Guest guest Posted October 7, 2005 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 Good luck with shot #3. Remember to take your pain pils too ie: tylenol or whatever you got. do you have a friend who can come over? Watch a movie or comedy central and try not to think about what could happen. keep your mind occupied on anything but that shot. I'll put you on my friends list...ric I don't know a damned thing other than what I know and what I know isn't always right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 7, 2005 Report Share Posted October 7, 2005 Hi there Yes it will probably get better, seems the first one was the worst for me and I have heard the same from others.. Yes your doses sound normal and Im sure you will settle down and get used to it. Good luck, jax rnewb43 <rnewb43@...> wrote: i started treatment last week i took my first shot and my pills i take 180mg pegasys shot once a week and 200mg copegasys pill 6 a day is that normal i was just wondering and looking for someone to talk to if anyone can help ide be very greatfull. seems like know one else understands that has not taken the meds i thought i was going to die lol dam. is that normal i feel better now but its time for a nother shot tonight will it be as bad help lol if ya want you can pm me on messanger rnewb43 thanks god bless all It's a pleasure having you join in our conversations. We hope you have found the support you need with us. If you are using email for your posts, for easy access to our group, just click the link-- Hepatitis C/ Happy Posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 9, 2005 Report Share Posted October 9, 2005 I believe in individualized treatment but most importantly, I believe in side effect prevention.....sao I'd like to share with you my " not yet famous instructions " .... One of the most common side effects of hepatitis C treatment is FLU- LIKE symptoms which can include: Fever, chills, body aches, sweating, headaches, runny nose, watery eyes...I think you get the picture...it feels like you have the flu....but having these symptoms is not a bad reaction...it's a good reaction ...when the Interferon starts to work, it activates your immune system . This creates a reaction....fever!...and it doesn't feel so good so we want to prevent it...or at least make it better. Hepatologists say 6 regular tylenol per day are okay but because I'm not a doctor, just a nurse, I want you to check with your doctor. That's 2 tablets of Regular Tulenol half hour before the injection and the injection should be given at bedtime (at about the same time every week) so that you can hopefully sleep and not feel some of the discomfort. Let's say that in the morning you have a headache...you can take 2 more tylenol but NEVER exceed more than 6 per day..Remember check with your doctor to see if this is okay. Aspirin or Ibuprofen are not recommended because they can lower the platelets and the treatment meds can do the same. If you have to take them and it is okay with your doctor try to keep the use to a minimum. But the most important thingh is...WATER....3 liters a day and start drinking since the morning of the first injection...as much as you can. Avoid caffeine because it dehydrates and we want you hydrated. To me it's like working against the treatment and we must use whatever we can to beat this virus...even if sometimes it may appear like a very small detail...whatever I can use I'll use. Caffeine also cause a rapid increase in blood pressure and for those of you who have esophageal varices, this may be a problem. If you do deciode to drink caffeine, make up for it by drinking more water. You can also have juice (I recommend unsweetened), broth, jello, popsicles, lemonade, crystal light, and soda without caffeine. If you don't drink water...I can promise you'll be sick. I once had apatient who was so scared of treatment that he only injected half and went to bed. He didn't drink water because he didn't want to get up..guessd what happened?...yes, he got very sick....and quit. Months later he tried it again...this time he drank the water, lots of it....I got a phone call the next day. He had sat up all night waiting for the side effects that never came Interferon is a protein that your own body produces. It activates your immune system to fight viruses but your body doesn't produce enough to get rid of the Hepatitis C virus. You will be getting weekly injections of a long-acting Interferon called either Peg Intron or Pegasys. It is recommended that the injection be given at bedtime (whatever your bedtime is) AT THE SAME TIME EVERY WEEK or as close as you can. If you wait longer, specially with the Peg Intron, there may be gaps where the blood level may not be high enough to stop the virus from multiplying. I suggest you take the first shot when you have a couple of days off from work. The Ribavirin or Copegus capsules are to be taken TWICE A DAY and the doses should be 12 HOURS APART....you choose the times but try to always do it at the same times. So if you choose 8 am, the second dose should be 8 pm. Start taking the capsules the morning of day you will be taking your first injection. The capsules by themselves don't do anything. If your doctor orders 5 capsules daily...take 3 in am and 2 in pm....if he orders 6 per day...take 3 in am and 3 in pm. If you taken with food then always take them with food. Same thing if you take them on an empty stomach. THIS IS CRUCIAL!....DON'T MISS ANY DOSES UNLESS YOUR DOCTOR TELLS YOU TO. Studies have shown that to expect success, you must take at least 80% of the meds, 80% of the time. If you become very anemic, the dose of capsules may need to be decreased. If on top of that you miss some doses, your chances of success decrease greatly. Be careful not to run out of medication. Get refills early. FATIGUE--Can happen because of lack of protein..Studies have shown that people that have liver disease have a higher caloric need and as cirrhosis advances, they become malnourished. Also, nausea can cause long periods of not being able to eat. When this happens, your body uses your MUSCLE for energy, making your muscles weak and you feel tired. Protein is only restricted when someone is decompensated. The " Be in Charge " book says .8 grams per Kilogram of body weight (I give a little more than that to all my patients and never had trouble). To work out the amount for you...DIVIDE your weight by 2.2 then multiply by .8 the result will be the amount of grams of protein recommended for you based on body weight. The easiest way to get enough protein is by using powder protein WITHOUT IRON. Get the kind that has more grams per scoop that way you can have one shake and the rest you can get easily from your diet. Foods considered Protein-- All meats, however I DO NOT recommend red meat (tougher on the liver), or liver (it has large amt. of iron which can accumulate in the liver and FEED THE VIRUS), Beans, cheese, tofu, soy, eggs (or egg whites), peanut butter and all nuts. There is also protein in many vegetables. I also recommend NOT cooking your food in iron skillets. Some of that iron can be absorbed by the food. Cereals also have lots of iron. Please don't even think about eating raw seafood. If contaminated it can cause fulminant hepatitis. Besides that I don't restrict anything else. To prevent fatigue I also recommend taking a multi-vitamin daily WITHOUT IRON (very important). Vits for " mature " people don't contain iron. Again, check this with your doctor. A study done by Schering Pharmaceuticals showed that using an anti-oxidant vitamin daily, helped to prevent anemia ONLY in the first 12 weeks of treatment...I say, better than nothing. I recently learned about wheatgrass, I think you guys are already using it. AVOID taking herbal meds without your doctor's okay. The only other thing I recommend is Milk Thistle daily. It must have 70-80 % Sylimarin, the active ingredient to be beneficial. It has been proven to have protective properties, anti-inflammatory, and lowers liver enzymes. AVOID Gingko, Kava, Ginger, Garlic capsules (garlic in food is okay), Valerian Root, Comfrey, Germander, Chaparral, Gordolobo. They can all be toxic to the liver, even in small amounts. St 's Wart (an over- th-counter anti-depressant) can interfere with the Peg and make your treatment ineffective. EXERCISE WILL HELP NOT JUST PREVENT FATIGUE BUT ALSO DEPRESSION. Depression--The Peg alters certain chemicals in your brain causing depression. It can happen to anybody at any time and can be severe enough to cause suicidal or homicidal thoughts. Waiting for depression to go away or telling yourself to be strong won't work. The only thing that will help is anti-depressants. It is critical that you recognize the symptoms of depression early since anti-depressants take about 2 weeks to start to work. Symptoms can include: Sadness, crying, alienating yourself from others, not enjoying the things you usually enjoy, innability to sleep, severe anxiety at night, severe irritability (anger). If any of this things happen, notify your doctor immediately so he can prescribe an anti-depressant. Remember that most anti-depressants, like Paxil, Zoloft, and Celexa can cause impotence in men while taking them. Wellbutrin does not. LOSS OF APETITE, NAUSEA, VOMITING-- When we are dehydrated we crave water but during treatment, when we lack protein, instead of craving protein we get loss of apetite and nausea. To prevent this, eat the proper amount of protein for your body weight...push yourself. You can also use Ginger ale, 7-up, saltines, jello, and keep drinking the water. If the nausea is severe, ask your doctor for medication to make it stop. It is very important that you don't loose weight fast....this is called lipodystrophy which can cause fatty liver and decrease treatment success. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi? cmd=Retrieve & db=PubMed & list_uids=15674091 & dopt=Citation http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi? cmd=Retrieve & amp;db=PubMed & amp;list_uids=15674091 & amp;dopt=Citation New research has shown that a high protein diet increases the benefit from exercise. http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-08/epr_pdb082505.php DIARRHEA--Next time you see your doctor, ask him, " If I get diarrhea, what can I take? " They usually let you have over-the-counter meds like Immodium and of course, you would increase the amount of water you are drinking. HAIR LOSS--You may notice more hair on your brush and your hair thinning but you won't go bald. Things that can help: Nioxin shampoo/conditioner, soft brush, not shampooing daily, silk pillowcase to prevent pulling your hair when you turn, avoid jells, harsh chemicals and curling irons. Use hats, wigs or get a short haircut. Rash-- A rash caused by Interferon is usually mild, can come and go and it's not itchy. Try using lotions or Aveno soap. The rash caiused by Ribavirin capsules can be severe, anywhere on your body, it's itchy and can get worse when you take more capsules. If it happens, notify your doctor. Severe reactions are very rare. If you feel like your throat is closing, get help immediately! (I've nevr had this happen to any of my patients so don't you break my record). Sun sensitivity-- Did I hear someone say tanning bed? Absolutely no! Interferon can cause you to burn easily and get skin cancer. It also causes increased sweating. Avoid very hot showers and jaccuzis. It remainds me of hard boiled eggs hee, hee....and I've seen people pass out after. Your eyes can also be affacted by the sun and since Interferon can cause them to get very dry, this would only make it worse. For dry eyes I recommend natural tears to lubricate, NOT Visine which dehydrates. If you are going to be out in the sun for prolonged periods of time, use sunblock, hats and long sleeves. Retinal Bleeding--Happens rarely. For diabetics, it's recommended they get an eye exam, done by an opthalmologist, before starting treatment. Your doctor should check your eyes at EVERY VISIT. This is done by shining a light and looking inside the eye. Notify your physician immediately if you experience vision changes like: Blurry vision, black spots, blind spots, tunnel vision or eye pain) And last, but not least, the RIBAVIRIN or COPEGUS capsules can cause multiple blood abnormalities. Anemia (iron won't help since this is caused by the capsules and not by iron defficiency). Low white cells which defend you against infections, low platelets (responsible for clotting), increased bilirubin (causes yellow in eyes and skin), increased uric acid (too high causes gout), high blood sugar even if you are not a diabetic, and low or high thyroid. It is extremely important that you have your blood tests done on time so blood abnormalities can be taken care of quickly and your treatment not be interrupted. Ask your doctor for copies of your results so you can keep track. After all, this is YOUR treatment. If abnormalities happen, we'll deal with them if and when they do. I have tried to cover everything I could think of...but you are the one that knows your body best. If you think something is wrong...tell your doctor. My advice does NOT replace that of your physician and should be taken with a grain of salt. Only your physician knows the exact condition of your liver. Before doing anything I suggest, check with him to make sure it's okay.. If you have any questions about any of the info please let me know. Of course if you are a diabetic I have somer graet info....LOL.....okay I better stop....I've scared you enough. Silvia > > i started treatment last week i took my first shot and my pills > i take 180mg pegasys shot once a week and 200mg copegasys pill > 6 a day is that normal i was just wondering and looking for someone to > talk to if anyone can help ide be very greatfull. seems like know one > else understands that has not taken the meds i thought i was going to > die lol dam. is that normal i feel better now but its time for a nother > shot tonight will it be as bad help lol if ya want you can pm me on > messanger rnewb43 thanks god bless all > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 9, 2005 Report Share Posted October 9, 2005 Silvia this is really great info,,, thank you for posting it... I however have one thing to say,, the Scherring nurse said we can take a max of 2000mg of Tylenol PLUS 1600 mg of Advil per 24 hours while on tx... For some ppl tylenol does nothing,, Im one of those,, so I took both with my docs approval and it worked really great for control of the body pain and headaches... BUT like Silvia says, ALWAYS talk with your doc before you take anything... --- silvianursey <Bhprice425@...> wrote: > > I believe in individualized treatment but most > importantly, I believe > in side effect prevention.....sao I'd like to share > with you my " not > yet famous instructions " .... > > > One of the most common side effects of hepatitis C > treatment is FLU- > LIKE symptoms which can include: Fever, chills, body > aches, sweating, > headaches, runny nose, watery eyes...I think you get > the picture...it > feels like you have the flu....but having these > symptoms is not a bad > reaction...it's a good reaction ...when the > Interferon starts to work, > it activates your immune system . This creates a > reaction....fever!...and it doesn't feel so good so > we want to prevent > it...or at least make it better. Hepatologists say 6 > regular tylenol > per day are okay but because I'm not a doctor, just > a nurse, I want you > to check with your doctor. That's 2 tablets of > Regular Tulenol half > hour before the injection and the injection should > be given at bedtime > (at about the same time every week) so that you can > hopefully sleep and > not feel some of the discomfort. Let's say that in > the morning you have > a headache...you can take 2 more tylenol but NEVER > exceed more than 6 > per day..Remember check with your doctor to see if > this is okay. > Aspirin or Ibuprofen are not recommended because > they can lower the > platelets and the treatment meds can do the same. If > you have to take > them and it is okay with your doctor try to keep the > use to a minimum. > > But the most important thingh is...WATER....3 > liters a day and start > drinking since the morning of the first > injection...as much as you can. > Avoid caffeine because it dehydrates and we want you > hydrated. To me > it's like working against the treatment and we must > use whatever we can > to beat this virus...even if sometimes it may appear > like a very small > detail...whatever I can use I'll use. Caffeine also > cause a rapid > increase in blood pressure and for those of you who > have esophageal > varices, this may be a problem. If you do deciode to > drink caffeine, > make up for it by drinking more water. You can also > have juice (I > recommend unsweetened), broth, jello, popsicles, > lemonade, crystal > light, and soda without caffeine. If you don't drink > water...I can > promise you'll be sick. > > I once had apatient who was so scared of treatment > that he only > injected half and went to bed. He didn't drink water > because he didn't > want to get up..guessd what happened?...yes, he got > very sick....and > quit. Months later he tried it again...this time he > drank the water, > lots of it....I got a phone call the next day. He > had sat up all night > waiting for the side effects that never came > > Interferon is a protein that your own body produces. > It activates your > immune system to fight viruses but your body doesn't > produce enough to > get rid of the Hepatitis C virus. You will be > getting weekly injections > of a long-acting Interferon called either Peg Intron > or Pegasys. > > It is recommended that the injection be given at > bedtime (whatever your > bedtime is) AT THE SAME TIME EVERY WEEK or as close > as you can. If you > wait longer, specially with the Peg Intron, there > may be gaps where the > blood level may not be high enough to stop the virus > from multiplying. > I suggest you take the first shot when you have a > couple of days off > from work. The Ribavirin or Copegus capsules are to > be taken TWICE A > DAY and the doses should be 12 HOURS APART....you > choose the times but > try to always do it at the same times. So if you > choose 8 am, the > second dose should be 8 pm. Start taking the > capsules the morning of > day you will be taking your first injection. The > capsules by themselves > don't do anything. If your doctor orders 5 capsules > daily...take 3 in > am and 2 in pm....if he orders 6 per day...take 3 in > am and 3 in pm. > If you taken with food then always take them with > food. Same thing if > you take them on an empty stomach. > > THIS IS CRUCIAL!....DON'T MISS ANY DOSES UNLESS YOUR > DOCTOR TELLS YOU > TO. Studies have shown that to expect success, you > must take at least > 80% of the meds, 80% of the time. If you become very > anemic, the dose > of capsules may need to be decreased. If on top of > that you miss some > doses, your chances of success decrease greatly. Be > careful not to run > out of medication. Get refills early. > > FATIGUE--Can happen because of lack of > protein..Studies have shown that > people that have liver disease have a higher caloric > need and as > cirrhosis advances, they become malnourished. Also, > nausea can cause > long periods of not being able to eat. When this > happens, your body > uses your MUSCLE for energy, making your muscles > weak and you feel > tired. > > Protein is only restricted when someone is > decompensated. The " Be in > Charge " book says .8 grams per Kilogram of body > weight (I give a little > more than that to all my patients and never had > trouble). To work out > the amount for you...DIVIDE your weight by 2.2 then > multiply by .8 the > result will be the amount of grams of protein > recommended for you based > on body weight. The easiest way to get enough > protein is by using > powder protein WITHOUT IRON. Get the kind that has > more grams per > scoop that way you can have one shake and the rest > you can get easily > from your diet. > > Foods considered Protein-- All meats, however I DO > NOT recommend red > meat (tougher on the liver), or liver (it has large > amt. of iron which > can accumulate in the liver and FEED THE VIRUS), > Beans, cheese, tofu, > soy, eggs (or egg whites), peanut butter and all > nuts. There is also > protein in many vegetables. I also recommend NOT > cooking your food in > iron skillets. Some of that iron can be absorbed by > the food. Cereals > also have lots of iron. Please don't even think > about eating raw > seafood. If contaminated it can cause fulminant > hepatitis. Besides that > I don't restrict anything else. > > To prevent fatigue I also recommend taking a > multi-vitamin daily > WITHOUT IRON (very important). Vits for " mature " > people don't contain > iron. Again, check this with your doctor. A study > done by Schering > Pharmaceuticals showed that using an anti-oxidant > vitamin daily, helped > to prevent anemia ONLY in the first 12 weeks of > treatment...I say, > better than nothing. I recently learned about > wheatgrass, I think you > guys are already using it. AVOID taking herbal meds > without your > doctor's okay. The only other thing I recommend is > Milk Thistle daily. > It must have 70-80 % Sylimarin, the active > ingredient to be beneficial. > It has been proven to have protective properties, > anti-inflammatory, > and lowers liver enzymes. > > AVOID Gingko, Kava, Ginger, Garlic capsules (garlic > in food is okay), > === message truncated === Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 9, 2005 Report Share Posted October 9, 2005 Silvia this is really great info,,, thank you for posting it... I however have one thing to say,, Yea and me too.... you said take it with a grain of salt and they told me to avoid salt....so which is it eh?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 And I can't take either tylenol or ibuprofren. Or aspirin, for that matter. News! There is a chance that I may be able to start my chemo soon. A charity in the area is working to help me get my pre-treatment testing done. I see my gastro tomorrow to find out if there's any real hope. Sal Re: Re: someone to talk to Silvia this is really great info,,, thank you for posting it... I however have one thing to say,, Yea and me too.... you said take it with a grain of salt and they told me to avoid salt....so which is it eh?? It's a pleasure having you join in our conversations. We hope you have found the support you need with us. If you are using email for your posts, for easy access to our group, just click the link-- Hepatitis C/ Happy Posting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 I have heard that before Jackie....people taking both the Tylenol and Ibuprofen.....and it would depend on the patient....I'm watching someone now who's platelets are down to 35 so for him Ibuprofen which can cause them to go lower would be a big no-no. I'd go with whatever your doctor says and watch the platelets to make sure they don't drop too low. Both my speaker programs say 6 Tylenol in 24 hrs and use Ibuprofen spoaringly. They're going with the safest thing that won't getthem in trouble I'm sure. Silvia > > > > > I believe in individualized treatment but most > > importantly, I believe > > in side effect prevention.....sao I'd like to share > > with you my " not > > yet famous instructions " .... > > > > > > One of the most common side effects of hepatitis C > > treatment is FLU- > > LIKE symptoms which can include: Fever, chills, body > > aches, sweating, > > headaches, runny nose, watery eyes...I think you get > > the picture...it > > feels like you have the flu....but having these > > symptoms is not a bad > > reaction...it's a good reaction ...when the > > Interferon starts to work, > > it activates your immune system . This creates a > > reaction....fever!...and it doesn't feel so good so > > we want to prevent > > it...or at least make it better. Hepatologists say 6 > > regular tylenol > > per day are okay but because I'm not a doctor, just > > a nurse, I want you > > to check with your doctor. That's 2 tablets of > > Regular Tulenol half > > hour before the injection and the injection should > > be given at bedtime > > (at about the same time every week) so that you can > > hopefully sleep and > > not feel some of the discomfort. Let's say that in > > the morning you have > > a headache...you can take 2 more tylenol but NEVER > > exceed more than 6 > > per day..Remember check with your doctor to see if > > this is okay. > > Aspirin or Ibuprofen are not recommended because > > they can lower the > > platelets and the treatment meds can do the same. If > > you have to take > > them and it is okay with your doctor try to keep the > > use to a minimum. > > > > But the most important thingh is...WATER....3 > > liters a day and start > > drinking since the morning of the first > > injection...as much as you can. > > Avoid caffeine because it dehydrates and we want you > > hydrated. To me > > it's like working against the treatment and we must > > use whatever we can > > to beat this virus...even if sometimes it may appear > > like a very small > > detail...whatever I can use I'll use. Caffeine also > > cause a rapid > > increase in blood pressure and for those of you who > > have esophageal > > varices, this may be a problem. If you do deciode to > > drink caffeine, > > make up for it by drinking more water. You can also > > have juice (I > > recommend unsweetened), broth, jello, popsicles, > > lemonade, crystal > > light, and soda without caffeine. If you don't drink > > water...I can > > promise you'll be sick. > > > > I once had apatient who was so scared of treatment > > that he only > > injected half and went to bed. He didn't drink water > > because he didn't > > want to get up..guessd what happened?...yes, he got > > very sick....and > > quit. Months later he tried it again...this time he > > drank the water, > > lots of it....I got a phone call the next day. He > > had sat up all night > > waiting for the side effects that never came > > > > Interferon is a protein that your own body produces. > > It activates your > > immune system to fight viruses but your body doesn't > > produce enough to > > get rid of the Hepatitis C virus. You will be > > getting weekly injections > > of a long-acting Interferon called either Peg Intron > > or Pegasys. > > > > It is recommended that the injection be given at > > bedtime (whatever your > > bedtime is) AT THE SAME TIME EVERY WEEK or as close > > as you can. If you > > wait longer, specially with the Peg Intron, there > > may be gaps where the > > blood level may not be high enough to stop the virus > > from multiplying. > > I suggest you take the first shot when you have a > > couple of days off > > from work. The Ribavirin or Copegus capsules are to > > be taken TWICE A > > DAY and the doses should be 12 HOURS APART....you > > choose the times but > > try to always do it at the same times. So if you > > choose 8 am, the > > second dose should be 8 pm. Start taking the > > capsules the morning of > > day you will be taking your first injection. The > > capsules by themselves > > don't do anything. If your doctor orders 5 capsules > > daily...take 3 in > > am and 2 in pm....if he orders 6 per day...take 3 in > > am and 3 in pm. > > If you taken with food then always take them with > > food. Same thing if > > you take them on an empty stomach. > > > > THIS IS CRUCIAL!....DON'T MISS ANY DOSES UNLESS YOUR > > DOCTOR TELLS YOU > > TO. Studies have shown that to expect success, you > > must take at least > > 80% of the meds, 80% of the time. If you become very > > anemic, the dose > > of capsules may need to be decreased. If on top of > > that you miss some > > doses, your chances of success decrease greatly. Be > > careful not to run > > out of medication. Get refills early. > > > > FATIGUE--Can happen because of lack of > > protein..Studies have shown that > > people that have liver disease have a higher caloric > > need and as > > cirrhosis advances, they become malnourished. Also, > > nausea can cause > > long periods of not being able to eat. When this > > happens, your body > > uses your MUSCLE for energy, making your muscles > > weak and you feel > > tired. > > > > Protein is only restricted when someone is > > decompensated. The " Be in > > Charge " book says .8 grams per Kilogram of body > > weight (I give a little > > more than that to all my patients and never had > > trouble). To work out > > the amount for you...DIVIDE your weight by 2.2 then > > multiply by .8 the > > result will be the amount of grams of protein > > recommended for you based > > on body weight. The easiest way to get enough > > protein is by using > > powder protein WITHOUT IRON. Get the kind that has > > more grams per > > scoop that way you can have one shake and the rest > > you can get easily > > from your diet. > > > > Foods considered Protein-- All meats, however I DO > > NOT recommend red > > meat (tougher on the liver), or liver (it has large > > amt. of iron which > > can accumulate in the liver and FEED THE VIRUS), > > Beans, cheese, tofu, > > soy, eggs (or egg whites), peanut butter and all > > nuts. There is also > > protein in many vegetables. I also recommend NOT > > cooking your food in > > iron skillets. Some of that iron can be absorbed by > > the food. Cereals > > also have lots of iron. Please don't even think > > about eating raw > > seafood. If contaminated it can cause fulminant > > hepatitis. Besides that > > I don't restrict anything else. > > > > To prevent fatigue I also recommend taking a > > multi-vitamin daily > > WITHOUT IRON (very important). Vits for " mature " > > people don't contain > > iron. Again, check this with your doctor. A study > > done by Schering > > Pharmaceuticals showed that using an anti-oxidant > > vitamin daily, helped > > to prevent anemia ONLY in the first 12 weeks of > > treatment...I say, > > better than nothing. I recently learned about > > wheatgrass, I think you > > guys are already using it. AVOID taking herbal meds > > without your > > doctor's okay. The only other thing I recommend is > > Milk Thistle daily. > > It must have 70-80 % Sylimarin, the active > > ingredient to be beneficial. > > It has been proven to have protective properties, > > anti-inflammatory, > > and lowers liver enzymes. > > > > AVOID Gingko, Kava, Ginger, Garlic capsules (garlic > > in food is okay), > > > === message truncated === > > > Jackie > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 This is some great information - thanks for posting this Silvia. Where were you when I was on peg/riba in 2002? The lists I was on back then, all the people were on disability and had nothing but negative info, scared the crap out of me. I am so glad the lists have changed since then. Judi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Yep, that sounds good silvia, I never had any problem with my platelets, they were always up there almost 150K thoughout tx. I was lucky and so if a person has lower platelets, they have to be careful, I know.. benefit vs risk,, always,, and listen to the doc,, lol --- silvianursey <Bhprice425@...> wrote: > > I have heard that before Jackie....people taking > both the Tylenol and > Ibuprofen.....and it would depend on the > patient....I'm watching > someone now who's platelets are down to 35 so for > him Ibuprofen which > can cause them to go lower would be a big no-no. I'd > go with whatever > your doctor says and watch the platelets to make > sure they don't drop > too low. > Both my speaker programs say 6 Tylenol in 24 hrs and > use Ibuprofen > spoaringly. They're going with the safest thing that > won't getthem in > trouble I'm sure. > Silvia > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I believe in individualized treatment but most > > > importantly, I believe > > > in side effect prevention.....sao I'd like to > share > > > with you my " not > > > yet famous instructions " .... > > > > > > > > > One of the most common side effects of hepatitis > C > > > treatment is FLU- > > > LIKE symptoms which can include: Fever, chills, > body > > > aches, sweating, > > > headaches, runny nose, watery eyes...I think you > get > > > the picture...it > > > feels like you have the flu....but having these > > > symptoms is not a bad > > > reaction...it's a good reaction ...when the > > > Interferon starts to work, > > > it activates your immune system . This creates a > > > > reaction....fever!...and it doesn't feel so good > so > > > we want to prevent > > > it...or at least make it better. Hepatologists > say 6 > > > regular tylenol > > > per day are okay but because I'm not a doctor, > just > > > a nurse, I want you > > > to check with your doctor. That's 2 tablets of > > > Regular Tulenol half > > > hour before the injection and the injection > should > > > be given at bedtime > > > (at about the same time every week) so that you > can > > > hopefully sleep and > > > not feel some of the discomfort. Let's say that > in > > > the morning you have > > > a headache...you can take 2 more tylenol but > NEVER > > > exceed more than 6 > > > per day..Remember check with your doctor to see > if > > > this is okay. > > > Aspirin or Ibuprofen are not recommended because > > > they can lower the > > > platelets and the treatment meds can do the > same. If > > > you have to take > > > them and it is okay with your doctor try to keep > the > > > use to a minimum. > > > > > > But the most important thingh is...WATER....3 > > > liters a day and start > > > drinking since the morning of the first > > > injection...as much as you can. > > > Avoid caffeine because it dehydrates and we want > you > > > hydrated. To me > > > it's like working against the treatment and we > must > > > use whatever we can > > > to beat this virus...even if sometimes it may > appear > > > like a very small > > > detail...whatever I can use I'll use. Caffeine > also > > > cause a rapid > > > increase in blood pressure and for those of you > who > > > have esophageal > > > varices, this may be a problem. If you do > deciode to > > > drink caffeine, > > > make up for it by drinking more water. You can > also > > > have juice (I > > > recommend unsweetened), broth, jello, popsicles, > > > lemonade, crystal > > > light, and soda without caffeine. If you don't > drink > > > water...I can > > > promise you'll be sick. > > > > > > I once had apatient who was so scared of > treatment > > > that he only > > > injected half and went to bed. He didn't drink > water > > > because he didn't > > > want to get up..guessd what happened?...yes, he > got > > > very sick....and > > > quit. Months later he tried it again...this time > he > > > drank the water, > > > lots of it....I got a phone call the next day. > He > > > had sat up all night > > > waiting for the side effects that never came > > > > > > Interferon is a protein that your own body > produces. > > > It activates your > > > immune system to fight viruses but your body > doesn't > > > produce enough to > > > get rid of the Hepatitis C virus. You will be > > > getting weekly injections > > > of a long-acting Interferon called either Peg > Intron > > > or Pegasys. > > > > > > It is recommended that the injection be given at > > > bedtime (whatever your > > > bedtime is) AT THE SAME TIME EVERY WEEK or as > close > > > as you can. If you > > > wait longer, specially with the Peg Intron, > there > > > may be gaps where the > > > blood level may not be high enough to stop the > virus > > > from multiplying. > > > I suggest you take the first shot when you have > a > > > couple of days off > > > from work. The Ribavirin or Copegus capsules are > to > > > be taken TWICE A > > > DAY and the doses should be 12 HOURS > APART....you > > > choose the times but > > > try to always do it at the same times. So if you > > > choose 8 am, the > > > second dose should be 8 pm. Start taking the > > > capsules the morning of > > > day you will be taking your first injection. The > > > capsules by themselves > > > don't do anything. If your doctor orders 5 > capsules > > > daily...take 3 in > > > am and 2 in pm....if he orders 6 per day...take > 3 in > > > am and 3 in pm. > > > If you taken with food then always take them > with > === message truncated === Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhh... I'll be praying for you! jax --- Sally Hines <shines@...> wrote: > And I can't take either tylenol or ibuprofren. Or > aspirin, for that matter. > > News! > > There is a chance that I may be able to start my > chemo soon. A charity in > the area is working to help me get my pre-treatment > testing done. I see my > gastro tomorrow to find out if there's any real > hope. > > Sal > > Re: Re: someone to > talk to > > > > Silvia this is really great info,,, thank you for > posting it... I however have one thing to say,, > Yea and me too.... you said take it with a grain of > salt and they told me to > avoid salt....so which is it eh?? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > It's a pleasure having you join in our > conversations. We hope you have found > the support you need with us. > > If you are using email for your posts, for easy > access to our group, just > click the link-- > Hepatitis C/ > > Happy Posting > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 10, 2005 Report Share Posted October 10, 2005 Great post, Sylvia, thanks! I'm really tempted to send it to my hep doc...she'd learn a lot! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 Back then we also didn't know as much. People were lucky to be told to drink water. Silvia > > This is some great information - thanks for posting this Silvia. Where > were you when I was on peg/riba in 2002? The lists I was on back > then, all the people were on disability and had nothing but negative > info, scared the crap out of me. I am so glad the lists have changed > since then. > > Judi > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 11, 2005 Report Share Posted October 11, 2005 She'd probably say she already knew that. You know....one of the areas that I always stress to men is the section on depression. It is alot more difficult to convince men that they are depressed than it is a woman......because when men get depressed, they don't usual;ly get weepy and sad....they get irritable and get insomnia.....ao when they have those symptoms, many times they don't realize they are caused by depression.....or they think that they can handle it...because they're men. Many times I see them really suffer and they still refuse to believe it.....so I go over this again and again.....then if it happens and one day I say to you listen , I have known you for a few months now and this is what I see...and I think you'd benefit from an anti- depressant or increasing the one you're taking.....then MAYBE I stand a better chance that you will believe me....maybe... Silvia > > Great post, Sylvia, thanks! I'm really tempted to send it to my hep > doc...she'd learn a lot! > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.