Author Topic: Finished 12 week Harvoni (Read 25024 times)

nicole_1234 · « **on:** February 24, 2015, 09:50:39 pm »

Took my last pill today! Wish me luck

I will keep updates on post treatment. My side effects right now are mild headache and fatigue from the Harvoni, but honestly not that much different from Hep C side effects, maybe a little more pronounced. Hoping to feel much better soon!

MEG · « **Reply #1 on:** February 24, 2015, 10:27:51 pm »

Wooo-hoooo, Nicole! Sending you healing thoughts and prayers...way. to. go.

kate0b1 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 25, 2015, 06:45:16 am »

@nicole, yay for you, 15 to go here but who's counting

kate

nicole_1234 · « **Reply #3 on:** February 25, 2015, 07:17:16 am »

Man I'm so anxious. It's 4am and I haven't slept. Experiencing horrible pain in my upper spine, and an upset stomach. I'm so worried. I hope I can calm down because otherwise the 3 month wait will be unbearable.

kate0b1 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 25, 2015, 07:23:38 am »

@nicole, I weirdly have stopped wondering/worrying, i was a wreck at the beginning of treatment and right before my 4week labs (i can't even think about the R word). i hope my anxiety does not creep up again because yes it will be a LONG wait until june 4th .

kate

moma · « **Reply #5 on:** February 25, 2015, 08:28:57 am »

Nicole congratulations. I'm on week 6, and can't imagine being finished. Talked to my daughters and here's what I'm going to do during the waiting period- Plan a celebration that starts the day it ends (July 15). I have major anxiety and can relate to what you must be feeling right now. OK what I'm going to focus on during the dreaded waiting period. Go to a spa and have all these age spots and wrinkles worked on. Get a great hair cut. Go to Hawaii with the whole family. Get another dog. Have scheduled days I drive the 2 hours and play with my grandsons. Show my husband how much I love him for going through 44 years of living this virus with me, treatments, doctor appts., crazy nights of crying, talking me through the anxiety and days of staying in bed from exhaustion.
Ok make your list Girl you deserve anything you want.
Stay Strong, MoMa

jberlin · « **Reply #6 on:** February 25, 2015, 10:52:09 am »

Nicole,

Congrats on completing treatment, it looks like for the 2nd time. I also was treated, relapsed, retreated (Incivik), cured - and that will be your course I hope too. Are you anxious because of worry that the treatment worked, or are you having more serious side-effects? If the latter is a physical change post treatment, you should talk to your doctor. If you are just anxious for the result (we have all been there), all I can suggest is breathe in, breathe out - worrying will not change anything, so go back to your life and get that blood test in a few months, and then go from there. Your chances are really, really good - so feel good about getting treatment, pat yourself on the back, and get back to a normal life.

Looking forward to seeing you post your good news results here in a few months.

jack

Tutu · « **Reply #7 on:** February 25, 2015, 12:49:38 pm »

Nicole,

Congrats on the completion of treatment! I am so happy for all that have completed treatment so far. I finish mine up on 3/3 after 12 weeks. My Dr. wants me to wait and have blood work 2-3 wks. after meds are finished, and of course I'm nervous but at least I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am curious to hear about those that started back in October with Harvoni to see how they are doing. Please post your numbers when you get your levels done! Congrats to you!

nicole_1234 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 25, 2015, 01:46:26 pm »

Thank you all for the words of encouragement.

Moma I did book a little treat for myself (not giving a care if I can really afford it or not), but I'm going to Esalen in Big Sur for 5 days. It's the most beautiful place with an organic garden that they cook all the meals for you from, hot spring tubs nested on top of cliffs above the ocean and I'm doing a workshop that involves meditation. There's also yoga and other activities. I'm so excited to just soak in those healing mineral Hot Springs. Besides being anxious about treatment I am completely overworked at the moment and haven't taken a vacation in a year and a half. I did figure I deserve it now more than ever and I'm really looking forward to it!

When I'm back I plan to get my general health back which was the strongest I have ever been before I started this treatment. I was doing yoga five times a week, hiking and had a very good diet. I kind of fell off because I was too fatigued the last month on this treatment so I will just focus on becoming strong and healthy again. Hopefully without the burden of the hep C virus and I'll feel even better!

Jack I think other than my joint pain, it's just anxiety that I'm experiencing. I will feel better soon I'm sure I always bounce back.

moma · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2015, 03:17:23 pm »

Nicole, I lived in Santa Cruz for over forty years, I know the Monterey-Big Sur area so very well. Your going to have a great time. I'm going to try and think (brain fog) of some places you might like to see while your there. I miss the ocean air and sounds of the sea lions! The Sierra's are beautiful, but not home to me.
Great place to get centered, I'm so happy for you.
MoMa

Islandgirl · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2015, 03:50:17 pm »

Nicole, I'm so excited about your planned trip! Yes, a great place to get centered and emerge like a beautiful butterfly into your healthier, happier future. Yes, you deserve it!!!!!!!!

I did celebrate my last pill with a (long overdue) massage today

A trip will have to wait until my caregiver days for my mom are completed. It's a gift to be able to complete them hep free! I'm stll having some joint pain and headache is back, but piece of cake. Love you sis

....Islandgirl

amy1662 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2015, 08:09:15 pm »

Hi Nicole, I finished my last pill on Sunday. I am right there with you waiting it out for the final results. I should know by the end of May. Enjoy your vacation you deserve it. Try not to worry. The best thing to do is live your life and push forward as if you know you conquered that mountain. The next few months are going to fly by quickly and together we are going to get the best news we could ever imagine. We are hep free.

Relax and have fun on your trip, Amy

nicole_1234 · « **Reply #12 on:** February 27, 2015, 01:32:09 am »

Thanks Moma. I'm so excited for the trip! I hope the time goes by fast for you till July 15 with little side effects, and sounds like you have a great plan to follow!

Island Girlthank you so much and I'm glad you treated yourself to a massage and that is truly a gift to spend time with your mom and be hep free! We got this thing!

Amytheres quite a few of us gals who finished at the same time. Glad to know you're here with me and I truly hope all of us get the great news we've been praying for!

Good luck to all of us on our way to radiant health!

Bob V · « **Reply #13 on:** March 01, 2015, 03:25:53 pm »

Just took dose 84 done, yay! I'll do my EOT labs sometime next week. Now I just want my body start feeling like pre treatment soon.

Over the next month lots of us will be coming off tx, good luck everyone.

bridget · « **Reply #14 on:** March 01, 2015, 03:48:30 pm »

Just took my last dose today too! The end of 12 weeks of Harvoni. Fingers crossed for all of us to see SVR at 4, 12 & 24 weeks!
Cheers!

Islandgirl · « **Reply #15 on:** March 01, 2015, 04:00:21 pm »

Congrats to all you/us who have made it this far! Still has an unreal quality to me and now for the long wait. I don't get my next lab until the 25th and the next not until Sept. Hoping I'll be feeling much better by then and find that I am actually cured - hoping that for all of us

...Islandgirl

beflat10r · « **Reply #16 on:** March 01, 2015, 08:25:53 pm »

Does anyone notice actually feeling better- more energy etc after treatment?
Or- I am new on here having ingested my 3rd Harvoni pill today- is there a topic about post treatment good stuff?

Bob V · « **Reply #17 on:** March 01, 2015, 10:03:44 pm »

Hi beflat10r
Welcome, you're on your 3 pill so some info. All of us have different reactions to treatment. Most common, fatigue, headache, some GI issues, anxiety. One thing most agree on is drink lots of fluids.

Most of us are just finishing treatment so not much info on feeling better post treatment, yet. Stay tuned I'm sure we'll all be adding our .02 over the next few weeks.

Good luck.

There's a better thread for side effects and support

http://forums.hepmag.com/index.php?topic=1653.0

MEG · « **Reply #18 on:** March 01, 2015, 11:04:04 pm »

My goodness, I'm gone for a day and look at y'all finishing treatment! Congratulations and may you be blessed with lifetime SVR.

@Nicole Going to the Esalon Institute is such a great idea.

@Island Gosh, that massage sounds wonderful. I'm so glad you get to be with your family free of HepC. Some day I'll tell you about how I had to keep the cancer(from which I got hcv) a secret from just about everyone. It's too painful to recount right now and I want to stay in the positive place that I find myself today.

Congratulations Bob and Bridget! We're with you....!

kate0b1 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 02, 2015, 06:17:19 am »

@bob and bridget, congrats on the last pill dance, we are right behind you

kate

Islandgirl · « **Reply #20 on:** March 02, 2015, 09:15:24 am »

Meg, I totally understand about your having to hide the big C from practically everyone - and about it being too painful to talk about just yet. Bless you.

I'd have to do the same thing if it were me - my family and friends (from the oldest to the youngest) sees me as the matriarch, superwoman, fix-it-all one in the family and it would cause situations too hurtful and upsetting for me or them to try to cope with if they thought I had anything debilitating or life threatening.

I didn't ask for these hats I found myself wearing, but like many of us on this forum, we are warriors who just keep putting one foot in front of the other and battling on... I find myself in awe of what many of our fellow warriors have been through and I'm grateful to everyone for sharing their stories and their knowledge. Sending everyone a heartfelt thank you and a great big Cyber HUG! ....Islandgirl

RiseUp · « **Reply #21 on:** March 02, 2015, 08:47:02 pm »

Congrats to all my fellow HEP C warriors upon finishing treatment. Now is the time to take a deep breath and relax, you earned it. I was undetected at week 8 and have 8 more pills to go. I will get my blood work on March 10th which will mark the end of 12 weeks.

Keep the faith my fellow warriors

MEG · « **Reply #22 on:** March 03, 2015, 01:19:51 am »

@ Islandgirl

Quote

I'd have to do the same thing if it were me - my family and friends (from the oldest to the youngest) sees me as the matriarch, superwoman, fix-it-all one in the family and it would cause situations too hurtful and upsetting for me or them to try to cope with if they thought I had anything debilitating or life threatening.

I didn't ask for these hats I found myself wearing, but like many of us on this forum, we are warriors who just keep putting one foot in front of the other and battling on... I find myself in awe of what many of our fellow warriors have been through and I'm grateful to everyone for sharing their stories and their knowledge. Sending everyone a heartfelt thank you and a great big Cyber HUG! ....Islandgirl

You said this so beautifully----thank you for speaking for many of us. Huge goodnite hug back at you, Warrior Islandgirl!

Islandgirl · « **Reply #23 on:** March 03, 2015, 09:51:59 am »

Meg, thanks for making my day happier. I was feeling kind of down until I read your post - lifted my spirits right back up! Thanks

...Islandgirl

MEG · « **Reply #24 on:** March 03, 2015, 03:49:51 pm »

Quote from: Islandgirl on March 03, 2015, 09:51:59 am

Meg, thanks for making my day happier. I was feeling kind of down until I read your post - lifted my spirits right back up! Thanks ...Islandgirl

I'm glad it did, Islandgirl You make our spirits feel stronger all the time. This is such an emotional roller coaster of a time. And depending on where you live, heck, I live in a sunny and what's unfortunately been a dry winter area(CA) and I still feel the "winter blues" some days that are purely deprivation from the long days of light that we have in the summer..

We move the clocks forward this w/e...Woo-hooo....Can't wait.

Here's a hug for you!

Islandgirl · « **Reply #25 on:** March 03, 2015, 07:06:30 pm »

Thanks, Meg. I'm with you on the time change! I live on Anastasia Island just across the bridge from St. Augustine, FL but it's been wet, colder than usual and dark gloomy days more than I've ever seen it here. I need that sun too! Headaches every day lately haven't helped either

Looking forward to better days! ...Islandgirl

MEG · « **Reply #26 on:** March 03, 2015, 10:47:39 pm »

@Islandgirl

So you really do live on an island..LOL..I'll blame the hcv for not putting that together ;-)

Ya, the gray, day after day used to really get to me--was raised in the Northeast. I wound up buying a light box many years ago---late 80s? when SAD was just being given mainstream attention. I still need it here in CA---surprised me. I think some of us have genuine light-deprivation sensitivities. Even in the summer(back east) if we had a stretch of thunder storms/rainy days, I'd start to feeling the light-deprivation blues.

Ouch re: your constant headache. Do you know what it's related to? Wishing for you that you can find some relief tonight and get a good nights sleep. Hugs,

Islandgirl · « **Reply #27 on:** March 04, 2015, 09:29:24 am »

@Meg
To complicate things, I also spent from age 4 to age 12 growing up in Hawaii - so sunshine and Islands are most natural to me. The sun IS out today, thank goodness

If this headache doesn't respond to sinus relief, guess I'll have to go to doc after all. I got a bit better sleep last night but woke up at 5 with the sinus pressure. I hope you're continuing to do well? Thanks for the good wishes, I'm sending more right back to you (and to all my Forum Family)! Hugs ...Islandgirl

nicole_1234 · « **Reply #28 on:** March 06, 2015, 11:32:24 pm »

Hey all,

I'm back from my 5 day retreat to Big Sur and feeling much better. I'm now 10 days off Harvoni. On my trip I did a 3 hour hike both on Tuesday and Wednesday straight up the mountains. On Thursday I did a 9 mile coastal hike and my iphone app told me I went up "90 stories" that day. Each day after my hikes I soaked in the mineral hot springs and got a massage. At night my sinuses were draining like crazy and I would blow out tons of snot. Each morning I feel a little better and the headaches cleared. I also ate tons of great organic food (but too much carbs, I feel fat!)

On that note I actually gained 10 lbs on treatment. I am very happy about that because on interferon/rib I lost 20 and I was an anorexic/anemic mess!

So I just want to let any one considering treatment on Harvoni and scared of side effects that I NEVER could have done all this a week post interferon/riba treatment so Harvoni is nothing short of a miracle.

Now that I'm back I'm a bit anxious again coming to this forum. I was able to put my upcoming test results and hep c almost out of my mind for the week. But I do feel physically much better already and am so grateful I was able to treat myself to that.

nicole

nicole_1234 · « **Reply #29 on:** March 06, 2015, 11:34:04 pm »

Island Girl maybe try a massage? I have a feeling that's what drained my sinuses??

kate0b1 · « **Reply #30 on:** March 07, 2015, 07:31:34 am »

@nicloe, im so jealous of your trip (well maybe except the hiking part lol). I'm glad you are feeling well.

kate

Islandgirl · « **Reply #31 on:** March 07, 2015, 09:41:30 am »

Thanks Nicole

I bet the soak in the mineral hot springs helped sinus as well as your muscles. Sounds wonderful - except, as Kate said, maybe the hiking part

I bet the hike along the coast was spectacular!!! That whole area is breathtakingly beautiful any where you look, I did have a massage on the 25th when I took my last pill but need another one.

Yesterday I did go see my doc as I was concerned these headaches might be from my fall on Jan 12 when I did the classic "banana peel slip" on wet leaves and found myself flat on my back with a pretty good blow to the back of my head when it hit the sidewalk! He did lots of hand/eye/hearing/coordination checks and sent me for a CT scan STAT - they called that afternoon to say the scan showed no damage or reason for the headaches. Thank God! So, we're treating it as sinus and it's getting better slowly. Thanks for asking.

I'm so glad you are feeling better. Like Kate, I'm envious of your trip but so glad you went and had such a great experience - let me live a bit vicariously too by bringing the memories of how beautiful that area is back to mind. Welcome back to our long wait lol

hugs, ....Islandgirl

HCVDX30 · « **Reply #32 on:** March 09, 2015, 02:45:30 am »

I started Harvoni on Oct 10 For 12 wks. Been clear for 5 mths today & so many awesome wellness changes are going on. I never realized how the Hep C had chipped away at my immune system over the past 44 yrs. I had developed a severe food allergy challenge 18 mths ago. The allergic reactions are gone & I don't miss the Itchy hives all over my body. The osteoarthritis pain is gone .My energy level & stamina is wonderful. My bItchy attitude is now mellowing!! The World is so bright I have to wear sunglasses all the time !! My best to everyone post, pre or in treatment.
DX..1971 Genotype 1a. Grade 3 Stage 4 Naive patient until Oct 2014 Harvoni 12wk. TX . Age 67. Jeanie

RiseUp · « **Reply #33 on:** March 10, 2015, 09:59:03 am »

Good morning fellow HEP C warriors, just took my last pill (12 wks) and will be going to my doc today to get my blood work. It's a new day, looking forward to spring time finally here in New York City area.

@HCVDX30...ditto to everything you said. Did not realize how HEP C affected me the past 40+ years.

keep the faith fellow HEP C warriors

RiseUp · « **Reply #34 on:** March 12, 2015, 10:11:17 pm »

Went to my doc on tues for blood work at the end of 12 week treatment and asked if I could possibly be extended to 24 wks. Doc was ok with it and I was approved on wed for the additional 12 wks. Got my new batch of Harvoni and Riba today. I did miss a dose yesterday waiting on approval. My doc did not seem too concerned.

Keep the faith HEP C warriors

CHepCFree · « **Reply #35 on:** March 16, 2015, 12:00:16 am »

Also finished 12 week treatment and doctor didn't want to bother with any blood work. I was undetected at 6 weeks but hey, anything can happen. He says just to wait to the 12 weeks to see if the beast is dead. I've been having trouble with ringing of the ears and after 10 days off Harvoni it I still blasting in my ears. I had a horrible headache this morning and chest pain last night. All very weird. I'm fine except for ringing today. My hep doc just sort of shrugs his shoulders and has no comment. Not very thrilled with him. Plan to go to my GP. At least she takes action. I have reported all this to Gilead and they too aren't all that concerned. They just take your name and report it to the FDA who then decides whether to let anybody know about other side effects. What a stupid medical system. Best wishes to all.

Forums Index

Welcome

Author Topic: Finished 12 week Harvoni (Read 25024 times)