I've been on an antiviral for the past week. At first it caused terrible nausea and headache, even on a low dose.....so I lowered the dose (my Dr. had thought I might need to at first). After lowering the dose, I was able to bear the side effects for the second 1/2 the week. I was VERY weak/fatigued all week and had viral symptoms (sore throat and painful lymph nodes) as bad, if not worse, than usual. The worsened fatigue and viral symptoms could have been caused by the anti-viral, or just a continued crash from my visit south.
I did some online research and found that the antiviral (famciclovir) only keeps herpes viruses from replicating, it doesn't actually get rid of a virus. While my Dr. and I both suspect I have some kind of virus, who knows if this particular drug targets it?......it just got me thinking. In my research, I found one case of a Dr. who had used it in a severe case of mononucleosis with excellent results, otherwise, outside of shingles, simplex herpes, and chicken-pox there isn't much info available.
So, I'm going OFF the drug after only a week.
If later in the summer or autumn I start to get an especially large flare of viral symptoms, I may try it again. Unfortunately I can't discuss this with my Dr. until Dec. when I see her, but I decided the side effects aren't worth it, especially since it seems this antiviral doesn't get rid of viruses anyways.
It's funny because when I feel awful I'm so desperate to "try something" and yet after trying something for only a week I'm deciding it isn't worth the hassle of dealing with the side effects at this point (especially when this antiviral is experimental for M.E./cfs anyways).
The last two days my energy has begun to pick up just a little. I'm hoping the trend continues. I'm desperate to "get out" and do something. For the last week, I've been doing editing work in the mornings (part of my graduate assistant work) and resting in the afternoons and evenings.
You know, mediation and side the affects are one of those issues that we have to continually deal with and there is no right or wrong answer.
ReplyDeleteI think you just have to do what is best for you at that moment and that is what it sounds like you are doing.
I hope the rest of your summer off the medication is a much more symptom free one.
I just stumbled upon your blog.
ReplyDeleteI have tried so many meds that I can't even keep count, and yes, most of them I stopped because the benefits just did not outweigh the side effects. I always fall into that (1% of patients may experience......) category.
We often have to make decisions for ourselves, sounds like you know that well.
...the ongoing and difficult dilema--is the treatment (medication) worth the side effects? Good for you giving the anti-viral a try and good for you getting off it when the pay off wasn't worth the side effects you were experiencing. I appreciate your sharing what you learned from your research about famciclover.
ReplyDeleteSmall example of the medication dilemma, I experienced last night. I just changed my emergency migraine med. to another form because my insurance covers it and stopped covering the one I've used with little side effects for many years. I needed to take it for the first time last night. I will not take another...the achey flu-like pain, the fibromyalgia pain it triggered, was as bad as the migraine pain.
Hoping that you keep gaining energy and can do as much of your graduate work as possible.
I'm a bit late, but maybe a combination of antiviral plus immune booster? So while virus replication is suppressed, your immune system gets boosted and can fight off what remains? I get gamma globulin injections. They're expensive as hell, but well worth it I think in the long run.
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