Epclusa and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Dec...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 22, 2022

For Hepatitis C "I found out I had Hep C in 2006. The only treatment available was ribavirin and interferon. I read too many horrible experiences that people had, so I did not treat the hepatitis C until this year when my liver showed up 22.6 FibroScan, and I was diagnosed with cirrhosis. During the time leading up to my decision for treatment, I have had numerous illnesses, and I believe they are tied to the Hep C!!! I've only been on treatment for two weeks, and my side effects have included headaches, some vivid dreams, and light sleep, for which I am getting some sleeping pills. I would also advise drinking plenty and staying hydrated. I am 63 and very grateful for the Epclusa, because I really believe a lot of my illnesses were caused by my sick liver! I think things are going to improve significantly once my liver starts to get healthy again. I have noted to come back and leave a comment at the end of my treatment. Stay strong, everybody!!!"

• Joh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 27, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I have just started Epclusa just over a week now. It wasn't till a few days ago it hit me like a ton of bricks. On Saturday, I was feeling so good, worked around the house, no pain from my diabetic neuropathy, no nausea or headaches. Then the next day, I had to call into work! The worst thing is this tiredness. I am so very weak I can barely move, and the headache goes from my forehead down the back of my neck, some dizziness and brain fog. I feel like I need a trip to the emergency room, but I will just keep going and do another update later. Good luck, people!"

• TRT...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 14, 2024

For Hepatitis C "I had a very satisfying experience with Epclusa. I have been infected with Hep C for over 30 years, but I kept holding back from the earlier cure, which I heard was not effective and painful. Recently, I decided to see a gastroenterologist who recommended Epclusa and said it was very effective with minimal side effects. I was skeptical and decided to look up the drug and came upon this website. I found out that most patients had the worst side effects, such as insomnia, stomach cramps, diarrhea, headaches, muscle aches, and worst of all, the symptoms did not go away at the end of the treatment. After much cajoling from my doctor, I decided to start the treatment around 1/2024. To my surprise, I had absolutely no side effects (not even a light headache, itching, loss of energy, insomnia, nor diarrhea). It has been 4 months since I finished my treatment and negative blood test. My advice is to exercise a lot before and during treatment (90 min daily running, walking, lifting weights)."

• And...
• October 15, 2017

For Hepatitis C "I had Hep C G4 2 for 40 years. I am into my 8th week of the 12-week Epclusa treatment. I'm having terrible gas pains. My viral load started at 90,000+ and was down to 20 as of my last blood test. My next blood work is this week. I still have no energy. I was disappointed since my viral load is so low. I thought I would have more energy by now, but the medication is causing fatigue. I’ve been through chemo, so these side effects don’t seem so bad. I've had no nausea. I had headaches and gas pain since day 1. I've been chewing Gas-X and also using Digest Zen essential oil, but nothing is working 100%. I have had skin issues inside my right arm along the vein. It was swollen and itchy. I had to get a grant to cover the co-pays."

• Sma...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2018

For Hepatitis C "Just finished my first month, and here is a breakdown. Week one felt tired. Week 2-3 felt great, had a few bouts of insomnia, have gained weight, and notice I want to eat all day. If I take the medicine on an empty stomach, I get a nauseous feeling, so I now take it with food. I've also noticed if I don’t drink my daily intake of water, I feel tired. Week 4, I’ve suffered from a slight headache in the mornings but not sure if it’s due to the medicine or a sinus/allergy problem."

• Any...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 8, 2024

For Hepatitis C "I was diagnosed with Hep C around 2001. I was finally able to start treatment in October. Luckily, tests showed no liver damage even after all these years. I have 4 weeks to go. The first few days on Epclusa were a little rough but not unbearable, mostly felt like I had the flu. I’ve had little to no side effects and already feel better than I have in 20 years. I have occasional headaches and insomnia. My viral load before treatment was over 2 million. After 6 weeks, it was down to 20, almost undetectable. My doctor is confident it will be undetectable after treatment. Four more weeks to go, and I am so happy to finally be able to live without this virus in my body. Whatever side effects I’ve had have been worth it. Also, my insurance covered most, and I received a coupon to bring my cost down to a $5 co-pay. I’d urge anyone to stick with the treatment. The meds are ridding your body of a deadly virus, so it’s bound to have a few effects, but for me, it’s more than worth it."

• Ski...
• September 30, 2017

For Hepatitis C "I have had Hep C for nearly 40 years and was always very tired. It got to the point I could only work 4 hours a day. I started Epclusa in May and at first had headaches and some nausea. I am now viral free as of my last blood test in August. I do have more energy, but I now have gastritis and haven't felt well for two months with this problem. Now taking Nexium, liquid silver, but it still persists."

• NHa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 10, 2018

For Hepatitis C "Week 3 for me, I take mine at lunchtime. I'm tired a lot. Some mornings I wake up with headaches, not all the time. A couple of days I had body aches. I want to eat all the time too, I gained weight on it-7 pounds in 3 weeks. I am also breaking out like crazy with pimples, and I always had clear skin. I'm most upset about that part! I got blood work yesterday, so hoping for good news even though I know I still have to take the meds for 12 weeks, but I hear a lot of stories. People are negative after 12 days to 4 weeks."

• COL...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2021

For Hepatitis C "In 2008, I had a viral load of just over 21 million! When I started the Interferon/Ribavirin, I only had to take it for 6 months because of my genotype (type 2). Thank goodness it was only 6 months. It was just awful; I looked and felt like rubbish. I did clear the virus-but only for 1 year. I started the Epclusa in May 2021 and cleared the virus after the first 4 weeks. The Epclusa was as easy as taking a vitamin with breakfast. The only noticeable side effects were headache and fatigue the first 4-6 weeks. (My husband said that I was pretty grouchy that first month!) My doctor says that I am completely cured. It has now been 4 months since I completed the Epclusa. I am having headaches almost daily, I cannot get my blood pressure in check, and I am experiencing floaters and flashes of light in my vision. The doctor has found no explanation for these issues, and neither one of us ever even considered that perhaps these problems were long-term side effects of Epclusa."

• COL...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 16, 2021

For Hepatitis C "In 2008, I had a viral load of just over 21 million! When I started the Interferon/Ribavirin, I only had to take it for 6 months because of my genotype (type 2). Thank goodness it was only 6 months. It was just awful; I looked and felt like rubbish. I did clear the virus-but only for 1 year. I started the Epclusa in May 2021 and cleared the virus after the first 4 weeks. The Epclusa was as easy as taking a vitamin with breakfast. The only noticeable side effects were headache and fatigue the first 4-6 weeks. (My husband said that I was pretty grouchy that first month!) My doctor says that I am completely cured. It has now been 4 months since I completed the Epclusa. I am having headaches almost daily, I cannot get my blood pressure in check, and I am experiencing floaters and flashes of light in my vision. The doctor has found no explanation for these issues, and neither one of us ever even considered that perhaps these problems were long-term side effects of Epclusa."

• Txg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 28, 2017

For Hepatitis C "Only been on Epclusa for a week. Super fatigued an hour after taking the med, then much better, full of energy but lost most of my morning. Changed to nighttime but got headaches. Back to taking in the am, but about 9 pm I hit a wall of tired—like someone slipped me something to make me pass out. I know I need to nap more, but my job won’t allow it, so I’ll take it at 7 am, work my butt off, then pass out at 9—not a bad idea anyway for daily living. Diagnosed 2 years ago but know I’ve had Hep C since the '80s.....more to come."

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 14, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I was an IV drug user for about a decade or so, assuming I contracted Hep C sometime between 2007 and 2011 (been clean 5 years now). I had recently tested positive for Hep C, which I assumed I've already had. After going through all of the motions, I have been prescribed generic Epclusa, and I'm about a week in. So far, yes, there have been some side effects, but nothing major, the first couple of days I can only describe it as feeling like I had a hangover with some random headaches and body aches. That's it. And after a few more days, all of that has gone away, and I've been feeling great, actually. I will post another update in about a month's time or so."

• Ejr...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I am 9 months post-treatment. The treatment itself was pretty easy. I discovered early on you have to drink a lot of water to prevent headaches. My main complaint is no one warned me about weight gain. I'm up over 20 lbs. Please be advised substantial weight post-cure is not only possible, it's very common. When the virus gets cleared from your body, your appetite comes back, and you are able to eat full meals again. I wish someone would have warned me about that so I could have been more prepared. Still would have obviously done the treatment, but it would have been nice to have been warned by my doctor."

• Sta...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I am now on week 12 of Epclusa. I will be done this coming Saturday. My viral load went from 152,000 to zero in less than 4 weeks. I am happy that I'm cured, but I had bad side effects: insomnia, major anxiety and depression, paranoid thoughts, headaches, muscle cramps, feeling of being hungover (I no longer drink alcohol). I have made people annoyed with these side effects, so now I am going to have to tell them it was Epclusa, not me. Cannot wait until August 7th so I can throw away that pill bottle and be free. Glad I'm cured and my insurance covered, but it was a bear!"

• she...
• April 23, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I am wondering if anyone who has taken Epclusa and had side effects like headache has also been vaccinated with the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine? Did the vaccine make any of your side effects worse? Thanks for sharing your stories!"

• Tjj...
• December 3, 2017

For Hepatitis C "In July or August, I found out I had Hep C 3a with over 15 million in virus load. I started taking Epclusa on Oct 23, 2017, should be done by Feb 2018, I hope, because getting married in March. I don't know if it's the medicine causing me to hurt more or because I just had back surgery 5 weeks ago. I get stomach cramps like period cramps but had a total hysterectomy in 2013. I also have fatigue, some headaches, and sweats. My doctor raised my estrogen, and I also have bad gas, I can't hold it or even know it's coming. I thought it was from the colonoscopy in September because of the air they put in. I had 12 polyps, still haven't heard from the doctor on that, which is the same doctor I see for the Hep C. He's the one who officially diagnosed me, and I have also gained 12 lbs since I started taking it."

• Rec...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 12, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I completed my 12-week course of Epclusa a little over 2 years ago now, and I felt it would be good for others to know what may happen after treatment. I had a few side effects that impacted my quality of life - brain fog, insomnia (2 hours a night for a LONG time), diarrhea, headaches, and fatigue. Some of those symptoms were worse at times than others, but I managed. My symptoms were actually worse after treatment was complete, with my sleep not normalizing for about 12 months, although it did slowly improve. My brain fog persisted for about 18 months, with my other symptoms clearing up within 18 months. I was clear of the virus after 6 weeks, but continued the full 12-week course. I am 47 (44 when I started the course) and active, but my fitness took a real hit during treatment and for the next year; it was a struggle to do much. I am now at a point where I feel very sharp-minded again and back to normal. The symptoms are manageable, well worth it for your future. Good luck, everyone."

• Sar...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 5, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I have one week left of Epclusa, genotype 1. I don't believe I had it long based on my liver damage, which was only 0.022. I have no idea how I got Hep C. I'm not an IV drug user, I know some, but it's not my thing. Over this past two weeks, I've had horrible knee joint pain, it's so bad I can't get comfortable in any position. I have suffered from insomnia prior to even starting the meds, but it's even worse now. My legs hurt so bad I can't get comfortable to sleep. Once I do fall asleep for a few hours, my knee pain goes away, and then it's back pain. I take my pill at 7 every night. I just am praying the pain in my legs goes away after I'm done, otherwise, I may go bonkers. I feel slightly depressed, no motivation, but no major headaches or nausea. So... it's very odd how the knee pain didn't start until this choice to be off the med."

• Gra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I'm an ex-intravenous drug user. I've been clean for 30 years. I tried a Hepatitis C test swab, even though I was sure I didn't have it, and was shocked to discover that I was positive. Amazingly, my liver is okay. I started Epclusa 5 weeks ago, and I am really having problems staying awake and have no energy. I'm also experiencing headaches and nausea, but I can totally understand that as I've had it for all these years, so I'd expect to feel something. I'm only too grateful that this drug exists at all. I think it's a real miracle, given the success rate. I feel the side effects I'm personally experiencing are a small price to pay for being cured."

• NST...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 24, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I am on my last week of Epclusa. At my 6-week blood work, I was down from 5 million viral load to less than 10. My symptoms were fatigue and headaches, which were manageable, however, these last few weeks have been unbearable with the headaches, and I am getting lightheaded more often."

• ads...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 16, 2023

For Hepatitis C "I was diagnosed with hepatitis C genotype 3 in early 2017. After jumping through hoops, I was approved for Epclusa at little cost to myself. I remember the first few weeks being tired and having a bit of a headache. Beyond those symptoms, I had a relatively smooth experience. I had follow-up lab work a week, 1 month, and 3 months post-medication, and the virus was no longer detectable in my blood. For reference, in 2018, I was a 105 lb female aged 27. I had little to no cirrhosis. I went on to have a healthy pregnancy and baby in 2019, with no complications to my child whatsoever in reference to the hepatitis. Overall, I would take it again if given the chance over again."

• Ala...
• October 30, 2022

For Hepatitis C "I'm on day 6 of starting Epclusa. On day 3, dizziness was so severe I almost had to crawl to the bathroom, went back to sleep, and 3 hours later still couldn't get my head to stop spinning to walk. But when I got up later, the spinning was gone. Seem to always have a slight headache and nausea in the background. Short of breath and cloudy vision really bad. Day 4 and 5, extreme fatigue. Hope it all gets better."

• Lis...
• December 23, 2020

For Hepatitis C "I’m 29, have had Hep C for 10 years. My GI prescribed 12 weeks of Epclusa. I have 4 weeks left. I’ve lost almost 20 lbs. I’m 5’7 and about 128 lbs now, but have stopped dropping weight for the most part. The first 4 weeks I couldn’t work. To do anything was a struggle, headaches come and go. My sleep has been off, bouts of anger, depression, and mood swings have been intense. I don't know why the doctor didn’t say anything about emotional symptoms because they are real and have been present since day one. I’m starting to get my energy back. I messed up and overworked myself for 3 days and ended up throwing up my Epclusa tablet. I’ve only thrown one up and wasn’t able to replace it, but the doctor and pharmacist said it was nothing to worry about. I’ve used green to help with the nausea and other side effects. I’m not suggesting this to anyone, but I couldn’t have done it without it."

• Nik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 3, 2021

For Hepatitis C "I have been on Epclusa for 1 week now. I don't know how long I've had hep C, but in a week I can already tell my brain doesn't feel so clouded. I'm having headaches, but nothing besides those few side effects. I hope that's all I have, other than that, I overall feel better already."

• Jam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 7, 2022

For Hepatitis C "I am on my 10th week, I should have been done 2 weeks ago. At first, I was doing good, taking it every day on time. I should have been eating better when taking this medication: fruits, veggies, white meat, fish, lots of water - which I do not drink. I have headaches in my temple. On the right side, my ears ring, my vision is a little blurry, my neck hurts, my arms feel heavy. I am super calm but irritated and depressed. I keep starting to think that something is medically wrong with me. I am stumbling on my words, I get jerks when relaxed. I talked a lot before and haven't been communicating so much. I am quiet and seem to be in deep thought. I haven't been thirsty, but my mouth is dry, I get a bad taste in my mouth. My skin is clearing up 100%, I'm impressed. At bedtime, I seem to get in bed and lay still and quiet, I fall asleep fast and wake up about twice. I'm not peeing so much due to the non-intake of liquids. I am an addict and have slowed way down on my use, as well as the Coca-Cola, and to top it off, I have not had any blood tests done yet."