try to stay active and take walks. Looking forward to getting to know you on the forum.  RC

Hi,

I can suggest using a wash product solely for the lady bits. There are many brands out there. I am sensitive to products and I just play it safe with no soap or shower gel, just good ole lady stuff for the lady region..

I think it is probably a reaction to something... I hope the rest of treatment goes well. :D

Greetings and welcome.

I won't be commenting much on the subject as I hate to make rash comments. 

Ok ok, you have now met one of your brothers who tends to have a good time on this trip, regardless of the turns that may be taken.

You have received a lot of good information that I can only add my welcome to.

Warm Regards

JimmyK

Hello! I'm glad you're feeling the love!! We're a supportive, non judgemental bunch that simply want to make your life better. We'll do all we can to achieve that for you. The Monograph is similar to the package insert, but may be more detailed. If you would like additional data, I'll be happy to provide it for you. There's a lot out there.

I would suggest you moving over to the On Treatment section and if you would like to use our Harvoni Train thread, feel free. Everyone posts in there and it's a general area for sharing questions, answers and experiences. You are always free to start a new thread of your own. When you start a new thread, it belongs to you and will stay on topic. We don't allow people to hijack threads. It's entirely up to you and if you need advice or help navigating the forum, let me know.

Thank you for making me feel so welcome and not alone as evidenced by your warm & caring responses!

Thanks for all the suggestions! I still have the rash, but it is staying the same size & not spreading. I'll keep a close eye on it. I am using an all-natural detergent & haven't changed it. I might try an antihistamine overnight since I have some trouble sleeping any way. I'll see how that goes.

I have noted by reading this forum over before starting treatment that i should drink a lot of water & I am drinking at least as much as is recommended.

WENDY: Thanks for sharing that you also had an increase in viral load while on IFN+Rib.

TIG56: Is the Harvoni Monograph the same info as the Patient info sheet that comes with the Harvoni? If it's the same, I won't print it, I'll just save it on my PC so it is in digital form making it easy search through it. Interesting that "rash" is listed in the "less common" side effects. Thx.

ALL: I have two more questions about treatment. Should i post those in the "On Treatment" forum now or can I continue this thread?

Thx!

Greetings awaw5,

Welcome to the forum, we're glad that you are here!

You've already received some great advice re: the rash.

Watch for anything new such as laundry detergent, go with one especially for allergies if possible during Tx.

Drink 3-4 liters of water per day (that's a gallon of water per day) THIS IS ESSENTIAL!

Avoid all processed foods, eat fresh fruits and vegetables (Greens in particular will help remove toxins from system). 

Don't shower every day and use baby shampoo as soap (it's mild and won't tend to irritate as much as regular soaps), take cooler showers (avoid very hot), 

Wear lighter cotton clothing (again watch for harsh detergents etc).

Let us know how making these changes goes. We'll be here, please feel free to ask questions and make yourself at home here.

Linux

Welcome awaw5 and no kidding, hydrate hydrate hydrate. As far as the rash, I did not experience that on Harvoni. Think back and did you start using any new products, soap, laundry detergent etc. Another member recently, their wife bought new fabric softener and he had skin irritant from that. I too had my viral load increase on peg + riba so I relate to those old days...no fun. This regimen is much easier. 

Keep us posted.

wendy

Welcome awa5.  You will hear over and over that you have to drink LOADS of water.  These meds do their job, but you need to flush them trough.  

You can use the search feature above to find others on the same treatment, or with the similar side effects.  You will also find great support that only those who have been through this will know much about, so I'm glad you signed on.

From what I hear, this will be a much easier ride than what you've been though, and, the rash will go away.  

Hello and welcome to the forum! There is documentation regarding the rash you mention, not specifically the perianal area, but skin problems in general. I'll provide you a link to the Gilead Harvoni Monograph for your review. If you haven't already seen it, it's good information.

I'm also including a post I made earlier regarding the rash that develops from a drug we as patients are sometimes prescribed called Ribavirin, you remember that don't you? How could you forget? The care for yours should be similar in nature, but I don't want you to delay calling your doctor. The last thing they want to do is stop your treatment and I doubt seriously they would over a rash, unless you were allergic to Harvoni and that's pretty rare. There are dozens of things that can be done to help, so don't be afraid to call. It's important to stay on top of those conditions before they possibly get out of control. These are powerful drugs and people simply have some reactions to them.

I read your signature and wow, you had to go through some rough times back in 99. Damn, girl, that must've been awful. I'm so glad your fibrosis stage has remained on the lower end and once you get beyond this you'll be on the road to "Brand Newville". You'll be welcomed in by everyone shortly. We've got a great bunch of friends here and we like to consider ourselves a big Family too. Lots of characters here, so watch for them. We're here for you and if you have any questions, please ask. There is a lot of information accessible using the search function above or simply ask for direction. We will help you find whatever you're looking for. I'm glad you're here....

One more thing, you need to be drinking at a minimum, 3-4 liters of water per day. That's very important and will reduce or eliminate the headaches and other assorted side effects. Whenever you start feeling the headaches or other issues starting, the solution very often is more hydration. I'm not fooling, 3-4 liters everyday! Carry a water bottle with you everywhere. You'll be better for it!

Harvoni Monograph

Rash Info

Hi!

I'm on my first week of Harvoni. So thankful i got insurance approval & copay assistance from Gilead!! 

I experienced the expected increased headaches and fatigue. Having a tough time - but of course, if I stop & make myself compare it to IFN, it's a "walk in the park." I took 1/2 Advil or 1/2 Tylenol 1x ea day to get me through the worst part.

I'm concerned more now though because I have a very red rash in my "privates" area (butt & vaginal area.) It is not painful, just kind of raw feeling when washing the area. It looks scary but it hasn't gotten worse over the day. I first noticed it this morning.

I don't want to stop this treatment or be made to stop it by calling my doctor. I'd like to just wait & see how it goes. Do I need to be overly concerned?

Has anyone experienced this & did it pass? Anything over the counter to help it go away? Thx!