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Anemia Drs office says no exertion
I'm at my 3 rd week of Sovaldi and ribivarin and am experiencing anemia. I thought I could stay active but have been extremely fatigued after activity. My hemoglobin is 10.5. Drs office told me no exertion. To limit all activity, mainly to walking. I'm an avid tennis player and work out at a gym. I've just gotten into the best shape I've been in years and am totally discouraged. For those who are active and being treated for hep c, do you have any words of wisdom? What has been your experience? Is there some adjustments in diet, which will give me more energy?
Buyron. I also was on Riba and Sovaldi for 12 weeks and am now cured.
The most important thing you can do in regards to anemia is listen to your body. I know you may mentally want to hit the gym, but your body is telling you otherwise. 12 weeks is of short duration and before you know it's over.
At this stage of the game walking is of great importance but resting will also increase your immune system and help your body to fight off the virus. We tend to feel guilty and unproductive when we are not constantly busy, but while on Tx you must take it easy.
As Can-do stated diet will not bring up your Hmg but eating healthy will keep your blood sugar steady and help you to feel better. While on Tx my Hmg went to 10.3 and then saw an upswing to 10.5 around the 7-8th week. Your Drs will keep a close watch and hopefully you can get thru without rescue meds or a Riba reduction.
Keep in mind that once Tx is over your Hmg will once again steadily rise. It's funny but my last bloodwork only showed 1 number that was out of range. It was my Hmg and it was 1 point to high. Go figure!
Your doing great!
.....Kim
The most important thing you can do in regards to anemia is listen to your body. I know you may mentally want to hit the gym, but your body is telling you otherwise. 12 weeks is of short duration and before you know it's over.
At this stage of the game walking is of great importance but resting will also increase your immune system and help your body to fight off the virus. We tend to feel guilty and unproductive when we are not constantly busy, but while on Tx you must take it easy.
As Can-do stated diet will not bring up your Hmg but eating healthy will keep your blood sugar steady and help you to feel better. While on Tx my Hmg went to 10.3 and then saw an upswing to 10.5 around the 7-8th week. Your Drs will keep a close watch and hopefully you can get thru without rescue meds or a Riba reduction.
Keep in mind that once Tx is over your Hmg will once again steadily rise. It's funny but my last bloodwork only showed 1 number that was out of range. It was my Hmg and it was 1 point to high. Go figure!
Your doing great!
.....Kim
That's great! Wish I could say the same. I did play doubles tennis last week and concentrated on not over exerting myself and just playing smarter. I played better than usual! Going to try it again, this morning. I'm working on spring cleaning projects around my house. I am not a sedentary person and need to be doing something. I will work out but won't get aerobic. I do get short of breath.
I am glad you were able to stay so fit while on treatment! You are right there is a percentage of people that become anemic. I have blood tests this week and will see what my hemoglobin levels are doing, along with virus levels.
I am glad you were able to stay so fit while on treatment! You are right there is a percentage of people that become anemic. I have blood tests this week and will see what my hemoglobin levels are doing, along with virus levels.
Hi Just re read my post. I meant to say my ankles were numb, if I continued to stand the numbness would climb up my legs.
Also I meant to say at least this is not 48 or 72 weeks, sorry about that.
I was on my cell phone so could not see very well.
I think walking is great, as long as you have the energy I would go for it.
When I treated I would get so out of breath it would take me an hour to recover from any exertion.
My doctor wanted me to get to SVR so there were no reductions or helper drugs. He said, lay down if you feel bad. Don't do so much. Be selfish, take care of yourself, the house work can wait. Let other people wash your clothes.
It all sounds kind of funny /stupid now that I was more concerned with how my home looked vs my health.
It was a rough time but I thank God it was only 24 weeks, not sure I would have made it 48 again.
My best to you
Dee
Cando thank you for reminding everyone that one problem is separate from another. Always great advice :)
Also I meant to say at least this is not 48 or 72 weeks, sorry about that.
I was on my cell phone so could not see very well.
I think walking is great, as long as you have the energy I would go for it.
When I treated I would get so out of breath it would take me an hour to recover from any exertion.
My doctor wanted me to get to SVR so there were no reductions or helper drugs. He said, lay down if you feel bad. Don't do so much. Be selfish, take care of yourself, the house work can wait. Let other people wash your clothes.
It all sounds kind of funny /stupid now that I was more concerned with how my home looked vs my health.
It was a rough time but I thank God it was only 24 weeks, not sure I would have made it 48 again.
My best to you
Dee
Cando thank you for reminding everyone that one problem is separate from another. Always great advice :)
I am only commenting on what I was told by my gi, doesn't mean he is correct. iron rich diets have to be better than nothing at all. I believe that was my point. don
A simple med adjustment might be what you need. Keep hydrated, eat more small meals if you can, keep dr updated. You will be fine, try not to worry too much.
Peace and good treating
Deb
Good for you! Great news! I pray for hour recovery and being removed from the transplant list.
Treatment
There are two approaches for treating hemolytic anemia: ribavirin dose reduction and use of a growth factor hormone (erythropoietin) to promote red blood cell production. (It should be noted that HCV treatment-induced hemolytic anemia cannot be treated by eating iron rich foods or taking iron supplements.)
http://hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/SEM_anemia.pdf
You missed my point, sure they are ok but they will not help hemolytic anemia...All one needs to do is take some time and research. Its really not that hard.
There is a big difference between iron deficiency anemia and hemolytic anemia and eating iron rich foods will not help hemolytic anemia which is caused by premature destruction of red blood cells. As a matter of fact depending on your liver condition trying this could do more harm then good.
I am in my 4th week of the sol/rib. I have to do it for 24 weeks. I have experienced horrible headaches and nausea. I am a big girl and I have only been eating about 1/4 of what I usually do. It has been a tough 4 weeks. I am a full time student and I work 2 jobs. Slowing down isn't an option for me. I keep telling myself that I withdrew off of the drugs after contracting hep c cold turkey on a jail rack so dealing with a cure shouldn't be an issue. I haven't dealt with anemia yet although I do feel more tired than usual. I just know in the end this will all be worth it!
I did Sovaldi/Ribavirin for 6 months and I had to deal with anemia....big time. Almost had to have a transfusion. You need to eat green leafy vegetable, beans, legumes...foods that are high in iron but not too high as to affect your liver. I am a vegetarian .... am on a strict budget and buying all the foods that are necessarily good for one sometime don't fit into a budget....but it can be done. Start reading labels....you need protein and iron rich foods.
Hey...7 months after last meds and I am HCV free so it is worth it to take it easy. I called it my "sleeping beauty" time period because I slept a good 18 hours out of 24.....my total focus had to be just me....selfish as it was but considering over a half a million in drug costs went out on my behalf last year it was necessary.
I was stage 4 ELSD w/decompensated liver on transplant list with MELD of 14-16.....passed on a liver transplant last September because of family concerns....but transplant doctor said he thinks I had a little angel on my shoulder because if I continue to progress like I am right now (at age 67) they will probably be able to take me off that transplant list. Yeah!.
I too am a very active person so I understand what you were saying but hey....12 weeks....or 6 months....what they hey....if it works. Look for the positives. Good Luck.
Hey...7 months after last meds and I am HCV free so it is worth it to take it easy. I called it my "sleeping beauty" time period because I slept a good 18 hours out of 24.....my total focus had to be just me....selfish as it was but considering over a half a million in drug costs went out on my behalf last year it was necessary.
I was stage 4 ELSD w/decompensated liver on transplant list with MELD of 14-16.....passed on a liver transplant last September because of family concerns....but transplant doctor said he thinks I had a little angel on my shoulder because if I continue to progress like I am right now (at age 67) they will probably be able to take me off that transplant list. Yeah!.
I too am a very active person so I understand what you were saying but hey....12 weeks....or 6 months....what they hey....if it works. Look for the positives. Good Luck.
Yes with low hemoglobin laying down is all one can do. It's only 12 weeks. I've had very low Hemoglobin for the past 4 years. Now being 'cured' I'm able to build up my muscle mass and focus on getting stronger though it's taking time. Appetite is fair to good now and muscle mass is increasing. My current Hemoglobin is up to 13 from it's usual 8.5 when I had the virus. 13 is superb for me. It's been years since that's happened. Platelets are taking longer to increase due to still having liver disease. 12 weeks is worth it. I did S/O because the riba would have killed me and I didn't need it. Anyway you slice it Solvadi is da bomb. Orange juice or fresh fruit is good for hgb levels. An ICU Liver doc told me to eat more fruit though I was eating 3 a day when he said that. He meant citrus.
my levels remained the same between 6wks and 8 weeks. I snack lots of yogurt, oranges, orange juice etc.i'll do my last 28 days before checking hgb levels. iron rich dark green leafy greens will supplement some iron loss. don
Hang in there, 10.5 is not too bad, if it drops below 10, your doc may reduce the Riba, but you want it to do it's job, so you want to stay on the proper dose as long as you can tolerate it. There really isn't much you can do with diet to help your hemoglobin level, and do not take any iron supplements. Keep drinking plenty of water, eat plenty of food, healthy snacks all day, it will help your energy. It is only for 12 weeks, and you are 1/4 done already, you can go back to your activities after.
I, too, had anemia, on Sol/Riba. Mine was for 24 weeks. I was down to 8.6, then up to 8.8 by 9th week, leveled out at 9.5 and stayed that way til I was off tx. And, yes, rest is the only thing, unless they lower your Riba dose OR as Dee said, you rest like your Dr told you. Procrit also is a possibility, but I didn't want to do that, nor a transfusion, which usually they don't want to do til you are down to 8.0. Since my only symptom was the extreme fatigue, I just stayed in bed, or laid around the house for a few weeks, til it started leveling off.
It usually does that between 5 - 8 or 9 weeks. And hey, walking is good! You can still exercise as little or as much as you feel comfortable doing. Exercise does help, BUT not if you over do it. And as Klonny said, it is just for a few more weeks. You can do this! Then once off the meds, soon you will be back to your normal exercises and levels.
My Dr did not order any tests after the EOT one 2 days after I took my last meds til the EOT Wk 12 Labs, so I am not sure when, but my Hmg came back up to 13.5 by the 12 weeks. I started feeling better within a few days, quit using the walker by end of the 2nd week.
Something to look forward to!
Didn't mean to write a book, but, others can tell you, I am wordy. Sorry!
Good luck, good treating, don't let this get you down, and ... on to SVR!!!!
Pat
It usually does that between 5 - 8 or 9 weeks. And hey, walking is good! You can still exercise as little or as much as you feel comfortable doing. Exercise does help, BUT not if you over do it. And as Klonny said, it is just for a few more weeks. You can do this! Then once off the meds, soon you will be back to your normal exercises and levels.
My Dr did not order any tests after the EOT one 2 days after I took my last meds til the EOT Wk 12 Labs, so I am not sure when, but my Hmg came back up to 13.5 by the 12 weeks. I started feeling better within a few days, quit using the walker by end of the 2nd week.
Something to look forward to!
Didn't mean to write a book, but, others can tell you, I am wordy. Sorry!
Good luck, good treating, don't let this get you down, and ... on to SVR!!!!
Pat
Hey there! I really admire you for wanting to continue. My hemoglobin went from 14.8 to 9.7
I was dizzy, had number ankles, could not catch my breath. When I called the doctor they told me to lay down. I had no choice.
Luckily this is not a 24 or 48 week tx.
Take Care
Dee
I was dizzy, had number ankles, could not catch my breath. When I called the doctor they told me to lay down. I had no choice.
Luckily this is not a 24 or 48 week tx.
Take Care
Dee
Also I should say that your hemoglobin should rebound quickly after you finish treatment. Only 9 weeks to go! It'll be over before you know it and you'll be able to get back to your exercise routine. Hang in there it's SO worth it! Best, Dave
I did 12 weeks of Sovaldi/Ribavirin about a year ago. I was Genotype 2 and did achieve SVR. You should of course follow your doctor's advice at all times.
My hemoglobin went from 15.9 to 13.9 but I did not have anemia. As a matter of fact I stayed very active all through treatment with back country skiing and cycling. I even did a 100 mile bike ride while on treatment and felt fine. As I said anyone on treatment should ALWAYS heed the advice of their physician but I did want to share that anemia is not necessarily a given for everyone. I may be the exception to the rule but I wanted to put it out there for anyone who may be reading this and is worried about side effects.
My hemoglobin went from 15.9 to 13.9 but I did not have anemia. As a matter of fact I stayed very active all through treatment with back country skiing and cycling. I even did a 100 mile bike ride while on treatment and felt fine. As I said anyone on treatment should ALWAYS heed the advice of their physician but I did want to share that anemia is not necessarily a given for everyone. I may be the exception to the rule but I wanted to put it out there for anyone who may be reading this and is worried about side effects.
Yes, 12 weeks. Thank goodness! I had hoped I'd be one of the lucky ones who would not experience the anemia. But with ribivarin it's pretty much a given. I haven't really experienced any other side effects, which is good. I'll be happy to rid the monster from my body. So I guess I will have to put up with a little discomfort.
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