Hep C Discussion Forum

Hi Cherri,

Congrats on finishing treatment successfully! Have you had an EOT +4 viral load or are you waiting until week 12 for your final test? I see that your end of treatment (EOT) results were undetected, so odds are very good they will remain that way! Let us know when you hear something.

Unfortunately the side effects from treatment can last several months following EOT. Anytime Ribavirin is part of the protocol, it can take 6 months or more to clear the medication. The VP is gone by now, but Ribavirin sinks it's hooks into you and doesn't let go. You'll notice continued improvements over time, but don't expect anything to happen quickly. It took me an entire year to feel free of it's effects. Remember when you started it? They warned all women of child bearing age to use two methods of birth control throughout treatment and no less than 6 months after EOT. That's because the Riba continues to have an affect on you for at least that long. I don't know how severe your problems are, but you're doing the right thing by seeing your specialist. If it's the Ribavirin causing these issues, there isn't much you can do but wait it out and treat the headaches symptomatically. I suffered afterwards, but it gets better. Some improve faster than others, so you may be fortunate and not have these problems hang around too much longer.

Continue to concentrate on adequate hydration. As long as these issues are plaguing you, I would continue to hydrate and care for yourself in the same manner you did on treatment. I know it's not an easy road, but recovery takes time and as much as we would like to finish treatment and be back to 100% weeks later, it just doesn't happen. Especially with Ribavirin... You went through several months of a difficult treatment and the drugs really cause some changes to occur, mentally and physically. Don't get discouraged and do your best to remain upbeat. You beat a serious disease, now it's time to let the healing begin and it will.