Ha! Maybe I should have just stuck with toast for breakfast and steak and 3 veg for dinner!

Hi Jolie and thanks for replying, along with all the others who are offering their stories and advise. You are right, everyone experiences different effects from the virus and the meds. For me, I was lucky to live the last 30+ yrs with HCV almost symptom free, except for some recent pain over the last few years in the gall area and a feeling of swelling of the liver (which has disappeared since starting the meds) but I rarely felt unwell through the years even though my VL has been over 10 mil. Ive known about having the virus for 25 years and feel the way I have treated my body since finding out has helped me; diet, exercise and no alcohol. After reading the comments on this thread, especially the one from Enkel, I have come to realise that my sides may in fact be related to some nervous system issues which are probably caused by the virus and also possibly amplified by the meds. As I mentioned, in a lot of ways these symptoms Im having; palpitations, vibrations, anxiety, muscle twitches, etc, since starting treatment mirror the benzodiazepine withdrawals I had 10 years ago, which is a nervous system reaction. This occurred after only taking a very low dose of temazepam for a relatively short period of time. Doctors were surprized I was suffering so much for what I took. I now put that easy addiction down to possibly having a compromised NS from HCV to start with. I have also noticed over the years, an increasing sensitivity to stress, some foods and and most drugs. Sleep has also been a problem since starting tx and I’m sure it doesn’t help with the symptoms and the symptoms dont help with trying to sleep, a vicious circle. And even though I have been taking the occasional half dose of temazepam to deal with it, something I thought I would never go back to doing, Im very wary about doing so and dont wish to aggravate things with another benzo addiction. I’d rather do my best with meditation techniques most nights and just deal with not much sleep. I think the main thing is to keep your eyes on the prize and hopefully things will turn around again once treatment is over.

PS: GAJ, I have been drinking 3 liters of purified water every day. Any more and I feel I’ll spring a leak!

Thanks again to all who replied. It’s been a most informative thread for me.

Billy

Thanks G, I will look around here for sure, it’s always good to see whats going on with others and there are so many good news stories these days with the new DDAs. Ive spent a lot of time reading over the last year or so, trying to get a handle on whats happening out there, thats how I came across Greg Jefferys just as he was doing his India visit.

I am under a great hepatologist and nurse at a major hospital. I’m taking an Indian generic Sof, the Dac I qualified for through the hospital. It was looking like I would get the Sof through the hospital at one stage as well but good o’l Gilead pulled the plug on their compassionate access program before it even started. At least BMS and Abbvee have come through.

Funny you should say that about the half tabs of Temaz that you kept ready beside you for insomnia as I do exactly the same thing, though I often avoid them for too long trying to get back sleep by myself and then it becomes pointless when dawn is almost there. Plus I try not to do more than 3 nights in a row if I do take them and also skip night between if I can. I only really take them when desperate from being totally worn out. I have gone through stages of getting 5-6 hrs sleep some weeks and thats enough to get by but most of the time I have shockers where Im lucky to get an hr or two at the beginning and then its all over. When the palpitations are bad it’s almost impossible to sleep much even with half a temaz. I wont take more though as I leant my lesson a while back while traveling. I took a half or a whole 5mg every day for a month and ended up with withdrawals for a few months after and that wasn’t a nice experience. Its actually very similar to what I’m going through some days right now! Haha! Just got to roll with it I guess.

Bill

Thanks for your reply GAJ, maybe it was you concerning the late Rib add. Insomnia and fatigue have me clutching at straws right now trying to decipher posts and replies.

I have come across another person having similar sides to mine and have been told about others from a nurse and she told me there was an Australian guy who recently posted here but I cant find it.

I did read the stuff on the amiodarone patients. It’s hard to tell at this stage what cardio effects, if any, are occurring out there. I didnt have issues like this before starting and they have been with me for the whole 15 weeks. Whether its the drugs or my body changing due to the virus dying, or some other freaky coincidence, I dont really know, but I’d like to. In a way I hope it is the meds, because then when I finish they will hopefully go away. Don’t think I would have survived Interferon that’s for sure!

Cheers

Billy