Post Interferon side effects

[franke566]

How many are suffering from Post Interferon side effects?    are there others or am I the only one

[pooh55811]

I am sorry that you are having these problems.

Have you seen a good Rheumatologist at a large medical facility, such as a university medical center? A competent Rheumatologist should thoroughly examine you and test you for all autoimmune disorders as well as other rheumatological disorders. Perhaps the Rheumatologist would also refer you to other appropriate specialist.

I recently saw a Rheumatologist who examined me and tested me for multiple autoimmune disorders. I was diagnosed with Sjogren's Disease, which I actually had before treatment but did not know it. I am now on Plaquenil and am already seeing an improvement in my symptoms.

MedHelp has a new Hepatitis C: Post Treatment Issues forum. I would suggest going there to read what has been posted so far and to ask questions.

[barblodge]

I did 6 months of interferon tx in 202 and was fortunate to have no detectable virus for last ten years.  However, the joint aches-leg aches I have had, that started during tx and never subsided, have been far more debilitating than HCV or the tx itself.  I have lost the last ten years and am battling SSA .  I would never have done tx had I known what would happen to me.

[ClearJake]

I finished my 24 week triple therapy with Incivek, Inteferon and Riba back in April.  I was undectible in May and my six month Tida is in November. I am (was) Geno 1 by the way.  The only side effects I am having is that I have some brown areas on both calves.  During tx I itched there alot and scratched there alot so it could be from that.  The patches have subsided but I can still see them,  A good tan covers them mostly.  I also have some spots on my right rib cage area and and in the liver area.  Looks like a dark pigmentation of the skin in about five or six very samll patches.  My physician said it was probaly from the bone marrow which the meds acted on.  He said don't worry and my PCP said the same thing.  Anyone have areas like this?  My hemoglobin went up to low normal very fast after tx and my red and white cells are moving towards normal but slowly last time I had blood work in mid June.  My energy is back, I am not depressed and I feel pretty good except for being 61, lol.  So, thats me.  Sorry for those of you that are experiencing bad after effects.  I am sure they will improve.  Good luck and God Bless.  

[Lolita1968]

yup, there is me, I went through the six month therapy with no problems and let me tell you my diagnosis is severe depression, fibromyalgia kicked in along with anxiety, PTSD, and now I take cymbalta (not true that it takes away fibromyalgia) but helps with depression. I take very heavy doses of painkillers (oxycontin) for anxiety (alprazolam) I barely made it to get my B.A. I hurt all the time and get fevers that leave me like I have been through a train wreck with the body aches. Ooooh, those aches I go through are like the ones that hit when one is getting a bad cold, and it just sends me to bed, I have fatigue, no willingness to do anything, just started physical therapy yesterday. Look at it this way, if we had to do it again, I would (the interferon), yes we added years to our life but there is a price to pay. I hope this helps you because your post sounds like me.

[Dee1956]

I appreciate this post, I thought that the only reason I had  side effects was because I relapsed.  I was led to believe that the tx exacerbates any illness's or disease that you were going to get anyway and that most of my symptoms were from the HCV which I did not have before tx. I just came from a post of over 400 which has SVR people saying they have side effects from the IFN and Riba damage done to them during tx.  Time to reevaluate
Thanks to all who shared.  I appreciate hearing that I am not the only one who feels worse after TX than before.  It has been two years and I am still working on getting better :)

[nygirl7]

Are you on an antidepressent they work wonders - 8 months after treatment the interferon should be long gone out of your system so I would look in other areas. An AD could be a lifesaver for you.