Week 5 on Harvoni

[Cherylb01]

Hi All:

I am just about done with week 5 on Harvoni. I guess I am one of the lucky ones as my side affects are few and nothing compared to Interferon and Riboviron.

As you may have guessed, this is my 2nd time trying treatment.  I was part of the drug study for Interferon (3x/week) and Riboviron combo. I stopped treatment when I developed a severe, full body rash (sun induced, I'm sure). That was a horrific experience. I had 2 small children at the time and the nausea and depression were awful.

On Harvoni, my side affects are tiredness with inability to fall asleep and some headaches.  With the headache I find staying super hydrated helps. I am also experiencing a couple other things but am not sure it's treatment related. My nails are separating from the nail beds (yuck) and I really bruise up now when blood is drawn. Anyone else experience this?

I had a screw up between my doc and the lab, so I am still awaiting the results of my first labs (expecting Friday). I am both hopeful and afraid of the results!

FYI: I was diagnosed with non-type A non-type B Hepatitis in 1989. 
Genotype 1a
Last viral quantitation  329,190
Prescribed 24 weeks of Harvoni
Anxiously awaiting first blood tests since treatment began

[slats1056]

 Hello Cheryl , welcome & jump right on in the water is fine.  Glad to know I'm not the only one having problems with Labs. I have noticed some abnormal bruising but it seems to go away rather quickly. Of course it depends on the tech doing the draw also. Being unable to get more than an hour Or two of sleep was an issue that I had also, seems to have gone away around week 5 or 6. I personally chose to skip the sleep Meds. for personal reasons and past bad choices, & toughed it out. Check with Your Doc if You really need them. Many on the forums take Doc prescribed Med. to help them.Just be careful & only take as needed to get by!!!!! So far I haven't run across the nail problem yet.
  I am currently a couple of days into week nine, and thank goodness My sides have subsided immensely. I am apparently one of the 2-3% that have had a rough go of it. But keep Your head up not in the sand. There is plenty of info. here on the forums and if You don't find what You are looking for, post a thread or search for what You are looking for specifically. You won't believe the help, support, and info. that is out there!!!! Don't get overwhelmed take Your time.
  BTW, Do You know how to eat a whole elephant??? One bite at a time of course.
  Welcome again and good luck as well as good health. Welcome to the crazy train, no ticket needed, ALL ABOARD. Oh yea, we are still looking for the conductor!!!!!!LOL

[gnatcatcher]

Hi, Cheryl -- welcome to the Hep Forums community! You've already met Tommy, our resident jester, and there are a lot of other warm, encouraging people here who are on the same journey to rid ourselves of Hep C.

Rather than live with anxiety until you see your doctor on Friday, it would be good to let some medical professional know sooner about the separating nails and the bruising (if not someone in your doctor's office, then a nurse at Gilead's Harvoni Support Path or a nurse or pharmacist at the specialty pharmacy that handles your Harvoni). I assume the labs you just took include not only a viral load but also a liver panel and a complete blood count; those other results may be ready well before Friday and may provide clues about the causes of the separating nails and the easy bruising. You'll breathe easier once you have answers.

Harvoni seems to leave a lot of people simultaneously tired and unable to fall asleep. Others, myself included, got insomnia from the excess of energy Harvoni provided.

As for the anxiety awaiting the first lab results, we've been there! When the Patient Portal emailed me that results of my week 4 labs were posted, my heart beat so fast, it felt like a hummingbird was in my chest!

Harvoni is amazing. At the very least, you'll probably see a huge drop in viral load and, if they were high, much nicer ALT and AST numbers. Best wishes!

Gnatty

[Bree]

Hi Cheryl, welcome to the forum.  I'm a interferon/riba survivor also.  This is sooo different!  I'm on the tail end of a 12 week Harvoni ride (two weeks) left.  I'm loving it as I feel the virus is gone. 

Good luck with your blood test and other things.  Keep us posted.  Bree

[Rosie13]

Hi Cheyl! I have such respect for the warriors who took the interferon treatment.My God you guys were brave! As far as stressing about the lab results I wouldn't worry too much about it.If you read alot of the posts everyone is seeing great #'s with Harvoni.I am on day 8 & only have tx for 8 wks. I did so much worrying about how to get the drug maybe I'm just relaxing a bit .The labs will determine if I get the full 12 wks. tx so one way or another my prayers have been answered.Happy for you to be posting ..will follow your progress to that awesome post when you say UNDETECTED!

[Cherylb01]

Got my first labs back.  Viral load is 20. Was hoping for undetected but I'll take it. Any other 24 weekends who were detected at week 4 but went on to be cured?