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218926 tn?1398016246

Done with TX ... how soon will I feel better?

Last Friday night, took my last Pegasys injection (#48), tonight I took my last dose of Riba (600mg twice a day).

I am relieved to have gotten through a (near) year of TX.

My question: When you completed TX, how long was it before you started to feel better (e.g., no SX)? My hepatologist suggested it would take from 1 to 3 months.

18 Responses
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218926 tn?1398016246
OMG ... *4* times through TX? I feel - quite serious - humbled. This was hard enough for me once, and I'm told I had a comparatively easy time of it. I can't imagine spending what? six or seven years? on repeated TXs.  Were these all SOC? Now I can't complain as much as I used do. :)

I hope you get into a trial that can help!

Thank you!

... A.
Helpful - 0
529486 tn?1215924224
Allen, congratulations on your success, it was tough I know believe me. I went through treatment 4 times and still positive. Once off the treatment for me, I really noticed feeling better after about 3 weeks, then got better every week after that. I took about 2 months where I could say I really felt like the meds were not effecting me anymore and felt pretty much back to normal. Hopefully you will be quicker. Helpful hint, if you don't have a juicer, get one and start juicing Spinach Leaves, Beets, Celery, Carrot, and an apple each day, you will be surprised on how well it helps.
Good Luck,
Survivin52
Helpful - 0
223152 tn?1346978371
I go to Dallas to the hepatologist next Thursday so we shall see.  I am kind of teed off because I had the biopsy done in December and I want her to read the slides - not just read the report. The surgeon took some pretty hefty slabs out -- he always does wedges (it was a laproscopic biopsy) and she wanted cores (which is the usual for a needle biopsy) so he did both.  With that much taken out, I think she "owes" me a read.  But I have left several messages for her PA and she has not returned any calls.  So who know, I may fly to Dallas and fire her Thursday.  However, she may be an "in" to getting Telaprevir if it is released early for relapser/responders since they are a trial facility, and I want to be in ou the first batch out of the oven after the trials.

I will certainly post my visit.
Kathy
Helpful - 0
338734 tn?1377160168
I do not have an answer for you. I just wanted to say congratulations for completing treatment!  I assume that you were genotype 1 and that you were UND by 12 weeks, since you treated for 48.

And your blog is great. Thanks for taking the time to do that and provide education on this subject.

I hope you get feeling fine soon and I hope to see more of you here.
Helpful - 0
29837 tn?1414534648
Through four treatments, my recoveries were 6-9 mos...

Hang in there, you will get better...

Magnum
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Thank you Kathy (and you know you played an important role in my decision and convincing my doc to extend treatment). Hopefully with the new drugs in the pipeline, slow responders/relapsers won't have to make high dose riba/interferon or tx extension  decisions..
Keep us up to date on your situation, I'll be cheking up on you !
:^)pro
Helpful - 0
223152 tn?1346978371
Kind of out of the loop here..... it's been 3 months?  Your stats are awesome.  I remember well when you were making that tought very tough decision to extend.  Congratulations on a job well done.
kathy
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
thanks for the well wishes..
Allan, a long the feel better after tx is done line, it's amazing how the body comes back from such an asault from these drugs. I just got the copies of my cbc/lft's
AST-30: ALT-29 (smae as 1 month post)
WBC cranking up to 9.8
RBC 4.98
HGB-on a tear @ 16.4
Hematocrit @ 46.8%
Platlets- up to 276
As I do know it isn't a good thing(screw it), I've been working outside and have gotten a decent tan, stark contrast from my grey flakey look I was sporting for Spring (lol!)
Had what was left of my tx saturated, bone dry, extermely thin hair whacked down to 1/4" Sat..whohooo (vbg)..
hoping my aches and pains will slacken up, but my strength is finally returning....
So go forth with a smile on your face!!!!.............;*) pro
Helpful - 0
264121 tn?1313029456
I am about three months out and I still am tired and feel pukey most of the time, but my severe pain took about two months to start to ease up and has only really been good for the past two weeks or so.  I was on 30mg of mscontin twice a day during tx and I was able to go off of that this past week.  Even two months out I still had severe pain in my legs but it is much better now.  I have tx related RA, but its now only really bad in my wrists and fingers.  

Anyway, that's my experience with it so far.  
Helpful - 0
233616 tn?1312787196
made it through the rain eh??  cool.
INF leaves the system quickly, but then the body has to readjust and start making its own again...which is why one doctor in here suggests tapering of (HR) in order to give the spleen time to come back on line gradually, and to lower the rate of relaspe.

the Riba takes 6 months to get out of your system...so gradual improvement there is slower.
the time it takes your blood to rebound can be quick or slow. If your marrow hasn't been suppressed your blood should snap back fairly soon. Sometime HGB can go up 4 or 5 pts in days without drugs killing them off.  

So overall you should feel better just stopping the INF and the rest will catch up....each person bounces back a little different, which is why you can't pin your doctor down here.
my suggestion would be to be sure and get CBCs at least one a month...to see how your platelets and all the rest are coming back on line.
this also will alert docs if anything has gone wrong with the lymphatic system, which sometimes happens as a result of a year of tx. At least if they continue to monitor you, they can help head off or treat any post tx issues.
mb
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Congratulations and wishing you SVR forever!!!!  
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
     Good question. I just finished tx on May 11. And I have asked that same question. So for me so far. The mental part is getting better, breathing improving, energy level a little, appetite improved alot.(lost 30lbs). The physical is not as fast. I still have alot of pain in my legs and joints w/ swelling. Lets compare notes since you just completed also.
Red
Helpful - 0
238010 tn?1420406272
Great news about 3 mos undetected!!!  Another 3 months and that albatross will really be gone.

smaug
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
First congrats on completing your tx!! My guess, you should feel an immediate mental kick just from the fact you are finished. In 2 weeks time, you'll begin to notice you aren't quite so out of breath and fatigued.Your motivation level will have begun to creep up a bit also. (as well as your wieght--be careful). 1 month post you'll notice some of your strength returning...from there, recovery just kind of sneaks up on you slowly (g)...Best of luck....
pro
PS: just got my 3 month post pcr results in yesterday-----yepper, undectable....;^)
Helpful - 0
388154 tn?1306361691
Time will tell.

I think it differs .

Time will tell !

But if your overall a healthy person, not predisposed to genetic diseasis.

I think your docs suggestion is a good guess.

ca

ps after my first tx 24w peginterferon ribaverin mentaly two weeks physically three months
Helpful - 0
476246 tn?1418870914
Congrats!!! I'm not on tx yet, but have heard that it really is individual. The norm is probably that what your doctor says, but for some it takes even longer. It should gradually get better, day by day, so be patient with yourself. All the best on your way to SVR.

Marcia
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer to your question. But I do want to say Congratulations!!!!! and to wish you well -
jeneice
Helpful - 0
526961 tn?1213063601
You are so lucky! Congratulations! Please post your post-test results when you get them. Make sure you do something nice for yourself now ;)
Helpful - 0
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