Author: tearj3rker

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:59 am

A couple of weeks ago I started on a gruelling 6 month course of Interferon & Ribavirin ( http://www.pegasys.com/pegasys/ ), with the aim to cure my Hep C. I’m extremely grateful that, because of my strain, I only have to be on it for 6 months and not 12. I’m one of the "lucky" ones.

I gave myself my 2nd injection of interferon last Thursday, and things have started to get a bit rough. For most people, side-effects come later. But given my pre-existing conditions (bipolar, addiction) and the meds I’m on, some of the side-effects have kicked in relatively early. I’ve started to get a funky rash around my elbows, knuckles and ankles. I feel quite "ill" around the days of my injection. Most of all, already my mood has taken a turn for the worse.

Today, after seeing the psych, he thought it would be best to put me on anti-depressants. I’ve had a rocky relationship with these drugs over my life. They’re extremely effective, don’t get me wrong. My issue is that in the past, there have been so many incidents of going on anti-depressants, then relapsing into addiction within a couple of weeks, especially if I’m on buprenorphine. For some reason I have a freaky liver that metabolises Suboxone really fast when I’m on SSRI/SNRI medications.

So I’m praying (and I’m not even religious!) that I can fight through any increased cravings that might come my way. It’s hard given that anti-depressants work so well, and I become so "happy" and incapable of remembering the depressing parts of my life, that I’m only capable of remembering the enjoyable parts of my addiction.

F*&k I hope I don’t relapse. I’m gunna try really hard. Hopefully this association was only psychological. I’ll keep you guys posted.

T.

Author: tearj3rker

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:59 am

A couple of weeks ago I started on a gruelling 6 month course of Interferon & Ribavirin ( http://www.pegasys.com/pegasys/ ), with the aim to cure my Hep C. I’m extremely grateful that, because of my strain, I only have to be on it for 6 months and not 12. I’m one of the "lucky" ones.

I gave myself my 2nd injection of interferon last Thursday, and things have started to get a bit rough. For most people, side-effects come later. But given my pre-existing conditions (bipolar, addiction) and the meds I’m on, some of the side-effects have kicked in relatively early. I’ve started to get a funky rash around my elbows, knuckles and ankles. I feel quite "ill" around the days of my injection. Most of all, already my mood has taken a turn for the worse.

Today, after seeing the psych, he thought it would be best to put me on anti-depressants. I’ve had a rocky relationship with these drugs over my life. They’re extremely effective, don’t get me wrong. My issue is that in the past, there have been so many incidents of going on anti-depressants, then relapsing into addiction within a couple of weeks, especially if I’m on buprenorphine. For some reason I have a freaky liver that metabolises Suboxone really fast when I’m on SSRI/SNRI medications.

So I’m praying (and I’m not even religious!) that I can fight through any increased cravings that might come my way. It’s hard given that anti-depressants work so well, and I become so "happy" and incapable of remembering the depressing parts of my life, that I’m only capable of remembering the enjoyable parts of my addiction.

F*&k I hope I don’t relapse. I’m gunna try really hard. Hopefully this association was only psychological. I’ll keep you guys posted.

T.