Author Topic: Today took my first Harvoni pill- Follow up question (Read 11283 times)

KY · « **on:** July 25, 2017, 11:31:17 am »

My Harvoni shipment arrived today and I just took my first pill. I am so excited to get rid if this virus I have had since ~1973. I am on a two month program. Question--after you guys completed your course, how did you feel? Did your energy level increase? Any withdrawal effects? Did the extreme occasional bad days of feeling out of it with Hep C disappear? Also, any tips while taking the treatment. Blessings to you all.

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #1 on:** July 25, 2017, 03:04:17 pm »

Hi, KY -- First, the tips: 1. Drink plenty of fluids. ("Plenty" means your urine is clear or pale yellow, or else you can use the daily guideline of 1 ounce of fluid for every 2 pounds of body weight; example: 10 cups/day if you weigh 160 #.) 2. Keep doing your usual amount of exercise, or even a bit more if Harvoni gives you extra energy.

My energy increased a lot starting on day 1 of treatment, and my mind felt keener. When treatment ended, much of the super energy was withdrawn, but I'm more energetic than I was during the last decades of having hep C. My mind continues to feel keen except for what I can attribute to normal aging.

Since you are on the two month program, your liver must be in better shape than mine was, since you had hep C for just about as long as I did when I started tx, but my fibrosis level required 12 weeks of Harvoni. Harvoni works fast: my liver enzymes came way down to normal range and the Hep C was already undetectable on the test I took just 4 weeks into tx. I have been amazed at how very much better my liver has become (further decreases in liver enzyme numbers and a remarkable decrease in fibrosis level).

Here's wishing you a smooth journey (which is what most people on Harvoni have).

Gnatty

P.S. I just saw on your other thread that you do, indeed, have very little liver damage. Yes, eight weeks should be all you need to get rid of the hep C quickly and forever.

KY · « **Reply #2 on:** July 25, 2017, 03:11:24 pm »

Awesome, Gnatty. Thanks for the great tips and encouraging words.

KimInTheForest · « **Reply #3 on:** July 25, 2017, 05:57:18 pm »

Congrats on starting treatment, KY! I agree with Gnatty about the importance of drinking lots of fluids. I drank about 8 glasses of water daily plus other normal fluids (tea, juice, smoothie). The first benefit I noticed from treatment was having my brain back. Very nice feeling. Improved mental clarity. No longer groping for words. Able to remember what I walked into a room for, or why I opened a cupboard.

You'll be done before you know it.

kim

KY · « **Reply #4 on:** July 25, 2017, 06:15:45 pm »

Awesome, encouraging advice. I now it is only the first day, but ,so far, no side effects. I feel good. I am so excited to finally begin treatment. I never knew that Gilead would pay my deductible (over $7,000). Otherwise, I would have asked for treatment earlier.

KY · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2017, 06:37:20 pm »

Day three on Harvoni, feel good, energy level good, no side effects so far. Only thing I have noticed is takes a while to fall asleep at night and I have been waking up a lot to urinate. Wake up feeling out of it. But once I get going, everything seems well. I feel and want to believe that the medicine is already working and helping me feel better.

KY · « **Reply #6 on:** July 27, 2017, 06:37:44 pm »

Day three on Harvoni, feel good, energy level good, no side effects so far. Only thing I have noticed is takes a while to fall asleep at night and I have been waking up a lot to urinate. Wake up feeling out of it. But once I get going, everything seems well. I feel and want to believe that the medicine is already working and helping me feel better.

andrew j · « **Reply #7 on:** July 27, 2017, 11:00:07 pm »

I think it can work that quickly, KY.

I had Hep C for forty years - and was really unwell for twenty of those years.
The brain fog was so bad, I couldn't think straight ... but it was clearing, and my thinking had stabilised, after only two days!

Amazing!

KY · « **Reply #8 on:** July 27, 2017, 11:21:18 pm »

Awesome. Thanks for sharing.

KY · « **Reply #9 on:** July 30, 2017, 06:01:33 pm »

Day 6 on Harvoni. Seems lots of energy when I take the pill in the morning but by afternoon extreme fatigue seems to set in where I need a couple of naps. Anyone else have these symptoms of fatigue while on Harvoni?

andrew j · « **Reply #10 on:** July 30, 2017, 07:19:03 pm »

Yes.

Your body is going through a huge transformation - and I think that energy, and energy levels, are a big part of that.
Certainly that was the case for me.

The energy surge you're experiencing is sometimes referred to as the 'Harvoni High'.
The extreme fatigue - again, I think it's just part of the natural ebb and flow as your body tries to re-adjust itself.

Are you drinking plenty of water - and eating as healthily as you can?

Laramee · « **Reply #11 on:** August 01, 2017, 05:33:19 am »

Quote from: KY on July 25, 2017, 03:11:24 pm

Awesome, Gnatty. Thanks for the great tips and encouraging words.

Keep us posted KY on how it goes.

KY · « **Reply #12 on:** August 01, 2017, 09:46:44 am »

Thanks for asking, Laramee. Today is day eight. Yesterday was my worst day so far regarding fatigue. The whole afternoon I was useless, wanting to nap all day. I just woke up this morning after "sleeping" ten hours but feel droggy and uncoordinated. I reckon my body is going through a transition.

KY · « **Reply #13 on:** August 07, 2017, 07:23:25 pm »

Just received news that my insurance company is dropping my HEP C doctor (who actually is a young Physician Assistant and takes care of prescribing HEP C treatments) on September 1. I will still be on treatment, day 38 of a 56 day treatment plan (2 months).
Do I still need to see a doctor if the lab results show no viral load?
Also, things seems to be doing ok. Fatigue not as bad as last week. I am actually feeling great often because I know I am being healed.

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #14 on:** August 07, 2017, 08:01:45 pm »

KY, glad you have more energy now and will have your final bottle of Harvoni before you lose the PA. Will your regular doctor stay with your insurance company, and can he or she order the all-important viral load test you'll need to take 12 weeks after the end of treatment? (That's when UNDETECTED = CURED.) My PCP is able to order any hep C-related test I need, but that wasn't true for someone on these forums, so you might want to check about that now. If your regular doctor can't order it, perhaps the PA can give you the requisition for that final test now, and instruct the lab to send the results to your regular doctor.

KY · « **Reply #15 on:** August 07, 2017, 08:11:31 pm »

Thanks, gnatcatcher. My regular doctor did order my viral load tests before I went to the HEP C specialist, so this should be ok. Yes, it is exciting to know this will be not part of my life anymore. I have been taking Zantac every evening before bed, about 12 hours after the Harvoni pill. Doc says that is ok, but I know the pill needs an acidic environment. I just don't want to do anything to compromise things.

gnatcatcher · « **Reply #16 on:** August 07, 2017, 08:53:45 pm »

Your doctor is on the right track separating the Zantac (ranitidine) and the Harvoni by 12 hours: https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/harvoni-with-ranitidine-3567-16903-1991-0.html When I clicked on the Professional tab, I saw that the testing was done on a different drug (famotidine) in the same class as Zantac/ranitidine, and that as long as the dose was no higher than what would equal 80 mg/day of famotidine, the effect wasn't significant. If you're not taking more than 300 mg of Zantac/day, you should be okay: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-differences-between-famotidine-and-ranitidine.htm I'm guessing your doctor isn't letting you take more than 300 mg/day anyway.

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Author Topic: Today took my first Harvoni pill- Follow up question (Read 11283 times)