Near the end Sovaldi/Riba, GT2 Need Hope

[Determined]

GT2, Coming up on week 10 of 12,  Riba/Sovaldi.

I've had so many lucky breaks in the HCV department.  I didn't even know I had it until 6 months ago.  I got insurance approval right away.  Less than F1.  Not a super high VL. I have a great doctor, and the forums have been a Huge Help. 
My doc did reduce my Riba to help with anemia at week 9.

That said, weeks 7 - 10 have been really hard, much harder than before treatment (not unusual).  I have Riba events that drive me over the edge, I'm in bed a lot but sleeping little.  Brain fog abounds.  Being Determined, after all, I keep looking for hope after EOT but keep finding so many people having hard times.  Anybody out there coming through and feeling great? Okay?  I am so grateful that I am beating the virus, but there are times I wonder if I have invited more problems than I started with. I'm near the finish line and need hope to drag myself across and back into the good life.  Many thanks in advance, as well as for the forum help and information.

[Luna7]

Hi Determined,

I can't speak to your issues as I'm only on day 11 of treatment, and without the Riba.
But I hope you start feeling better soon!
And welcome to the forum.

[Philadelphia]

Hi Determined, if anyone should be feeling like crap after treatment it should be me. I'm cirrhotic, was borderline decompensating at one point, with ascites, oedema, varices. My platelet count was low and my LFTs were close to 200. I had an AFP of 80-ish.

I give you that information to put into perspective how sick I was.

6 months post treatment I'm back at work fulltime as a school principal, I am busy on a couple of committees, I exercise every day by walking with my dog, I travel, I look after my small farm with my critters and I enjoy everything I do.

I did 24 weeks of viekira pak with riba and made it through okay. I was sick at the start and cut my work back to 3 days/week for about 4 months during treatment but I was still standing at the end of it all. And I'm still standing now.

I realise my limitations, I don't burn the candle at both ends, I say no to things I don't have the energy for, I don't drink. But all things considered I'm doing okay. I take every day as it comes.
 

[BillT]

Hi Determined.Try not to worry about after treatment right now,just concentrate on getting to the finish line.Some people have had problems after but a lot us us didn't.I hate to say it but you're too far into this to turn back now.Like I said worry about what happens after treatment when it's over.Just get through it and give yourself time to recover later.You'll be fine.

[Determined]

Thank you all for the replies.  There was an eerie silence. 
We humans like to solve problems, and that may be part of the reason that there are so many posts regarding post treatment difficulties. How cool that we have these forums to come to to problem solve and get information backed by experience.  My medical community seemed to think this would be an easy sail with an occasional headache and some fatigue, but as individuals, they may never have been on this ship, or don't want to add a lot of worry.  I've lived a pretty healthy life, so past ailments have generally had quick and complete fixes.  Yes, I will persist!  Some days I just get worn out from slogging.
So thanks for the boost.  For my part, I will report the difficult and the victorious as I move forward. Thanks again for showing up.

[Hep C Free]

Near the End,
By this time you have probably completed your treatment. I'm writing to say that I too had difficulties with the Sovaldi/Ribavirin treatment (mostly from the anemia), but was able to stick with it and am now Hep C free. I just got the results of my 24 month post treatment conclusion and Hep C is NOT detected. I am elated and have hope for the millions of others who suffer from this disease.
I was diagnosed in 1995 during a blood donation and assume I contracted the virus in 1978 with a blood transfusion during surgery. I immediately underwent interferon treatment (without ribavirin) and thought I was cured. Tested negative through 12 months but with a followup test at 18 months the Hep C was back. Tests, including a liver biopsy showed my liver had suffered very little damage and I went untreated for the next 19 years other than a holistic approach with diet modification including NO alcohol. My primary doctor referred me to the liver clinic at UCSD Medical Center when Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi) came on the market and I was a good candidate. Fortunately my insurance approved the treatment and a 12 week intervention was initiated in March 2014. My recent lab test continues to show No Virus Detected. I will continue to be tested during my annual physical/lab work but I am quite confident that the virus is gone for good.
To you and the countless other victims of this terrible disease I wish you well and pray you are able to get one of the treatments currently available and have the same results as I have experienced.

[Determined]

Thank you Hep C Free.  I am 5 1/2 weeks post EOT now.  I had a rough time, even post treatment, but I am very steadily getting better.  The riba-doom and brain fog persisted enough that a week ago I went on a low dose of an antidepressants.  Lots of people on RBV need the leg up.  Life's too short and I was too sour.  I'm feeling a significant difference, even at the introductory dose.  I'm sure the residual treatment effects will wear away as time goes by and I expect to feel normal again, if not better.  I am taking good care of myself, still ramming water and drinking green smoothies.  I don't feel like a victim at all.  I just got an unlucky break, followed by a hopeful cure.  I'm with in wishing all of us fighters the very best outcomes!  I'm so glad you achieved such good results.  Thanks for checking in.