Hepatitis C Support Group
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral disease which can cause liver inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis and liver cancer. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by blood-to-blood contact with an infected person's blood. Many people with HCV infection have no symptoms and are unaware of the need to seek treatment. Hepatitis C infects an estimated 150-200 million people worldwide.
Hi everybody,
This is my first time here so please be kind. I am having a very hard time coping with my treatmet. This is my second time doing it, the first time was about 13 years ago. It didn't work do to my ignorance. I just didn't realize what I was dealing with and didn't follow instructions. Well, here I am again and feeling very low about the whole thing. I just took my second shot on Thursday (trying to get to Friday shots for work reasons) and I feel like I was hit by a truck. I do have some hours that aren't as bad as others but mostly I am so tired and weak that I can't get out of bed. Not to mention sick to my stomach and aching all over. I have had to take so much time off of work these past couple of weeks and again today. My husband has been great but.... I am very worried that this is going to take a toll on our marriage. We have been married for almost 7 years (not our first marriages). We have always lead a life that included drinking. I am not drinking now of course and won't. I have been reading some other posts and now realize I probably won't be able to drink again. This is going to be very hard considering the life style we have. My husband is a musician and plays alot of gigs at bars. Right now I don't even go to his gigs. I don't want him to even drink around me but he does. Of course he always asks if I mind and I say go ahead. The depression is very very bad. I feel sorry for myself alot. But I feel more sorry for the people around me. The crying is incredible!!! I will be sitting at my desk at work and the tears just start to flow... at home the same. At this moment I am considering stopping the treatment but I know if I do that will be the end of me. By the way everytime I take time off work the guilt stresses me out so bad it makes me feel even sicker. Any profound words of advise??? Or am I to far gone???????
This is my first time here so please be kind. I am having a very hard time coping with my treatmet. This is my second time doing it, the first time was about 13 years ago. It didn't work do to my ignorance. I just didn't realize what I was dealing with and didn't follow instructions. Well, here I am again and feeling very low about the whole thing. I just took my second shot on Thursday (trying to get to Friday shots for work reasons) and I feel like I was hit by a truck. I do have some hours that aren't as bad as others but mostly I am so tired and weak that I can't get out of bed. Not to mention sick to my stomach and aching all over. I have had to take so much time off of work these past couple of weeks and again today. My husband has been great but.... I am very worried that this is going to take a toll on our marriage. We have been married for almost 7 years (not our first marriages). We have always lead a life that included drinking. I am not drinking now of course and won't. I have been reading some other posts and now realize I probably won't be able to drink again. This is going to be very hard considering the life style we have. My husband is a musician and plays alot of gigs at bars. Right now I don't even go to his gigs. I don't want him to even drink around me but he does. Of course he always asks if I mind and I say go ahead. The depression is very very bad. I feel sorry for myself alot. But I feel more sorry for the people around me. The crying is incredible!!! I will be sitting at my desk at work and the tears just start to flow... at home the same. At this moment I am considering stopping the treatment but I know if I do that will be the end of me. By the way everytime I take time off work the guilt stresses me out so bad it makes me feel even sicker. Any profound words of advise??? Or am I to far gone???????
LOUD
you might try that.
If your husband is willing to forgo drinking around you that would be best. Luckily I have never been a big drinker so I can go out with friends who are drinking and it doesn't bother me. But if it is a trigger for you then you will need to make lifestyle changes. That doesn't mean that your marriage is over unless alcohol was your only link.
This is a rough treatment, but if you can get the side effects under control you can do it. You have lots of incentive to continue.
Take care, Nancy
As for your side effects, for many people they get better, I hope they do for you!!
Drinking was always too big a part of my life too. Drinking was my social connection. I pretty much stopped when I was diagnosed (dx). Over the summer I drank those non-alcoholic beers. While on treatment {tx) I made a lot of spicy virgin marys to help me take the 8 non-coated MK-5172 pills in addition to the rib and (placebo) bocepivar. I was in a clinical trial. I finished 3 weeks ago and don't have much of a desire to drink.
How far into tx are you and what are you on? Your doctor should be able to help with some of the side effects (sx).
Get as much rest as you can and try to hang in there. And drink lots of water.
Welcome to the group. We are all on different roads taking the same journey.... To not have hep c anymore.
I have one more test to confirm that I made it to that point. You have to keep your eye on the prize. Good luck and know you are not alone. Any time of the day or nite. Be gentle with yourself and relax...
Kind hugs coming your way!
My first reply on this board also. I started treatments 9 weeks ago. my viral load was 10000000 plus. just got results from second viral load and am now NEG! sometimes it seems like a long road but it can turn around FAST! I believe that half the battle is attitude. I am also a recovering addict and alcoholic who has been clean for 30 yrs. you can do what you need to do to stay alive. its easy, you just change it all! stick to what your doc tells you to the letter!!!!
As far as the guilt and stress you have ONE JOB RIGHT NOW. to get better and stay better. When asked if drinking is ok SAY NO!!!
Iwas put on lexapro by my doc and it helped alot with depression and stress check into it. all the stuff you are talking about is fixable just see your doc.
i also take solice in the lord. not for all but for me a great comfort.
hang in baby do as told and you will be ok.
with love from another sufferer.
Bill
However, I just finished 40 weeks of treatment and so far successfully. and the treatment has a dozen downsides and only one upside, the potential to get a sustained response
Why go thru all of the side effect crap if you're not going to follow the treatment rules? it seems to me that it's clear that drinking will lower the chance of success, so why put up with the sides if you're not working fulltime to improve the probability of success
I know i sound like an indifferent bastard, but to me we have to take the medication process seriously if we want the good news
i should point out that i am obese and get really annoyed when people say it's easy to lose weight, so i really understand things are only easy when someone else has to do it.
but this is a biggie
I was diagnosed in 2005 with I was 24. I thought my world was ending. I came from a big drinking family and my husband's family are big drinkers but ironically.. he doesn't drink at all. Anyway, I had a liver biopsy and I was stage1 so I started the treatment and didn't have good results. I cleared the virus later than desired so my odds weren't good off the bat but I kept going with the treatment. Well about 6 weeks after I cleared the virus I had a breakthrough, meaning the virus came back while I was still on treatment. So I decided to call it quits. I was 25 at this time and just sorta put the disease in the back of my mind and continued to drink whenever I wanted. Now mind you, I don't drink at home and I did work full-time so I would really only go out about one night a week but I didn't think twice about it. I was young and wanted to have fun so I did. Time went on and I think I had an epiphany! Things weren't going right in my life (just crap here and there, nothing major) and I decided I need to get my act together and worry about my health, I am 30 yrs old and have a 2 yr old son and want another so I need to beat this disease. Plus, 6 yrs of drinking.. who knows WHAT stage my liver is at now I wouldn't be surprised if I am stage 3-4. I have a biopsy scheduled for April 17 and will find out then, regardless, I am going to beat this bastard disease!! I guess my point to all of this is only YOU will know when you are ready to give up the drinking and focus on your health, obviously, the sooner the better!! I was the same way, I only had fun drinking and my social life revolved around it. I have only quit drinking a few months but no longer have a desire to. We are heading to Louisiana in 3 days and they have drive through daiquiri stands that I LOVE... not this time! Gotta keep my eye on the prize!! Please don't give up, 24 to 48 weeks is a very short time out of your life and it will be well spent beating this dragon!
Also, the side effects of feeling you've been hit by a truck will get better! I remember my first shot... OMG... I thought I was going to die! Guess what.. I didn't! In fact I only missed 2-3 days of work. I felt like crap all the time and was moody and anxious and snappy. I just kept to myself most of the time, because that was the best for everyone! I finally told my doctor about my moodiness about 3 months in and I got on anti-depressants and life was SO much better after that.
Please talk to your doctor about the problems you are having and get on anti-depressants, they will help. Be sure to drink about a gallon of water a day, that will also help with side effects.
Good luck! We are here for you!
I woudl talk to your doctor, it may be that they can start you on anti-depressents to handle the depression. I know alot of us are on them to continue with tx, my consultant wants most patients on a low dose before tx to ensure that they do not stop tx because of depression.
Ask your doctor for something for the nausea so you don't have that to contend with.
Did your husband go to the doctor with you before tx? I think it was good for my husband to hear from the professionals what I would be going through while on treatment. He drinks too but I was never a big drinker so it is easier for me to not drink...the only thing is that I loose my patience with him when he had too much to drink lol