Lack of brain function

[Diane12855]

I finished my 48 weeks of tx on March 18, 2011. Thankfully all of my sx have gone away except one. This one has me kind of scared that it won't go away. I have lost the ability to take in very much information. I get totally confused. By not being able to take in much info, I mean that when I watch TV on my small screen TV, I can't see the details like what the people are wearing. It is all I can do to get the story line. If there are any words on the screen that need to be read, I'm in big trouble because I am never able to read all of the words before they change screens. I used to be very quick witted, which was great fun in conversations, but now it takes me so long to come up with a response to people that I prefer to stay away from people because it is so frustrating.

Has anybody else experienced this after tx, and how long did it take to go away if ever?

[rambleon40]

I finished interferon 12/08.  I was in a fog during treatment and for about two years afterwards.  I do not feel as though I have ever recovered my "sharpness".  Another under-reported side-effect ignored by FDA, physicians and certainly Big Pharma, IMHO.  

I found a discussion re: this issue, but please note the presenter (Dr. Blatlock, a neurologist)  is selling a "brain repair formula" so take it with a grain of salt.  He does, however, cite a number of recognized and legitimate medical journals at the end of the article.  

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2004/07/14/interferons.aspx

Please also note that I had become convinced that interferon / ribavirin damaged my brain before I ever found the above article.  

[curiouslady1]

I think the upshot of the article is that we can have problems with our mental status because of the HCV infection alone, without significant liver damage and without treatment.

[curiouslady1]

That sort of thing happens to me a lot and I am not on treatment yet and I probably do not have cirrhosis yet.  I am 64 though and I know that diabetes when it is uncontrolled can also have this effect.  

[Diane12855]

I appreciate that article.  I tried to read it but my brain isn't up to it tonight, but I'll give it another try tomorrow.
Thanks

Diane

[James10500]

I finished about 6 weeks before you did Diane.  Definetly have brain for ZERO memory I put my phone down about a week ago to put my dog on a leash AND FORGOT to pick it up !!  Walked away for a minute or so and was like wtf, it was weird.  vision pretty bad in the morning.  Like I've said in the past I'll give it a year.  Just glad to be virus free, I was stage 3.

[curiouslady1]

Fly that is so very helpful.  Thank you.  I forgot to ask my liver guy whether I could take steroid creams, antidepressants, pain meds on the trials.  I need to have access to these meds. for my own piece of mind if nothing else.  I had it in mind to take ADs prophylacticly because they take so long to kick in.  What good does it do if you are feeling depressed 4 weeks in to take an AD which doesn't kick in for another 4weeks to three months?  Of course, then you have to cope with the side effects from that drug too.