Harvoni - The Side Effects

It truly is a new day in Hep C treatment. The effects of using Harvoni are a far cry from the often brutal effects of the old Interferon/Ribavirin standard treatment. Fatigue, Insomnia, Brain Fog, Night Sweats, Irritation/Anger, Restless Leg Syndrome, Hair Loss, Depression, Memory Loss, etc. etc. etc. I believe there were some 60+ posts under the tag "Hep C treatment side effects" during the time I was on the old chemotherapy. This time around the side effects are much fewer and more easily managed.

I have noticed a persistent low-grade headache; some abdominal effects notably diarrhea and bouts of truly astonishing amounts of gas production; a bit of nausea occasionally and finally, quite contrary to the advertised fatigue, a bit of a speedy effect, especially if  any caffeinated beverages are consumed. The headache is manageable through over the counter meds, the gas is manageable by removing myself from the company of others and enduring the effects alone and the energy boost can be useful though it is accompanied by enough loss of focus that it is best avoided.

It will be interesting to keep track of how the side effects evolve over time. So far, the nausea has decreased a lot, the headache has slowly been increasing and the speed effects are something I am trying to keep away from. My primary hope in the long term, is that killing off the virus will help with the brain fog and other long term memory and cognitive deficits of Hep C. Until then I can just keep on wearing the wrist band with my name on it...