Interferon

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  • Mandy T
    Mandy T Member Posts: 2
    #22
    joyf said:

    going to start soon
    Dr.s say that I should of had Interferon no more then 57 days after surgery? Is this so?I am scheduled to start with weeks. thx for all of your help....I am new here so it is hard to navigate around. thx again

    I ONLY have 4 weeks of
    I ONLY have 4 weeks of Interferon left!!!

    Yes, it was not an easy year...But, now, I can feel better about knowing that I am doing all I can to fight this disease! I still have a lot of living to do. I plan to get married and start a family!

    It is doable. Just drink TONS of water, rest and stay positive! I'm not trying to make it sound easy-but that seems to sum up the last 11 months for me on it. It is different for everyone.

    Here is a really good Melanoma Research Foundation website similar to this. I just found this board today! Both of these websites can help support, encourage, give information, and hopefully bring attention to this disease and lead to further research!

    http://www.mpip.org/bb/bbindex.html

    God Bless you all!
    Mandy T
    IIIa and ONLY 4 weeks of Interferon left!
  • rjscott
    rjscott Member Posts: 1
    #23
    saffire928 said:

    Experience with Interferon
    I too was diagnosed with Melanoma and am in the 12th week of doing the injections three times a week. The first month (the 4 weeks) intravenous was tolerable. Generally, I had the joint pain and fatigue and got a lot of sleep. One thing I asked them to do after my treatment was to keep me hydrated by giving me extra fluid bolus. I did have my days, however, I think I was pretty lucky. I work 40 plus hours a week and I probably missed about 3 total days from work. The injections I do three times a week and still experience the fatigue, but now I have some nausea and my hair is starting to thin out. The main thing is you have to remain positive, because it is real easy to feel sorry for yourself. I am lucky to have a great support group. Don't get me wrong it can be difficult to get through some days, but is tolerable.

    Modafinil for Fatique
    Hi, My husband is in his 2nd week of self injections of Interferon and there is a drug out there that has restored his quality of life. Its called Modafinil ( Provigil) and I think anyone who is on the Interferon treatment should look into this anti fatique medication. It is non addictive-and the side effects are so minimal. THIS WORKS !!! Its very expensive and most insurance company's will not pay for it. You might want to do a little research on this. It is mfg. by Cephalon drug company. It keeps you alert but not antsy. Doctors use it -Airline Pilots and Lawyers. Good Luck on your treatment. Stick with it...
  • mh1229
    mh1229 Member Posts: 22
    #24
    I have no experience with
    I have no experience with interferon but am a stage 3er. I have lots in common with your daughter, working mom with 4 kids. Mine are ages 12,8,5 and 1.
    When I first began my reasearch on interferon I knew it wasn't for me. Besides the side affects I was also not impressed with the effectivness. Instead I went for a clinical trial. There are a few out there right now for stage 3, some that show real promise. I jumping through the hoops to enroll in the ipilimumab trail. If all goes well I will begin it on June 30th.
    Some great resources (for me) have been Aim at Melanoma and Melanoma International Foundation. Lots of good stuff and links to find clinical trials and get questions answered.
    Good luck with your journey...
    Melanie

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