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Post Interferon Syndrome

I'm 54 and SVR after 3 treatments starting from 1993, 1994 then Peg & Ribarivin 2003. To say it was a roller coaster ride to hell is an understatement.

I hold strongly that I have Post Syndrome...I have intermittent fatigue after being active, takes me at least 2 days of resting to recover from any strenuous activity, and I mean flat out and sleeping, then I can have periods of insomnia which I never had before. I have had a major shoulder op due to rotar cuff deterioration, carpal tunnel release right hand, and looking at the left soon. Left knee cartilage repair, now due to have my right one done. I have aches in my joints which are random, clumsy as well.

My brain feels like sludge, some days my thought processes are a joke. I forget things like appointments, leave pans on the stove, unable to concentrate, get irritable if the environment is too noisy and crowded. I have depression and get anxious if I feel stressed and that in itself makes me feel unable to cope and make a decision.

I have coped with this by managing my time and environment which basically means, I can't work, I avoid any situations that would provoke stress or over stimulate me. This is not what I was like before, I was outgoing, worked and had a great social life. I have changed and often feel dead inside.

What has this drug regime done to me really? Yes, the hep c is undetectable but I can never donate blood or major organs (even tho I'm cured...joke!) tho I have been reliably informed the little bugger hides away in the lymph somewhere.

I read on here others that have similar symptoms and I wonder if we are a part of the treatment that pharmaceutically companies ignore due to profits from such a global problem. As time goes on more and more people express long term health and mental changes.  I'm glad to be SVR but honestly...it has curbed my life and made me feel old no matter what I try to redress it. My GP is great and she agrees that immunologically there is probably changes and I was warned in 1993 that any existing conditions will worsen...so what did they know then?

I am a qualified nurse but not practicing now so any medical information or research that you know of would be of great help to me on my quest.

I would be so happy to hear from others as I would like to correlate the evidence somehow and also share and support.
best to all
Alys.
Best Answer
Avatar universal
I have been through this for years. Did 20 months high dosage inf and then another year+ Peg/Riba. Could not move for years afterwards. Read a thread on this board about anti oxidant therapy. Some doctor in NM was using alpha lipoic acid,selenium and milk thistle along with B vitamins and D vitamins,whatever was needed according to labs. I read about it and figured it was better than doing nothing. Didn't think it would work but went to GNC and got a bottle of ALA and started doing 900 mgs a day. Within a week I started to move again so I added the other supplements. 400mg Selenium,900 milk thistle. Went to see the doctor and he added in low dose naltrexone which should straighten out your immune system and stop the symptoms. Best of luck.
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7002065 tn?1443073614
interferon causes autoimmunity in the brain
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Avatar universal
Check this article out!!! There is proof that interferon is toxic...and explains all the problems resulting in the fibro....law suit anyone?

http://www.cortjohnson.org/blog/2015/09/20/spinning-fibromyalgia-brain-findings-suggest-dopamine-may-be-key/
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7002065 tn?1443073614
You said that the 0.5 naloxone which comes with the subuxone worsen your status. Well, naloxone doesn't get into the bloodstream. It's in the Subuxone only to prevent users from injecting the drug.Naloxone is IV only. You need naltrexone to get the desired effects.

Good luck
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Avatar universal
me too i feel the same i was ok when i had the hep c done the treatment 10 years ago and never recovered .
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Avatar universal
hi im sorry to tell you but i took the treatment ten years ago and my symptoms of fatigue and depression brain fog the lot i am 52 from the uk it has ruined my life i used to be so active would have rather lived with the hep c x
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Avatar universal
i took the treatment in 2005 and ten years later i have brain fog aged abt 30years out of breath deppresed cant even think straight so so tired all the time the list goes on im always in bed i actually feel suicidal tried all sorts of meds i would rather have hep c i was ok when i had it i am a female 52 and feel abt 90 my life is over and no one understands unless they have been through it.
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