TOPIC:

I knew within 36 hours of starting my course of Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir that something good was happening.

I thought I was asymptomatic because my liver results were ok, so i was doing it to avoid trouble later on. I also thought that I was a bit of a depressive.

Five weeks into treatment, I had no idea that I could feel this good - energetic, happy, positive and focussed. My depression evaporated almost from the start.

Some advice - take it easy at the gym for the first week. Give your body's strength a chance to catch up with the new level of energy. Don't injure yourself like I did.

Genotype 1a; starting viral count 5580000 to <15 at end of week 4;

True! I'm in my 14 th week and I still don t want to overdo it...

Basically hanging to paddle out for a surf but will keep this advice in mind thanks Life thanks Felix
I'm going to have to surf just waiting to hear re sun sensitivity on sof/led

I'm hopefully starting treatment at the end of this week.
I do Yoga classes 3 times a week (the 3rd class is Pranayama which is very restorative) and swim in the ocean 3 to 4 times a week(between 1.5km and 2.5km at a very relaxed pace) and do weights with a trainer once a week.I'm very keen to keep all of this up.
Yoga is so good for the body and mind, swimming with the sea critters is my happy pill I think that keeping a bit of muscle mass on has helped me too.
Looking for perspective from people who are or have been on the treatment journey. Does this seem do-able for the duration? Of course if feel like crap I will rest.

Hi beaches,

Congratulations on starting treatment.

The caution is about how most people feel energised during initial treatment and can over stretch themselves without realising during that period. So hasten slowly during the initial stages and don't try to swim 5km at a fast pace 6 or 7 days a week just because it suddenly feels like you can.

Welcome Beaches,

Pleasure to meet another water baby. I relate to the addiction of swimming, I was an 80 lap a day girl for many years. Now I surf just constantly, yes the ocean is the best healer and I love how it brings you into the moment, no thoughts for anything else but the sea, and the rhythms of the body in it.

I surf on tx, in fact I surfed yesterday...The tx regime seems to have varying sx during it's course as Gaj pointed out there is a euphoria initially; in my case the first month of my 12 weeks sof/led I had migraine despite constant hydration, so took it easy but yes still surfed when I felt up for it, and I do TM, the second four weeks were easy, some tummy grumbles which are best sorted with water sport defs, and now at almost week 10 have insomnia but am surfing around three times a week....fatigue is starting on and off, I just slept all Saturday daytime,t'was a good catch up day.

I have done peginf/riba which is disgustingly debilitating so this tx is very easy in relation to that.
I think it is all relative, and all about mindset, and all about the individual. You are used to pushing yourself to sport and yoga and so am I with surfing and TM. I just do it.

One thing I note is a heightened sense of speed, I get it driving too, not particularly pleasant, it can create confusion so I drive around twenty Kms/hr lower than the recommended, much to the disgust of other motorists.

Re sport, I am very aware not to go too crazy for the adrenaline I usually crave. Choosing smaller days, although yesterday I paddled a reasonably solid swell, I will attach pix the magical beauty of my waves, I am at near end of treatment and find I am loosening up my self protective streak.

Re sides being very individual, I also had some BP issues during the middle section of tx, Pat1 has started a good thread about that sx, not everyone gets this but I was surprised to find out mid tx, and was helped by Dr J, and it is sorted...so that is an example of the individual nature of sx people report. In the forum here you can search issues and also check in Experts Corner for side effects etc. however, overall I think this tx is very mild and I just go with the flow mermaid style.

I hope this info about my lifestyle helps with your query, but the main thing is good luck for your tx, keep chatting, this is a very supportive and useful forum

Splashes from Ariel

Hey Ariel
Thanks for the feedback. Love your photos and here's one of mine.
I believe I'll be using Harvoni.
Have avoided the interferon etc but instead focused on keeping fit, spending time, effort and stupid amounts of money on acupuncture (very effective for me), supplements and a couple of useless snake oil 'cures'. Seems to have worked, my fibroscan reading is very low (between 4 and 6), but viral load too high.
Hugely looking forward to starting the treatment. The biggest challenge in keeping up with the Yoga is the early starts (6.15am start). Once I get to class, if it's too challenging, my teacher will help me with modifications, supported versions etc
I have a shirt load of sick leave so that is no problem, thankfully. I outed myself to my boss under promise of strict confidence (I trust him).

I hear you! I have this problem anyway - tend to be too gung ho. Will stay very very conscious of this.
Oh and by the way.... when (touch wood) I am clear, I'm going to change my FB photo. Going to photoshop my head on Pamela Anderson's celebration photo

Going to photoshop my head on Pamela Anderson's celebration photo

Hopefully your own body will tell you when a work out is a good idea and when it is a better idea to just chill. Personally, i had no problems with exersize the first 6 weeks of treatment and then the meds whacked me out. I did almost no exersize the last 1/2 of treatment. Even a 1/2 hour of tai chi would leave me exhausted for the rest of the day.
For me, the least of all evils towards the end of tx was lying around reading whenever my presence wasn't required for something. But we are all different. Maybe you will sail thru tx. A couple of times i thought maybe i was being lazy and forced myself to go for a light jog or do some taichi. It was never a good idea. I got thru the exersize ok but then i was bagged for the rest of the day, or longer. I should have listened to the voice that said "you are fatigued, not lazy. Take it easy"...