Pegasys Shot #1 - Hepatitis Message Board

Jemah · 04-21-2003, 09:58 AM

Hmmmm, lost my first post, anyway.

Took my first injection Friday and all went well until around 2:30 when I woke up with bad chills. Thank goodness a friend let me borrower her electric blanket and I kicked that sucker up on high. Went back to sleep about an hour later and 2 more tylenols.

Woke up Saturday feeling flu-ish and decided to go for a walk to see if that would help. Made my usual route but had to hurry cuz of all the water I had drank. Well by 3:00pm the Peg had just kicked my hind end!!! I broke down and took some more tylenol and that really helped. I dragged the rest of the day and evening but woke up Sunday feeling semi-normal. Got up, went to church and then to the family farm for a cook out. Played with the kids and felt pretty good.

Today I am at work, no more tired than usual with just a few aches left to remind me I am on chemo. Otherwise I wouldn't think about it.

Neil/Wes/Anyone else! I have some questions. Did you get the flu symtoms with your first shot? How much tylenol can you take in a 24hr period? I was told to take regular strenght but she didn't say how often I could take it. I didn't take any Sunday so I could see how I truely felt and I really didn't need it. Do you remember when you first started?

Take care,
Jeannie

[This message has been edited by Jemah (edited 04-21-2003).]

peg_faith · 04-21-2003, 09:53 PM

Hi there, my husband is starting treatment this friday 25th, peg / intron. I see you are taking tylenol with your shots. I am reading all of the posts here and soaking up so much info. I appreciate that you post your symptoms, thank you. I will be adding my husbands as well if any and how he is managing. This board is wonderful and a real blessing. I am getting really nervous about the needle part, so many what ifs on injecting and what if I or he does it wrong. Oh boy, making myself crazy again! haha.
Bye for now,
Faith.

Good luck to you.

DirtDiva · 04-21-2003, 10:10 PM

Hi Jeannie,

Sounds like everything went OK. Not bad for the first shot.

Hubby was told he can take any strength Tylenol and take as directed on the bottle. She said Motrin is the best but if we wanted Tylenol take that. She said we can substitute one of the Tylenol times for Motrin.

Hopefully someone else can be more helpful on that since Gerry is trying so hard to be a he-man and not take anything so it hasn't been an issue for us.

rparsons · 04-22-2003, 05:18 AM

Jemah, my first shot was the worst. I will never forget the chills I had even under 5 blankets. Thought I'd break my teeth off from chatter. And the aches were terrible. My second was a breeze and felt no sides at all. Each one after that (6 total) has been pretty much the same with minor aches, fever and major tiredness at times for about 2 days. My nurse said to take 2 regular strength Tylonol twice a day to help out with aches & fever but another told me to take 2 Ibuprophen. I tried both and found that 2 Ibu's worked better and allows me to make it through each day easily. By the third day I am doing good and don't need pain relievers anymore. One odd thing I found is that the first time the sides kicked in about 4 hours after the shot. I find that it doesn't kick in till about 12-13 hours now.

Keep in mind that this is a personal experience and that each person reacts differently. Some people feel no sides at all while others have to go on disability it is so bad.

Good luck and I hope that you are one of the first type of persons I mentioned above. Above all keep consistant with drinking lots of water.

Jemah · 04-22-2003, 07:21 AM

Hi all! Thanks for your encouraging words. None of us ever can tell what treatment will be like and we just hope for the best.

Peg and Susan you guys are just great! Your husbands are very lucky that you take an interest in their disease and treatment. Having you by their side will be such support and they way you guys gather info is great. They are lucky to have you and tell them I said so. My husband loves me to death but he doesn't take an active role in finding out information. Its a guy thing, I think (oh boy, I am gonna hear it from Neil

)

Peg, I swear get an electric blanket in case your husband get the chills. Like RP said, they are pretty bad and show up in the middle of the night. Have a bottle of water and tylenol by the bedside so he can take that too. That will lower the fever and help him get back to sleep. Oh course this is all "just in case". Better to be prepared. Make sure he drinks no less than a 1/2 gallon of water starting TODAY! I try to get in a gallon and its not easy but it does stave off the headache and just helps with over well feeling.

Thanks RP, its nice to know that it gets better!!!! I am all for positive thinking.

Take care
Jeannie