Is it normal to feel nauseous on interferon as I’ve felt queasy all day had 45 of peg last Monday first few days had a itch and now feel very lightheaded sick
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Hi @djleighp I hope someone will be able to share their experiences for you.
Have you talked to your specialist nurse or medical team about your symptoms?
Please really look after yourself and let us know how you get
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Hi @djleighp
Thank you so much for your post.
We are sorry to hear that you are having some itching, lightheadedness and nausea.
These are all listed as common side effects of this drug, however we would advise informing your team/ clinical nurse specialist as it’s important to keep them updated on how you are feeling. They may also be able to prescribe anti-sickness medication if needed.
I have enclosed the patient information leaflet for this medication in case it is useful and these side effects are listed under section 4. ‘possible side effects’ pil.15748.pdf
Take care,
Emma (support services nurse)
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Thanks for the information @Emma_BloodCancerUK I shall speak to my CNS on Monday see if they can prescribe a anti sickness and a anti histamine
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Good evening @djleighp, I was diagnosed with Essential thrombocythemia (ET) almost 7 years ago now (next month to be precise) and was put on Pegylated Interferon injections from April of 2018. I have had varying doses over the years ranging from 45mcg every two weeks through to 135mcg weekly towards the end of last year. Headaches, itching and nausea were regular side effects over that time although the intensity of each of those were very variable. I hope that your symptoms settle down for you soon.
Take care, stay safe, be kind to yourself and keep on smiling.
Best wishes,
Jimbo165
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@Jimbo165 thanks for replying I shall just stick with it as I only just started just this nausea driving me mad spent most of day in bed
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Hi @djleighp if you have still got the nausea perhaps it is worth a call to your specialist nurse or medical team and really tell them how bad it is,
It sounds miserable for you, be very kind to yourself and please do keep posting how you are
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Thanks @Emma_BloodCancerUK @Erica I have now got my anti sickness tabs they put me on 10mg metoclopramide what a difference they make to be honest
I don’t know if it’s me but since starting peg I feel really bad fatigue as well could easily go back to bed after being up ten mins but I have to crack on as look after me dad
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Good evening @djleighp, and everyone else, hope you are all as well as can be. Sadly fatigue was by far my biggest side effect from the Pegasys injections and, I am sorry to say in my case, that they didn’t ever get any better, although the marvellous creation that we all roam around in, otherwise known as our body’s, does manage to adapt and develop a way to carry on doing the things that are important to us.
I have to say that I didn’t think that my fatigue levels could ever get any deeper, but then I started on Hydroxycarbamide capsules, a few weeks before Christmas, and it seems that I was inaccurate (or just plain wrong!) and I feel permanently fatigued these days, although I still manage to work full-time.
I can’t offer any “magic solutions” to your fatigue, although I wish I could but, in my experience of the last 7 years of treatment, you can and do “get used to it”, albeit reluctantly so.
Please forgive me if I have depressed you with my honesty, that was not my intention.
As always, take care, stay safe, be kind to yourself and keep on smiling.
Best wishes,
Jimbo165
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@Jimbo165 thanks for the reply yeah I’m new to this journey and the fatigue does me in I have to have a afternoon nap cos I’m that tired
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@Emma_BloodCancerUK @Erica @Jimbo165
I’ve had this dull ache like stick behind where my spleen is should I be worried as my enlarged spleen is 14.9 cm in size
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Good morning @djleighp and everyone else, hope you are as okay as can be. Yes, I too have a constant dull ache in my left side, below my ribs and above my hip and I have an ultrasound scan done every couple of years to keep an eye on both my liver, always an uncooperative organ, and my spleen. Both have been “above average” in size throughout the last (almost) 7 years of this chapter in my life and, I suspect, for some considerable time before then too. Personally speaking, I find it very difficult to lie down on my left side for more than a few moments, which is awkward as I prefer to sleep on that side. I suspect that this too also contributes to my poor sleeping ability, which further impacts on my fatigue levels. But, and as I have said before in this thread and other ones, our bodies do adapt and adjust to our “new normal” (NN) despite the NN being such a variable one.
As always, take care, stay safe, be kind to yourself and keep on smiling.
Best wishes,
Jimbo165
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Hi @djleighp obviously @Jimbo165 had shared his experiences, but I always believe in letting my specialist nurse or medical team know of all new or having changed symptoms and their severity and impact on my life.
@Jimbo165 has shown so clearly how one symptom can affect other areas of our well being.
Really look after yourselves and be very kind to yourselves
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@Jimbo165 I’ve been on hydroxycarbamide for about seven or eight months now. I did notice an increase in fatigue at first. It did gradually fade over the months and for the past couple of months my fatigue is less than before I started treatment. I hope you have a similar experience.
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Hi @djleighp
Sorry to hear that you are having pain.
We would recommend telling your team about this pain so that they are aware of how you are feeling. If possible perhaps call your CNS again about this?
If this pain is severe we would advise ringing the triage line if your hospital has this or 111.
If you need further support you can give us a call on 0808 2080 888 , reply to us a @BloodCancerUK_Nurses or email us at support@bloodcancer.org.uk
Take care,
Emma (Support Services Nurse)
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