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968560 tn?1307451498

CFS and Hepatitis C

I successfully completed a 48 week interferon/ribavirin treatment for hepatitis c. The reason I went to my doctor in the first place was the terrible chronic fatigue and flu like symptoms. After being diagnosed with hep-c and going thru the year of  treatment, the body aches and fatigue continues. Sleep doesn't refresh me and i cant really do normal activities without becoming exausted. I have seen a cardiologist who checked my heart (heart O.K.)  I was sent  to a pulmonary M.D. sleep study no apenia.Mild COPD. but nothing to explain the extreme tiredness. My liver biopsy showed stage 3 liver damage. While the treatment brought my viral load to undetcecable, my AST and ALT enzymes remain slightly elevated. Im wondering if Im going to ever get my energy back. If anybody has A-N-Y information about this plz share it with me. thank
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Avatar universal
I just wanted to put this info out there. I am 2.5 years post successful tx and have suffered since day one of starting tx, never recovering. I, too, have sought help and basically was put off by the rheumatologist as fibromyalgia. I finally went to a very good doctor (they are not all created equal) and have been dx with hypothyroidism. All the same symptoms from muscle/bone pain, etc., etc., etc. Believe me, I know what they are; I've been living in a chair for three years.  

I had been supposedly "tested" by both my pp and the rheumatologist and found "normal"...they were wrong. I started the thyroid hormone, more Vit D and B12 and I am 100% "improved". It took eight weeks to kick in. I don't know if I am 100% as I can't even remember what 100% is like, but I'll take this so far. I've walked more in the last week than I have in a year.

"Clinically significant hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism can occur and may be due to induction of autoimmune events or cross-reactivity of thyrotropin-stimulating hormone with membrane receptors for interferon."
https://books.google.com/books?id=ZQ6KNRLWHLQC&pg=PA533&lpg=PA533&dq=clinically+significant+hyperthyroidism+or+hypothyroidism+can+occur+and+may+be+due+to+induction+of+autoimmune+events+or+cross-reactivity+of+thyrotropin-stimulating+hormone+with+membrane+receptors+for+interferon&source=bl&ots=DjRZ0f3yWJ&sig=Gzo6lEbV4WUd-L9bQ-yFeD9pSZw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=0kkcVZWQGpG1sQSQ1oHgCw&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=clinically%20significant%20hyperthyroidism%20or%20hypothyroidism%20can%20occur%20and%20may%20be%20due%20to%20induction%20of%20autoimmune%20events%20or%20cross-reactivity%20of%20thyrotropin-stimulating%20hormone%20with%20membrane%20receptors%20for%20interferon&f=false

Susceptibility to thyroid disorders in hepatitis C. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15952102

Suppressed thyroid-stimulating hormone secretion in patients treated with interleukin-2 and interferon-alpha 2b for metastatic melanoma.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7711430

Long-term outcome of interferon-alpha-induced thyroid autoimmunity and prognostic influence of thyroid autoantibody pattern at the end of treatment.
10 patients became Abs- 6 months off therapy but were again Abs+ 6.2 yr later (remitting/relapsing thyroiditis)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11344186  and
http://press.endocrine.org/doi/full/10.1210/jcem.86.5.7459

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Avatar universal
Well, what do you know?   I am a successful responder to interferon/ribaviron treatment for Hep C.  Yay.  12 years later I start having the aches and pain that is now diagnosed as Fibromyalgia.   I am now three years into dealing with it.  Hum, this is the first I have heard of the connection.  
Helpful - 0
747988 tn?1396536878
137 is within the normal range and shouldn't equate to your fatigue.Did you have CFS or fatigue prior to treatment (they are very different issues,CFS would mean you would probably not tolerate the medications amongst other things)? I was healthy and very active prior to treatment despite carrying the virus for nearly 20years.
Helpful - 0
747988 tn?1396536878
yes another one here-24 weeks intf/riba 8 years ago,cleared the virus but left with CFS and fibromyalgia diagnosed with Post Interferon Syndrome 3 years ago-have a look on the Post Treatment  Issues forum where you will find others suffering similar long term side effects.
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Avatar universal
I had 24 weeks of interferon/ribavirin chemotherapy to get rid of Hepatitis C about 2 and a half years ago. I just found out my haemoglobin levels (normal range 135-180) is still just 137 when it was 160 pre-chemo. My previous GP recently died, and my current GP just told me my haemoglobin at 137 was within normal range. I don't know if he took me seriously when I told him it used to be 160. To me this is one obvious reason I have even less energy now than pre hepatitis treatment.  

I wonder how many other people with both CFS and Hep C feel worse after chemotherapy, and how long if ever for your body chemistry to 'normalise' and haemoglobin levels, etc. to get back to what they were?
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
i also have fibromyalgia, cfs after 11 months of interferon/ribavirin treatment for hep c.  We need more people to come forward to share this information.  Fibro has ruined my life and i am in constant chronic pain.  ***@****
Helpful - 0
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