Apparently not all aches and pains are related to Hep C

[slw304]

Hi Everyone... so excited to report my test results received today - 10 wks EOT undetected!  I did 8 weeks of Harvoni (Liver Biopsy F1, VL < 1mil, Self Paid)

I was worried I relapsed because I have had a nagging right side pain that won't go away.  The waiting and worrying was not helping so I went 2 weeks early with my lab orders to find out.   Went and saw the nurse this morning to receive the fantastic news.  I know I'm not considered cured for a couple more weeks but think my odds at this point are spectacular and there's no need to keep up the worry.  I will retest in a few months or whenever the doc says I should.

As for the right side pain... it feels different than when I thought I was having liver pain prior to treatment.  The liver pain felt more like a core pain and this feels like a surface discomfort in my ribs. It does have an itching or burning quality to it and sometimes floats around to different areas such as my far left ribs or my back.  I've been drinking a ton of water, using a heating pad in the evening, continuing to exercise and will continue to refrain from alcohol.  I was recently discovered to have compromised B12 levels and Pernicious Anemia so believe this could be a possible cause.  I have been doing weekly B12 injections and know it will take time for any related symptoms to resolve.  At some point I will request an ultrasound if it doesn't go away.  My primary concern has been my SVR status.  I wanted to post this information in case there are others who are worrying about relapse.  Not everything is related to the virus and there could be other possible causes for symptoms.  I had scoured the internet looking for others who felt like they had ongoing right side pain after treatment but found next to nothing.  Hopefully this post will help to ease someone else's worry.

I feel like an elephant has been lifted off my back!  So excited for the many wonderful things in my life and feeling blessed for my supportive husband, mom, friends and the most wonderful children God could have given me.  I will be praying daily for each of you to receive the same blessed news and for the insurance companies and drug manufacturers to start doing the right thing to make these treatments accessible to everyone.  I know it's all business related but they should be ashamed of leaving people to suffer when such an easy to tolerate cure is available. 

[Debula]

slv304 Congratulations and thanks for posting that
(I love this place)
I have had the same pain for the last couple of days and it is scaring me
It feels like a bloating inflamed swollen liver right under my rib cage (on the right) and then it radiates to the side and all the way up my back.  It feels like muscles are sore on my back but I am not doing anything differently except trying to sit up straight because i feel like my liver is swollen and being squished if I slouch.

If you figure out what it is please post because I am starting to freak out about it and feel like I'm dying or something.  (not trying to be dramatic)

Keep well and congratulations again!!

[KAL]

SLV , so happy to hear "undetected" 10 weeks post !

im on week 15 of 16 week treatment (im geno 2b , tx, sovaldi/riba) ,  the itch in that area iv'e also had the last couple weeks.,,,,the pain and itching could be the liver healing , .......kinda like a wound that start's to itch at the end of the healing process ,just a guess on my part , i have cirrhosis and after week 4(undetected) iv'e been feeling much better but , im definitely feeling the body do it's work down there so im just assuming it's the healing process ,
there's some good article's and study's out there about fibrosis resolution and even cirrhosis resolution resulting 6 months to a year after treatment svr.

Debula , the right side pain you describe is  exactly identical to what i had about 3 weeks ago , how long have you had it ? , with me it lasted about 2/3 days and just went away , i could barley bend over , its possible it could've been a gallstone passing as the gallbladder is tucked right under the liver in that area , i also felt it all the way to the back.
your liver sounds about the same condition as mine .
......just my opinion , as the hep c virus gets wiped out , many of us experience the body working hard to "reset" to normal conditions .
look up or google " liver resolution after svr " ,,,,,very encouraging , im surprised there's not more posting  on it over here ,,, i read a post on another site where a guy , with cirrhosis , got lab tests (fibrosure and ultrasound) close to a year after svr , the results were F 0 , smooth surface/ no scarring !

 good luck , hope it gets better.........we will win this fight !........K

[slw304]

Debula,  Given my experience I'm assuming there's no need to worry.  I had my first lab work done during treatment at 5 weeks and had posted an inquiry about this pain then but wasn't too concerned at the time since I was still on Harvoni.  The pain continued after treatment but seemed to get worse about a month later.  I was working out of town when I started to truly notice it and would feel like something was swollen under my right rib especially if I bent over.  Saw the doctor after I got home and he said muscular and not to worry about it.  Of course, I worried myself to death because it doesn't feel muscular.  It gets worse after sitting too long especially in the car.  My husband and I took 2 long road trips back-to-back last week so by the weekend it was really aggravated and I started to panic.  This week it has been better and I'm starting to think it's related to the nerves in my ribs.  I'm not bothering with the NSAIDs because they don't really seem to help.. drinking a ton of water seems like it may be helping and using a heating pad in the evening or soaking in the hot tub both seem to alleviate it at least for a while.  At least now I know it's not the Hep C still attacking my liver...  I'm thinking the relief in stress and being able to relax about it will allow it to go away.  I also thought that maybe the areas around the liver are giving off pain as things are healing but couldn't find any information to back that opinion. I've researched appendix and gall bladder pain but neither seem to fit my symptoms.  I have ordered the good Milk Thistle (phytosome form) hoping it will help my liver in the healing process.  I don't think the supplement that's available in drug stores will help.  Best wishes to you.

[Debula]

Thank you both for your great replies.  I feel so much better knowing you guys understand the exact kind of pain I am talking about.  It started around Wed. So it's been 4 days and last night I was in so much pain I could not stand it.  Today it's a little better, still throbbing but nothing like last night.  I have been just laying around today listening to music that makes me feel good  (Pink Floyd) LOL
I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago so I knew it wasn't that.  I honestly thought. "This is the end".  I'm not usually over dramatic but it scared the hell out of me. I was about to go to ER but the thought of being probed kept me home.
I am definitely going to google liver resolution after SVR.  That was really encouraging news.  My doctor made it seem like my liver is trashed and will never repair.  He compared it to a piece of shredded leather . I mean maybe it won't but at least it won't have to deal with Hep C anymore hopefully.  I sure hope this pain goes away though.  I guess I can't complain.  I have had it easy for 16 weeks with no real side effects.  If healing us painful then I will take it
Thanks again
Deb

[Cure4life]

Congratulations  on  your  results Debula, that is fantastic news  I am 8 weeks post harvoni/riba  treatment  and I have also experienced  liver area pain similar to what you described.  Mine was more like a burning type pain, I told the doctor whilst  on treatment thinking it could be the harvoni but she dismissed  it as non treatment  related. I still get it  from time to time but not as often as  I  did. I have seeing? several people  reporting this type of pain in other forums so it appears quite common.  Like you  I am also paranoid  about any aches  and pains  I get thinking the virus  has returned  so it was reassuring  reading your post. I have  little  over 3 weeks for my eot 12 weeks  test so anxiety  is starting  to  build  !