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I noticed that with generic meds they may come in capsule powder form, while Gilead and Birstol Myers stuff comes in tablet form which of course has some coating to keep the contents all together.

From memory, there is an anti depressant (one version of Venlafaxine?) that uses its coating to affect how the medication is absorbed. The main issue with this from memory is that you cannot break the tablet in 2 and expect to use it as a half dose, say using 100mg tab as two fifties to save money.

Not sure is anyone has used both, but if so, has anyone noticed the difference in initial side effects? I realise the side effects are buggar all anyway, but just curious.

J.

Yes, and didn't notice any difference between compounded (capsules) and formulated (tablets). The anti depressant tablets you are thinking of are slow release. They are designed to gradually release the active ingredients over an extended period of several hours so you get a small steady dose which is what you want with something designed to 'stabilise' you. On the other hand HCV DAAs are designed to dissolve and release the full dose almost immediately they enter your stomach so that it is absorbed into your bloodstream rapidly.

Hello!

I am new here and would really appreciate some information about side effects.

I am glad to read that everyone is doing quite ok and the aide effects are torelable.

I got diagnosed with HCV last year during my pregnancy. No idea where I could have caught it. Today I am in Day 2 of my sof/dac treatment.

The first day was ok, I was anxious, but did not feel any side effects. But today a couple of hours after taking the medicine, I felt lightheaded and a little week. Also my head feels "full".

Have any of you had similar side effects - especially the lightheaded / dizzy feeling?

Hi Maylily and welcome.

Congratulations on commencing treatment.

As you will have read in this thread most people find Sofosbuvir + Daclatasvir to be fairly easy to take with mild side effects although these seem to vary from person to person so it is difficult to predict which, if any, you will experience. I did notIce the lightheaded/dizzy feeling you mention at the start of my treatment. I found that it reduced considerably over the first week as I adjusted to the meds although the 'full' or 'thick' effect remained mildly present for a while longer. From my experience these medications do seem to increase our fluids requirements a bit so ensuring you drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to stay well hydrated will assist to reduce any side effects you experience.

Hi Maylily and a big welcome.

This forum has quite a lot of information about personal experiences with side effects so have a look through when you have some time.
As Gaj mentioned for most people the side effects for Sof/Dac are minimal to mild. I've had a couple of DAA combinations and can relate to the slight dizziness now and then. Another common one is insomnia and dehydration so be kind to yourself and drink lots of fluids.
Good luck with the treatment and fire off any questions. There is always someone here who will know or can find the answer.

Thank you Gaj and Coral for your answers!

As Coral suggested, I searched this forum for these specific side effects that I experienced, but did not find anything. So I figured I should ask here. Now I feel calmer to know that this dizzy feeling side effect is "normal". I will also try to drink more water. I am not a big water drinker, so it is harder for me to remember to do it

Thanks again for your help!

Well, other fluids are good too. Tea, soup, fruit, etc. will keep you just as hydrated although water has nil calories or caffeine, etc.

12 days into Sofosbuvir/ Daclatasvir ( I am G3 responder /relapser from Interferon/Ribavirin) . last 3 days fairly strong flu symptoms; headache , sore throat, very tired . Anyone else been through the same sequence ?

Flu like stuff in the first week or two is common. Headache is the most common side effect of Sofosbuvir and usually settles.

Treatment does not make you immune from ordinary colds and flu or everything we humans get, so sometimes it's just that, rather than a side effect.

Fluids seem to help some people.

The trend is your friend so getting worse each day is bad, and better is good.

Hi Neil,

I had milder versions of your side effects, although the headaches could be quite bad and I could usually trace them back to not drinking enough water. Disrupted sleep was also a biggie for me. Over time I have seen all of your side effects on this forum and more, so you're in excellent company and on your way to being cured.

I see you are a relapser from interferon so all kudos to you for getting onto the new treatment and finding this site. The treatment can generate a bit of anxiety especially for those of us who relapsed so I found making my best attempt to eat well, exercise and drink lots of water did help. I am not 7 weeks post treatment and it's all going well.

Post any questions or thoughts you have. You couldn't wish for better companions than the people on this site.

Coral

Thanks Coral , after 6 months of interferon /Ribavirin I can tough this out but it would be nice to know from folks who've been thru it how long it lasts . Being rid of Hep C will be worth it .
Thanks to everyone on the forum ..as you all know it's grim when you don't sleep and you drag yourself round all day ..good to know that people have done it too and come thru .
Are you all clear now ? If so congrats and well done .
cheers , Neil R

Hi Neil,

I was one of the very small percentage who relapsed on the new DAAs. I started on Sofosbuvir/Ledipasvir then Sofosbuvir/Daclatasvir (due to an initial slow response) so even though it was devastating I didn't have to go through the horror of interferon like you. I also knew that there were new drugs coming down the pipeline for relapsers. During my second treatment I also took Ribavirin which caused a few more side effects like headaches, skin/hair issues but a small price to pay.

My recent blood test at SVR6 looks great so the next test at 12 weeks will be a good indicator of good news at 24 weeks.
It was around this 8 week post treatment period that I realised I had relapsed last time so just hanging in there with a few things crossed. I have absolute faith that the cure is there for all of us. Some of us just have different pathways.

Hope things are settling down for you. I did find that I became hyper sensitive to how I was feeling and as Dr F said sometimes we do just get normal illnesses during treatment. Hope things have settled down for you. Coral

Hi again Coral ,
Day 17 my side effects are abating thanks heavens . now mild flu symptoms ..ruined Easter but what the hell . Getting my two week bloods soon so hopefully that will give me a boost . Your treatment story sounds tough . I hope the next results give you what you want . Relapsing is no fun ..when I thought that I had to repeat with 12 months interferon /Ribavirin I was beside myself for days . My wife pulled me through ..and work also .Thanks heavens for the new drugs . All the best , Neil

Had a big sore throat and flu etc which I thought was was side effects so didn't get treatment for it specifically . Pain moved to my ear and the inflammation burst , perforating my ear drum . Set me back completely , very bad pain . Massive pain killers and antibiotics . Feeling dizzy but with all the combination of drugs in me that's not surprising . ( I'm also on blood pressure drugs , statins and anti coagulants following a stroke last year )
Along with the tiredness from the DAA I'm pretty much on the floor at the moment . on the point of packing up the DAAs. Going back to GP and HepC Doc this week .
If you have symptoms my advice is get them checked out ,,they may be the real thing , like my infection , which , if not treated as it should be , could be really damaging .

Hello Neil, Thank you for the update, this is a good reminder to us all to not put feeling really sick down to treatment side effects. I am sorry to hear that what seemed at first to be DAA sides, turned out to be a really foul flu and inner ear nastiness. Flu can leave people feel so down and many, even those who are not on treatment, get some depression following a bout of it. Just think, you might have ended up with flu even if you had not started on the DAAs. [If you got a 'flu vaccination at the start of winter they are tending to wear off this many months later. Alternatively it could be strains not covered in last year's batch.] It sounds as though you're feeling like throwing in the proverbial towel so far as the DAAs are concerned. Well please don't, afterall spring is on its way Hang in there mate.