User Reviews for ribavirin oral

the medicine made me feel very ill only to be told that your medication was not working

I started this treatment in May 08 & stayed on it for 4 wks--3pills am & pm with 1 shot a week. Ended up needing a blood transfusion-was weak, short of breath,lost weight,& pooped FIRE! It did drop my viral load from 685,000 to 615 but within 3 wks of no treatment the load is back on the rise and they want me to start again--I just recovered I am not lookin forward to starting-I was a healthy fit 58 yr old woman -when I was hospitilized I looked & felt like 80! I am genotype 1

I have been on this drug (ribavrin), interferon, and a clinical trial of Telaprevir (hopefully not a placebo) for 6 weeks. I was told told to expect to be sick, get a bad rash, lose weight(I had hope for this one), and generally expect the worst. But I'm happy told say that it hasn't been so bad. I just noticed the first signs of a rash on my chest today and my lack of sleeping has been helped by Melatonin tablets but other wise I think the worst part is the tiredness I feel the day I give myself the shot.I had a lot of lower back pain for a few weeks. Unfortunately no weight loss has occurred. I was told that the first month is usually the hardest and if this is as bad as it is going to get I can definately live with it for a 70-80% chance to be Hep C free (if the Telaprevir is real). I see a lot of messages saying how bad the side effects are but I hope that won't sway people away from getting treatment because it may not be as bad as you think it will be. I just had my blood drawn and they won't give me a viral load but they are supposed to let me know if I'm responding to the treatment. I guess I'll just have to hope for the best. Read More Read Less

I have been taking this medication for only 5 weeks, before I started my viral load was 1.2 million after 4 weeks my viral load was undetectable, I still have 43 weeks to go and I would not wish any of the side affects on anybody. Each day I experience something different. In the long run so far I guess I am very fortunate. I do walk 2-3 miles a day and found out it helps with my side affects and not to mention it helps me controll my blood sugar and blood pressure, I am taking 1 mg of xanax at bedtime and it helps me sleep through the nightRead More Read Less

I took Ribavirin with Peg-Interferon for 48 weeks. The first 12-16 weeks were the worst. I had nausea,depression, lack of sleep, RLS and other flu-like symptoms. After 48 weeks they told me I was to continue for another 12 weeks. Ten weeks into the second part of my treatment the doctor told me to discontinue usage as my viral load count was almost to the original number before I started over a year ago!! NEVER AGAIN!!!!!!

I been on my meds for 12 weeks, my side effects hav'nt been to bad some days worse than others. one never knows what to expect from hour to hour. Be sure not to wear jewerly my necklace gave me a large rash on the back of my neck and back, feels like allagater skin now. my back hurts alot and I pace the floors alot. white cells are being distroyed so i'm on nupagon shots every 3 days. doc. reduced my doses and have felt pretty good the past few days. I just hope its working. good luck to all

I've taken this medication for one year of HELL along with Pegasys. The past two blood tests was negative, but I've lost all of my facial hair from the top of my head to the bottom of my chin including the nose area. I also developed a rash on my back and neck which had a terrible itch. I was told the hair would return and after 3 months i'm still waiting. I was told to take 2 tablets in the morning and 2 at night which lowered my red blood count, I was hospitalize for three days. Afterwards the doctor lowered it to one pill twice a day. The future medication for Hep C has to be better. It's been a hard fight. Read More Read Less

been on treatment since aug. 07. the last 2-3 months have been pure hell. serious weight loss. started at 174lbs. now at 132lbs. saw the dr. yesterday, have very bad hand tremors, also serious infection. suppose to be on treatment til dec.08. not gonna make it. treatment is killing me. have choise 2 stop treatment and take risk of hep coming back, rather then let the cure kill me. i'm a strong women but can't stand up to this treatment. also they can't tell me for sure if at the end of treatment i'll no longer have hep c. Read More Read Less

I had really bad side effects shortness of breath confusion.muscle ache headache iwas on the tx for 3 weeks now my doctor took me off of it and I am still sick with chills muscule ache no appetite not sure if I want to continue I go back to the doctor on fri

i am sick most days but if this drug and the other treatments will sustain my life and help me to have a normal life 6 months is not much to ask this treatment is hard on your family I have always been the primary caregiver in my family and now they are caring for me . I was too sick to go to my sons eagle scout award banquet. you definetly need a lot of support to get through the treatment

While the side effects are horrible, it is certainly better than having liver failure and needing a transplant. You learn to manage the side effects and with a good physician you make it through it. I have only 3 more weeks of treatment -- only then will I know if it worked. This is round 2 for me, the first for 6 months only to show active again 30 days after treatment completed. Was put back on treatment for 48 weeks. Again, only 3 more weeks -- there is light at the end of the tunnel.

I began treatment with Ribavirin and co-Pegasus back in Aug. 2007. I have had severe nausea, severe vomiting and other stomach distress. I lost 40 pounds the first 90 days. I use meds to control but they have stopped working. Have had shingles, pneumonia, bronchitis,thrush, and overall feel achy, exhausted and can not sleep 3-5 nights a week. I am now hoping to survive the drug treatment not the disease!

After taking for 2 months I began to feel confusion and very sleepy all the time.my face looked pasty and I started with nausea ,dizziness, and then cramps in my side which I fainted and my kid found me on the floor, I had hit my face and was black & blue. My dr told me to continue to take med and I said,no way. I could not function anymore. My dr blamed it on my blood pressure meds and I have been taking them for 7 years with no problem. I am a nurse!!!

horrible just horrible

SICK AS A DOG, ALL THE SIDE EFFECTS I HAVE HAD SINCE TREATMENT ARE HORRIBLE, I USED WITH PEG-INTERFERON, SOMEDAYS FEEL LIKE PUTTING GUN TO HEAD, DOCTORS DON'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE THE PROBLEMS, RLS, STOMACH PROBS, BONES, JOINTS, MUSCLES, DEPRESSION AND MORE, THE GIFT JUST KEEPS GIVING ! I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS TREATMENT, MY LIFE IS A MILLION TIMES WORSE ! DO NOT USE THIS POSION !

The achy joints flulike symptoms nausea vomiting

Near death experience in that the user developed a life threatening pneumonitis affecting both lungs and requiring mechanical ventilation for 2 weeks . Use of megadoses of steriods needed to resolve inflammation with resulting in muscular atrophy within the 2 weeks and unable to moves extremities--this required 2 months of therapy to regain strength to at least be able to walk with a walker. The steroids also induced a delirium and psychosis with Jekyll and Hyde behavior--very weird but true. It took a year to make near complete recovery. All this occurred in a 69 year old who walked 3 miles a day and had been relatively healthy prior to treatment having only found with Hep C during labwork. I guess the Ribivirin works for some but for others very dangerous--I personally would not recommend it.Read More Read Less