› Forums › General Melanoma Community › My 1st Interferon Treatment with Symptoms
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Mavbus.
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:17 am
Today was my first Interferon treatment. The day started at 8am with Oral Compazine for nausea, ibuprofen, 25mg IV Benadryl, 1000mL or normal saline for hydration, IV Zofran for nausea and finally the Interferon. The entire first day process took about 4 hours but should now go a little faster since I have one in the books.
Today was my first Interferon treatment. The day started at 8am with Oral Compazine for nausea, ibuprofen, 25mg IV Benadryl, 1000mL or normal saline for hydration, IV Zofran for nausea and finally the Interferon. The entire first day process took about 4 hours but should now go a little faster since I have one in the books.
I felt pretty good until about 4 hours after the treatment ended. I experienced all the FLU like sysmpoms, have a low grade fever. I did expel my lunch but I really think that was my fault for eating the wrong lunch. I will not make that mistake again. The worst part was the joint pain, chills and very mild shaking while felling hot. The worst of the symptoms (I hope) went away or deminshed in about 2 hrs and 30 min.
I know everyone feels different during Interferon but I wanted to share my 1st experience since I have noticed many recent post about Interferon.
It is a very personal choice and I spent alot of time researching the subject to make a decision I was comfortable with.
I want to thank my family for all the worderful support and everyone on this board for all the information and your willingness to share your experiences.
Allen
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:26 am
Allen,
I hope all goes well for you as you continue Interferon, that the side effects do, indeed, diminish, that you can finish what they've booked you for, and that it does its job and does it well.
Lord, in Your mercy, please make it so. Thank You. Amen!
Grace and peace,
Carol
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:26 am
Allen,
I hope all goes well for you as you continue Interferon, that the side effects do, indeed, diminish, that you can finish what they've booked you for, and that it does its job and does it well.
Lord, in Your mercy, please make it so. Thank You. Amen!
Grace and peace,
Carol
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:37 am
Allen- I am praying for you! You described what I experienced seven months ago when I started interferon. It seems like just yesterday. I will keep you in my thoughts as you complete the first month….one day at a time! Try to drink lots of fluids….it will help with the headaches and body aches. Hang in there!
Michelle
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:37 am
Allen- I am praying for you! You described what I experienced seven months ago when I started interferon. It seems like just yesterday. I will keep you in my thoughts as you complete the first month….one day at a time! Try to drink lots of fluids….it will help with the headaches and body aches. Hang in there!
Michelle
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:53 am
Your first experience sounds a lot like mine. After the first time I never lost my dinner again – I think it was my nerves, worrying how it would all go.
A lot of people, including me, arranged to have the infusions late in the day. My daily appointment was for 4:00 and took about 5 hours each time but this way I was home sleeping for most of the worst side effects.
Good luck to you. It's not an easy treatment but I found it doable and knew I could quit if things got too bad.
DebbieH, stage IIIC, NED nearly 10 years after interferon
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:53 am
Your first experience sounds a lot like mine. After the first time I never lost my dinner again – I think it was my nerves, worrying how it would all go.
A lot of people, including me, arranged to have the infusions late in the day. My daily appointment was for 4:00 and took about 5 hours each time but this way I was home sleeping for most of the worst side effects.
Good luck to you. It's not an easy treatment but I found it doable and knew I could quit if things got too bad.
DebbieH, stage IIIC, NED nearly 10 years after interferon
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- July 19, 2011 at 1:04 am
Allen,
I remember it all too well. I agree with the above poster about trying to get your infusions as late as possible. I, too, got mine at 4:00. Then, I went home, ate, and went to bed. The first few days of high dose are the roughest. I took benadryl and 2 extra strength tylenol. I finished the whole year, so there is hope! I broke it down by week and said, "Okay, one down and four to go." It helped me. Best of luck to you. Please let us know if you need any help.
Tricia
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- July 19, 2011 at 1:04 am
Allen,
I remember it all too well. I agree with the above poster about trying to get your infusions as late as possible. I, too, got mine at 4:00. Then, I went home, ate, and went to bed. The first few days of high dose are the roughest. I took benadryl and 2 extra strength tylenol. I finished the whole year, so there is hope! I broke it down by week and said, "Okay, one down and four to go." It helped me. Best of luck to you. Please let us know if you need any help.
Tricia
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- July 19, 2011 at 1:17 am
Allen
The first 2 nights were the worst for my husband TJ… fever chills etc but after that as long as he had tylenol and advil in his system he was much better. For the first week he did take both on schedule alternating every 4 hours, the remaining weeks he took it as needed but always before his infusion. His onset of side effects was 5 hours after the infusion. I highly recommend a late in the day infusion. Have a meal ready to heat when you walk in the door so you can eat and go to bed. After a few week he started having insomnia and nighttime anxiety (very strange for him) and needed to add a nightly dose of ativan. He is still taking that 6 months in and it is helping. There are so many different possible side effects and no one knows which they will experience but there does seem to be a way to manage each. Keep a log so you can track and report your side effects for better management.
Good luck to you. Its a long road but manageable with support and a positive attitude.
Kelly
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- July 19, 2011 at 1:17 am
Allen
The first 2 nights were the worst for my husband TJ… fever chills etc but after that as long as he had tylenol and advil in his system he was much better. For the first week he did take both on schedule alternating every 4 hours, the remaining weeks he took it as needed but always before his infusion. His onset of side effects was 5 hours after the infusion. I highly recommend a late in the day infusion. Have a meal ready to heat when you walk in the door so you can eat and go to bed. After a few week he started having insomnia and nighttime anxiety (very strange for him) and needed to add a nightly dose of ativan. He is still taking that 6 months in and it is helping. There are so many different possible side effects and no one knows which they will experience but there does seem to be a way to manage each. Keep a log so you can track and report your side effects for better management.
Good luck to you. Its a long road but manageable with support and a positive attitude.
Kelly
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:37 pm
our son seemed to get through it with mild flu symptoms, he also had his infusion later in the afternoon and went home to sleep it off. The nurses advised drinking lots of fluids and eating bananas.
best wishes
James
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- July 19, 2011 at 12:37 pm
our son seemed to get through it with mild flu symptoms, he also had his infusion later in the afternoon and went home to sleep it off. The nurses advised drinking lots of fluids and eating bananas.
best wishes
James
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- July 19, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Allen,
The best of luck in this. I have to agree with everything above especially the Tylenol. I finished the full year, and the only other point I'd like to make not mentioned above is that the doctors started me off with 1,000ml of fluids but quickly doubled that to 2,000ml a day. The extra fluids really help, and having it dropped right into the system is alot easier than trying to drink enough to stay hydrated.
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- July 19, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Allen,
The best of luck in this. I have to agree with everything above especially the Tylenol. I finished the full year, and the only other point I'd like to make not mentioned above is that the doctors started me off with 1,000ml of fluids but quickly doubled that to 2,000ml a day. The extra fluids really help, and having it dropped right into the system is alot easier than trying to drink enough to stay hydrated.
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- July 19, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Allen,
Thank you for sharing your experience with your first Interferon treatment. I have an appointment with my oncologist this afternoon to begin my own treatment cycle, so reading about your 1st treatment experience was insightful.
Best of luck to you as you continue in your treatment.
Sharon
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- July 19, 2011 at 2:01 pm
Allen,
Thank you for sharing your experience with your first Interferon treatment. I have an appointment with my oncologist this afternoon to begin my own treatment cycle, so reading about your 1st treatment experience was insightful.
Best of luck to you as you continue in your treatment.
Sharon
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- July 19, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Hi Allen,
Thank you so much for posting this! I'm scared to death about starting Interferon but it doesn't sound that bad. I mean feeling sick isn't good but I thought from reading other posts that I would feel deathly ill!! Can you drive? How did you sleep? Keep on posting or messaging me with you journey. I should start my treatments August 1st so we'll be right there with each other!! Thank you again for posting!!
Denise
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- July 19, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Denise,
Day 2 has been much better, I have had basically no bone or joint pain today. I have had a mild headache. I did eat a much lighter lunch and had no problems with nausea but take the meds as prescribed, the really help.I can drive and slept well last night. The one thing to watch is how the IV Benadryl makes you feel if you are given any. I receive 25 per day IV and do fine with it. I also made certain I had Tylenol or ibuprofen every 4 to 6 hrs today and I have consumed almost 2 liters of water in addition the the 1000mL IV I receive daily. I am going to look at moving my infusion time to 1 or 2pm so the effects do not hit in mid-afternoon. Currently I start at 8am but may move to 1 or 2 and if I can do that I really believe I will be able to work until my infusion time but I will rest when my body tells me to.
The one thing nice about the early infusion time is that I do not have to wait on a chair and am usually one of the first ones to get started but I will weight that against my desire to work if possible.
Best of luck to you are you prepare to start Interferon. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Regards,
Allen
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- July 20, 2011 at 4:27 am
Hi Allen,
Ii'm so glad to hear your day 2 went better than day 1! Yeah from what I read from everyone else doing the later day treatments sounds much better. I've already prepared to take the first month off work. I was concerned about being able to drive because it would be dificult to get someone to drive me everyday, so that's good news that you can drive. I didn't realize it took 4 hours for the infusion. I thought it was only 20 minutes. I guess we all guess at what to expect and don't really know until we're there. I really appreciate you sharing!! 🙂
Thanks again, Denise
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- July 21, 2011 at 12:06 am
Denise,
The Interferon infusion is only about 20-30 minutes, the fluid for hydration is 2 hrs for 1000mL and the Zofran infusion takes about 20-30 minutes. The IV fluids really help and I now have a goal of drinking an additional 2-3 liters of water daily after the infusion to help with the headaches.
Allen
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- July 21, 2011 at 12:06 am
Denise,
The Interferon infusion is only about 20-30 minutes, the fluid for hydration is 2 hrs for 1000mL and the Zofran infusion takes about 20-30 minutes. The IV fluids really help and I now have a goal of drinking an additional 2-3 liters of water daily after the infusion to help with the headaches.
Allen
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- July 20, 2011 at 4:27 am
Hi Allen,
Ii'm so glad to hear your day 2 went better than day 1! Yeah from what I read from everyone else doing the later day treatments sounds much better. I've already prepared to take the first month off work. I was concerned about being able to drive because it would be dificult to get someone to drive me everyday, so that's good news that you can drive. I didn't realize it took 4 hours for the infusion. I thought it was only 20 minutes. I guess we all guess at what to expect and don't really know until we're there. I really appreciate you sharing!! 🙂
Thanks again, Denise
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- July 19, 2011 at 10:53 pm
Denise,
Day 2 has been much better, I have had basically no bone or joint pain today. I have had a mild headache. I did eat a much lighter lunch and had no problems with nausea but take the meds as prescribed, the really help.I can drive and slept well last night. The one thing to watch is how the IV Benadryl makes you feel if you are given any. I receive 25 per day IV and do fine with it. I also made certain I had Tylenol or ibuprofen every 4 to 6 hrs today and I have consumed almost 2 liters of water in addition the the 1000mL IV I receive daily. I am going to look at moving my infusion time to 1 or 2pm so the effects do not hit in mid-afternoon. Currently I start at 8am but may move to 1 or 2 and if I can do that I really believe I will be able to work until my infusion time but I will rest when my body tells me to.
The one thing nice about the early infusion time is that I do not have to wait on a chair and am usually one of the first ones to get started but I will weight that against my desire to work if possible.
Best of luck to you are you prepare to start Interferon. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
Regards,
Allen
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- July 19, 2011 at 8:44 pm
Hi Allen,
Thank you so much for posting this! I'm scared to death about starting Interferon but it doesn't sound that bad. I mean feeling sick isn't good but I thought from reading other posts that I would feel deathly ill!! Can you drive? How did you sleep? Keep on posting or messaging me with you journey. I should start my treatments August 1st so we'll be right there with each other!! Thank you again for posting!!
Denise
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- July 21, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Hi. I got lost my lunch after my first IV dose of INF also, but thats the only time it happened. i felt all the flu-like symptoms all the way through the end of my INF experience, which was 1 month of high dose, and 9 months of self injections. I never noticed a change in the flu-like symptoms, they always came no matter what i did. Good luck to you! Also, alot of people ask for a low dose anti-depressant when staring INF as it does tend to make the brain a little "off" at times. If you havent discussed this with your medical provider, iw ould suggest it. It really can help so that you can do the full year of treatment. Good luck again!!
djpayn
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- July 21, 2011 at 10:28 pm
Hi. I got lost my lunch after my first IV dose of INF also, but thats the only time it happened. i felt all the flu-like symptoms all the way through the end of my INF experience, which was 1 month of high dose, and 9 months of self injections. I never noticed a change in the flu-like symptoms, they always came no matter what i did. Good luck to you! Also, alot of people ask for a low dose anti-depressant when staring INF as it does tend to make the brain a little "off" at times. If you havent discussed this with your medical provider, iw ould suggest it. It really can help so that you can do the full year of treatment. Good luck again!!
djpayn
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