hi Brigid, I have noticed compared to having chronic hep (15 years) and now being svr 1 and half years:

That foggy, groggy dumb feeling that came when I was tired or ate a meal just isn't there for me anymore. This surprised me, I must have gotten it quite badly with the chronic hep.

I don't burst into tears or be emotional for no reason. Although post tx I could still be classed as being depressed at times by a doctor its very different than it was, the gym is very helpful for my mood.

I put on weight easier, I believe because I am digesting fat better. Weight used to fall of me if I exercised or ate light but not anymore . I look healthier though and my stools have changed which support my thoughts on this

Since the tx it feels like a different body and mind now. Some really odd stuff that I am not used to like needing 3 courses of antibiotics and having a facial nerve attack, hot flashes. Anxiety attacks post tx and not much libido to speak of. Nothing serious but the classic symptoms of chronic hepatitis are gone and life is improving again.

I feel much better after tx (8 months since ending). I still have some brain fog but am back full force at work. I made many changes to my diet (vegetarian, near vegan), exercise-- daily yoga, and am consistent about sleep. I had what I thought was arthritis before and now I have no achy joints. My digestive system gets off track easily if I eat too much sugar/fat, and i feel crappy, so i do this less often. lots of dark leafy greens. Emotionally, the weight is lifted and even though it is mid Feb and the skies are grey and snowy, i more often have a smile on my face.

If you are debating on whether or not to wait for the new drugs...my experience with 48 weeks of interferon and riba makes me highly suggest to you that you wait for the new meds. Of course, if the condition of your liver does not allow you to wait, then you'd have no choice.

Do I feel better than before treatment? Mentally, yes, because I know I no longer have HCV and I saved my liver. Physically, I can't complain. I'm 59 and I can still do more than most people my age. I work full time and take care of several toddler grandchildren most nights after work and chasing them around is a workout!

i've been off triple (inf,riba,Victrelis) for 2 years now.

I had HCV for 42 years, but no liver damage despite high viral loads. During the 42 years I'm not aware that I had any symptoms of the disease, and now 2 years later i'm pretty much at the same place i was before treatment.

but i don't have the virus and happily don't have to worry about infecting anyone, including my little grandson who use my finger for a teething ring.

I'm glad it's gone too. I had it for about 6 months and am glad to have parted ways. If it's hiding somewhere then whatever. I'll catch it next time. But it was awesome being SVR 1-year post treatment.

:-D

i feel better being cured after 3 txs...but the virus did damage and the interferon left me w/some sides it almost killed me...but all in all feel pretty good...

Brigid,
It depends on which treatment was used, how many different treatments, what were those treatments and what was the duration of each treatment before SVR attained. Were there parallel health issues diagnosed prior to or during treatment?.
Some people went through the old SOC several times.
Interferon plus riba has a history of lingering issues & collateral damage.
The virus will continue to cause damage so long as we have it. Fortunately most of us can wait a little longer for better treatments, hope you can, too.

I feel better after recovering from treatment than I did back when I had the virus. I do have fatigue and need a lot of sleep now but that might just be that I'm getting old. I lost a lot of weight during treatment and haven't gained it all back (yet, lol) so that may be part of why I feel healthier. Another reason I might feel better is that I'm no longer a heavy drinker...

I agree with Trissa in that there are a lot of factors in play. I've had the virus for at least 25 years, but I also quit drinking a long time ago so my liver wasn't as bad as it could have been.

But I still had a lot of problems with fatigue before the treatment, which for me was 48 weeks of triple.

Generally I feel better now, more energetic and I'm able to exercise now. But like Shadowdance, my herpes outbreaks are really bad now. My theory is that the HCV meds really pissed them off, and now they are back. Bigger, stronger, faster.

It's really hard to say. Every year we age, and more things go wrong. Sometimes we blame it on the disease or the cure, when it just might be mother nature.

But I do know this: my chance of dying from liver failure has been greatly reduced by clearing the virus.

Health wise, I feel much healthier now than I did before tx. Before I was dx with HCV, I always knew something was just not right. My cycle for one, and also being so fatigued. Both which led me to get a full blood panel by my GYN in 2008.

I do suffer a few post tx issues that came during tx. My eyesight, and losing my sharp memory are the few that come to mind.

I did 24 weeks of SOC and am currently 4.5 years SVR. At 2.5 years post, I felt GREAT! Better than I had in YEARS. That was my turning point.

NOT feeling better even though cleared about 1 yr ago. But I also have other major health issues going on. So it is hard to say what is really causing all these problems. Age is also a factor. Not for the weak at heart.

It is a nice feeling to think I have taken care of one major health problem & don't have to worry about anyone else catching that shit from me.

I haven't had the virus very long and I did a Declatasvir/Sovaldi trial. I'm glad to be SVR but I feel i now have ZERO short-term memory (it's been bad for ages). It's really scary. I think my trial impacted that but I'm not certain. I drink, get high...indulge in too many brain-destroying activities...hardly remember my name.

I feel I can be so honest here because me and my posts will most likely be shortly gone. But why? I am who I am. I know a bunch of people who dig me. I know a bunch who can't tolerate me.

Love me...hate me..just don't be indifferent....

Damn, it's not yet noon...I'm such a fuck up...

Well, I caught it when I was 27 yrs old, I'm pretty sure (that was the year Iused I.V. drugs) and I found out when I was 29 yrs old, and quit drinking alcohol then.
Then, when I was in my late 40's, my platelets began slipping, and I would have way to heavy of a period. Then, the last year before I Treated, my cuts were taking forever to heal, and my gums would bleed alot, when I flossed, but again, this was from my platelets sliding even lower, not just from the Hep C virus. I never got the fatigue symptom at all.
Now that I am SVR, my platelets are back to normal, and my cuts heal very quickly again :D

Did triple for 12 weeks... failed!

then i did a ledispavir + sofosbuvir trial for 12 weeks. i've been UND since week 2!

that was one year ago. life is BETTER now. SVR37 now! sooooo happy about that!

Life is good!