Am just about to have my seventh injection and am writing this while waiting for the Interferon to warm up to room temperature. Have had another busy couple of days. Same side effects - the dry asthmatic type cough that comes on when I move to a different room or when there is a change of type of air. The cough is less intrusive and less frequent than it was three or so weeks ago.
The tiredness is there, but mainly when I exert my upper body (for example carrying a heavy briefcase around London is energy sapping, but I can walk for long distances without feeling at all tired - strange!
Have made major efforts to lessen the irritations "the rage". Am recognising the early signs and use yoga breathing and/or avoidance. Am learning to wait half an hour before firing off an email - but had my knuckles rapped yesterday when I sent an email over my boss's head to his boss without pre-thought!
Although the family and I all want to lessen my irritation, otherwise known as "the rage". We are all agreed not to rush into anti-depressants. I do appreciate that the Interferon reduces the serotonin in the brain and anti-depressants replace that. But we are looking first at typical mineral and vitamin deficiencies that often accompany depression and I am looking to have some mineral supplements (especially zinc, but also manganese, potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium). Will start this weekend and report back to the blog.
I'll then look at the B-complex vitamins and also ensure I am getting enough Vitamin C (at the start of the treatment I had more home-made smoothies than I do currently - will certainly up the intake there!).
I did hear at the monthly group meeting that the side effects can be cumulative through the treatment - I hope not. But I do keep telling myself that many have it a lot worse than me _ and I see them - and also I am inspired by the people I meet for whom treatment has failed.
I meet people who having endured 48 week treatment only to have it end in failure, who have picked themselves up to go through the treatment process all over again. One or two I have met have been successful second time round. Others have not been successful even after two rounds of treatment, and work hard at living with Hepatitis C most effectively through diet and lifestyle (the Hepatitis C Trust has lots of advice and special physical workshops on this).
There is so much admirable fortitude and strength of mind that I come across.
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3 comments:
hi John
Your list of supplements is starting to worry me. I went to this website
http://www.numarkpharmacists.com/hn/Concern/Hepatitis.htm
and this is an extract of what I have found :
"People with hepatitis C who failed to respond to interferon therapy have been found to have a higher amount of iron within the liver.1 People with hepatitis C should, therefore, avoid iron supplements. People with any type of hepatitis should ask their physician whether any medication they are taking poses a risk to the liver."
It says on other sites too. So, please do check with your GP, and make your own research. Remember that the 2 beasties you are taking regularly have an effect upon everyting, and that sometimes GP are not aware of very much. I was told the only safe other complementary medicine was homeopathy as the doses were so minute.
Good luck in your research.
Hi Jon,
Agree with Niglo on this! Please be very careful. Iron is a no no to start with. The type of anaemia you get with the meds is not the sort that you can take iron tablets for, they make it worse.
Potassium, calcium and magnesium are all antacids and will reduce the effect of the riba.
Even something like Vit C, you need to be careful with and only ever take it well away from the treatment meds.
Thank you Niglo and Carol,
I will stop taking any supplements - I've always been concerned about mixing pills - but I had assumed vitamin and mineral supplements would be OK.
I will focus in on what my body is telling me it wants me to eat/drink and follow that instead.
Thank agian - it's like having a guardian angel over my shoulder!
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