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Hep C Discussion Forum -> New Members Area -> new to forum and starting Harvoni in 2 days
Post Info TOPIC: new to forum and starting Harvoni in 2 days
Tess


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new to forum and starting Harvoni in 2 days
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Welcome Vet!  Congratulations on your Harvoni approval!  I did a 12 week course on the magic pill and can give you a few suggestions - -

As Groupergetter mentioned DO set an alarm and keep it with you!  That's the first thing to do.  You want to be sure to take your daily dose.  My cell phone alarm saved me more than once ! smile  Some people use a wrist watch alarm. 

DO keep one pill on you at all times in case you're away from home when it's time to dose.  I kept one in a tiny pill box in my purse.  If you're a guy, maybe you can keep one in your wallet. 

Do drink a lot of water.  It can really help prevent and reduce headaches, if they happen.

Don't take any vitamins, supplements, herbs, medications, etc. without first checking with your medical team.  If you don't have a close contact at the VA, talk to the specialty pharmacy or Gilead Support Path before taking anything.   You don't want to do anything that could interfere with Harvoni's mission! wink  Before TX I was taking herbal supplements and vitamins, and my docs took me off everything including Crestor but kept me on a Fosamax-type med.  They ok'd an occasional Aleve for pain.

Best of luck!  Hoping that soon you will be VetwithNoC  biggrinbiggrinbiggrin  

- Tess

 

 



-- Edited by Tess on Sunday 29th of March 2015 06:13:38 PM

__________________

HCV Gen 1a diagnosed 2001; Labs 11/13/14: VL 1.2 million IU/mL, ast 88, alt 111. Harvoni TX 12 weeks.  EOT - 2/18/15, VL UND & normal ast/alt.

4 wks after EOT, VL = UND; normal AST/ALT at 4, 8 and 14 weeks after EOT.  15 weeks after EOT = Undetectable!
Cinnamon Girl


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Hi there V-w-C, welcome from me too!

Glad you decided to join us, we`ll try and answer any questions you may have, we`re here to help!

I agree about the need for keeping yourself well hydrated, that`s very important while on Harvoni treatment for keeping side effects like headaches at bay.  You may find you don`t need to take any painkillers at all but if you do then it`s best to check with your doctor to see what he recommends, as Tig said.

We have lots of other members also doing Harvoni so do feel free to look around the forum and join in the discussions.

Wishing you all the best of luck, keep us updated!

 



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Jill 

(71 yo, lives in UK)

Was Gen 3a, 

24wks Peg Ifn/Riba, Sep 2010 - Mch 2011

UND @ Wk.4, UND @ EOT, 

SVR Nov 2011 --> Still UND @ EOT + 4 yrs.

 

 
Groupergetter


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Hi VwC, and welcome.  I'm currently on the Harvoni tx and it hasn't been too bad of a ride.  You shouldn't have a difficult time.  At start of tx some have had headaches, overall the side effects are minimal.  Glad to see you're getting started. 

Important to keep on schedule with meds and be 100% compliant.  Set an alarm if you need to.  Keep us posted on your progress, always good to hear of others improving.  Be well



__________________

1b  Int/Riba relapse @ 48 weeks.  Stop tx Peg Int/Riba 12 weeks ill. Relapse S/O 6/23/14 :(   Started Harvoni 11/12/14  EOT 4/28/15.  EOT+4 UND :)  SVR! 8/4/15  :)     Thankful for every morning.
Brian1412


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Hey vet. Welcome. Listen to these folks ad theu know what. Is up. My 2 cents. Hydration is indeedhydration. Low sugar,eating with the med. All go a long way toward making this easy.
I also think that when people hear side effects it is easy. to associate it to treatments have had in the past w hep c. Its a different animal.
I am on day 7 and besides the first day,it is extremely. Easy.i would try what tig and others suggested before gearing up with pain reliverd and such. I had the same notion to battle s effects. Besides water etc. I had no need. You may. you might want to get itin your system before adding.use the steps. Posted in the thread. You know,if i fidnt take a pill everyday at the same time,following diet ,i wouldn't. Now i was being treated based on the med or it would be like taking antibiotic. Seriously. Good lick

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MzmiffY


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Welcome VetwithC,

so happy for you and wishing you the best!



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42yrs/ f3-f4, gen 1a, 48 wks of Interferon,Ribaviran and Boceprevir. 

VL pre tx-384303, VL @ 4 wks 11095, 8wks- UND.

UND@ EOT, SVR 24!

 
Tig


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Hi VwC,

Sure, you can trade off with different things, but you need to be careful with the acidy juices, sugar and carb intake. When concentrating on increased hydration, it's wise to tip the scales more toward water when you can. Coffee and some teas (green) are very good. Just watch out for too much caffeine. You may notice some insomnia and you don't want to add time to the night time ceiling watching! But I have to mention that many people on the Sovaldi combos claim they have slept like logs during treatment! I hope you experience the latter! The time of day you take your pill may make a difference in how you feel during the day. We have some recommendations on the forum from others that know better than I. You can find info using the search function at the top center of each page using one or two keywords. I'm sure others will be happy to fill you in. Ask if you need help finding information, we'll be glad to assist you.

Hope this helps!

Tig



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Tig

67yo GT1A - 5 Mil - A2/F3 - (1996) Intron A - Non Responder, (2013) Peg/Riba/Vic SOT:05/23/13 EOT:12/04/13 SVR 9+ years!

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VetwithC


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Thanks Tig for the welcome and water tip. Would juice and/or coffee/tea help??

__________________
DXed in year 1999 with geno 1a, went with a wait and see approach while my viral load increased from 240,000 to 3 mil and contacted VA when Harvoni came out and now have harvoni and starting TX on Monday.
Tig


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Hi Vet,

First let me welcome you here and I also want to thank you for your service! I'm a Navy Vet myself and we have a number of people here that are as well. Some from other countries too. We're a global forum! We all have many things in common besides our friend Hep C. The good news is it's going down, soon!

We can't advise you on medication, but will provide our opinions on such things. We often see Tylenol or Ibuprofen used, but we always recommend you ask your doctor first, before using anything while on treatment. I can tell you that we have found one thing that really controls some of the aches and pains while on treatment, water. Just plain ol water. You need to hydrate well, I drank at least a gallon a day on treatment. We have all found that regardless of protocol, water is your friend. Seems that people on the Sovaldi drugs get a lot of relief from it if they have a headache. Keep that in mind. I went through a case of that sugarless squirt stuff like MIO. The sweet tea flavor was my go to squirt!

If you have any questions, please ask away. You will hear from others as well. We have a great group here and everyone will help you if you need it. Keep us informed of your progress. I'm glad you're here! Good luck...

Tig



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Tig

67yo GT1A - 5 Mil - A2/F3 - (1996) Intron A - Non Responder, (2013) Peg/Riba/Vic SOT:05/23/13 EOT:12/04/13 SVR 9+ years!

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VetwithC


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I've been lurking on this forum for a while now as I was waiting for approval from the VA for TX [hopefully with Harvoni] and my dream came true yesterday [Friday] when they finally gave me my first 2 weeks worth of the magic [pink] silver bullets and told to start TX on Monday and am doing a crash course on the do's and don'ts and have my head spinning with an overload of info.

Giving me a pre TX headache, which will be my first question...........

What is the preferred/recomended OTC pain reliever?? Google has given me a lot of mixed answers, but what do you guys recommend?? 

The VA is great for giving me the meds, but they rush you out the door without much info.............not complaining, just stating.

 

Thanks in advance.



__________________
DXed in year 1999 with geno 1a, went with a wait and see approach while my viral load increased from 240,000 to 3 mil and contacted VA when Harvoni came out and now have harvoni and starting TX on Monday.
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