Epclusa Ruined My Life

Has anyone experienced severe anxiety, constant crawling feeling in body after epclusa treatment. Its like my brain and body aren't working right anymore? I had terrible side effects. Finished in January, now it's June and feels like I'm still taking the poison.

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Hello, Barbara! How are you? Has there been any change?

Those are not normal side effects of this medication according to recent FDA reports. They typical include nausea, dizziness, insomnia, depression, and diarrhea.

Are you on any other medications? Do you take any supplements? Do you drink a lot of sugary, or caffeinated beverages?

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Yes I started with hand/arm pain about a month after starting treatment. Now I am three months post treatment and the pain has now been nerve pain in my hands, lower legs, hands, arms and scalp and hair loss. Also intense anxiety at times.

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I have experienced those same symptoms. I am 4 months post treatment with no improvement.

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Re: Suzanne (# 2)

I just started taking this medicine and I have a question... Was your hair loss experience right away or over the course of treatment? Thank you

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Re: Suzanne (# 2)

My hair is falling out more than before. This anxiety is different than regular anxiety. It's like your mind and body are not able to relax anymore. I know it has damaged something in my brain that controls gaba, or something that calms you down. I feel like my mind is slowly going away.

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Re: Skpp930 (# 5)

That is similar to what I am feeling. Have you tried to treat symptoms with supplements or dietary changes? What does your doctor say about it? I am anxious to find a way to feel better.

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Re: Susie (# 6)

I've had every test done there is, doctors don't know anything about this medication, and they told me they didn't. Even Gilead couldn't tell me why I was having this reaction. I had to be put on Klonopin to take, my insides and body was shaking so much. It felt like I was burning up inside from my brain down. No one did anything to help me, they thought I was crazy, except one E.R. Dr. He called the gastro Dr. that prescribed it and told him I needed to be taken off of it, and the gastro Dr. said no and that I was making it worse than what it was. I was the 3rd patient he had given it to. The other 2 didn't have a problem, so I shouldn't either. He was a monster. I went through a living hell and am still in it. Can't remember, can't think straight still feel Crawley inside, especially in my brain, they have me on Xanax now. After the treatment, I tapered off of all the benzos, my brain was so messed up, I didn't even know who I was, anymore, how to get to places I'd been to many times, I totally lost my mind. I've stopped benzos, and alcohol before, never had any of these horrifying feelings. I had to go back on Xanax to be able to function. This medicine epclusa damaged my nervous system, I don't care what anybody else says, I felt it doing it when I took it. I finished treatment the last of January 2017, my hair is falling out more now than after I finished treatment. I'm still having to live with my daughter. I hate Xanax, don't want it, I want my brain back I had before epclusa. When this Xanax stops working, I'll have to be put in a place to be taken care of because of my mind. It's the only thing keeping me calmed down, and if I don't take it I hear music in my head over and over everyday. I'm scared I'm slowly losing my mind. I feel like epclusa burned it up. And to top it off got denied disability. Something needs to be done. None of these doctors are gonna blame the Hep c medicines, they are going say our Hep c did this to us, but it didn't, the medication did it.

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Re: Skpp930 (# 7)

And I've done everything about my diet, but nothing changes it! This stuff kills a lot more than Hep c.

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Re: Skpp930 (# 7)

So sorry to hear about all the suffering you are going through. I have been listening to guided imagery and healing hypnosis videos on youtube. It helps some when I'm feeling very anxious or need to calm down to get to sleep. My biggest complaint is the nerve pain mostly in my scalp and neck also forearms, feet and lower legs. It just flares up out of nowhere. I have been on some pain pills and a small amount of xanax in the evening to help with sleep. I'm thinking about getting treatment at a chiropractors office that specializes in neuropathy. There are many new modalities but it is very expensive. They want over $6,000 for 42 treatments. My brain also feels very forgetful and I lose words in conversations. I'm also very weepy all the time. I'm so tired of feeling this way but I won't give up. I see this passing at some point. I can't accept this.

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

I have been on epclusa for eight weeks and three days. In the first two months I felt like I was poisoned. Had hep c. After three weeks my viral load was zero. I have stage four cirrhosis and will take total of twelve weeks. This is the first week that I have felt (normal). I.e. not feeling like I wanted to die. I hope next four weeks are like now. Stay on course. Dont miss a dosage. There is light ahead.

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

All of this was due to epclusa. It's been a little over a year, still haven't got my hair back, and no, I eat healthy. Still have to be medicated, still no memory, still wake up with body parts like they are vibrating. I wouldn't advise anyone to take this poison! If you went through it with no problems, just wait, they will start up. Many have said they didn't feel anything during treatment but they do now. I'll never feel a normal day again. All I can say is, when god is ready to take me, im more than willing to go, to get out of this nightmare!

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Re: Kathleen (# 10)

I pray for your sake you're right. It's been a little over a year, I'm still the same. A lot of people that didn't have any trouble when taking it are now. I'll pray for you. It totally ruined my life, my job, my brain, my body, everything. I wish I knew what feeling normal felt like for 1 day. It never got better when I took it, just worse and worse.

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Re: Kathleen (# 10)

I am one of the fortunate ones to receive epclusa treatment. The first eight weeks were brutal. No one told me how devastating the medication was. There were werks at a time where I was not able to function. I am today on ninth week and now feel like Ive made it through to the other side. The internet and forum helped me to become knowledgeable about epclusa. Will not know if my cirrohis has improved from stage 4 for many months but my heo c viral load is now zero. It's a great medication but please read all you can to be totally informed. I could not sleep. Got ambien for that. Don't be shy about calling drs office to tell them what you are experiencing or feeling. Don't miss any doses and drink lots of water.

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Re: Kathleen (# 13)

I hope it stays that way for you. God be with you.

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Re: Kathleen (# 13)

My viral load was 0 in the first month! Yeah, it got rid of hep c and killed a lot of other stuff my body needed in the process!

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I'm happy to share that my hair loss has stopped and I believe it is growing back. Also my nerve pain in scalp is gone. I still have minimal nerve pain in my shins, and forearms that come on with stress but is much better than before. No more tendonitis or hand pain unless I use my hands repetitively for too long. I am about 10 months post treatment. I am much better than I was six months ago. It's been a slow come back though. Still hoping for more improvement and getting back to normal

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Re: Skpp930 (# 8)

Hello skipp930. I also have has some hair loss. I just am so beyond belief that my doctor, the pharmacist, nor my nurse practitioner told me anything about epclusa. Other than the fact that it would get rid of my hep C. I feel like they did not explain anything well in the pamphlet provided at the pharmacy concerning all of the devastating side effects it had. I still can't get over the fact that I just found out it's a black box medication. I feel that everyone on a epclusa is a guinea pig. I hope you get some relief feeling better soon. I hope that the people on this forum can inform people and make them have educated decisions about what they need to do for their health. Good luck skip.

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Re: Verwon (# 1)

Hi Barbara. I have not experienced nerve sensation. What I have experienced is a restlessness and the inability to sleep longer than four hours at a time. I spent my first eight weeks of epclusa in bed. I would call my n.p. and she would act so surprised when I would say I felt like I was poisoned. I could not function. I felt like i was in a fog. I had no energy. Everything was a chore - i.e bathing/walking. No one prepared me for what was to happen. I have hair loss. I have changed. I am no longer full of life. I have a zero viral load but just completed epclusa may 29th. I wont be tested for viral load or progression of cirrhosis stage four until August. I am going to lobby for physicians to have mandatory sessions with patients to explain what is to come. I wish you the best.

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I have just finished 12 weeks if epclusa may 28th. I have started losing my hair. I have pain in my knees and shoulders. The joint pain just started. If I would have been told of all the side effects such ad ferling poisoned and totally being unable to stay out if bed I might have looked at other options. My hep c is at zero viral count but my stage 4 chirrous is still with me.
I guess its a death sentence but lost almost three months of my life in a daze. I would warn others to check options. Best of health to all of you.

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Re: Skpp930 (# 8)

I took Epclusa for three months last summer and I am still having severe anxiety and insomnia, muscle pain, mental fog, fatigue. Doctors are useless and always have been. I didn't even bother to go back. I was abandoned during treatment and had to ask my naturopath for help. I now take CBD oil (find one with 250mgs in the bottle and take 1/4 dropper on the tongue. Don't swallow right away, roll it around for 90 seconds then swallow), Bach Flower Essence which really works (I use 1/2 dropper full as often as I want and also roll it around on the tongue). I also take L-Theonine 200mgs at night (an amino acid), Melissa 1.5 gms at night (an herb also known as lemon balm, and it comes in capsule form), Taurine 200mgs am and pm, (another amino acid), magnesium 800mgs at night, and I stopped eating meat, dairy, and wheat but still eat lots of eggs, butter, veggies, potatoes fruit, brown rice so i'm not going hungry). I take Turmeric for pain. All of this has helped a lot. You should be able to find everything except CBD at any grocery store or herbal shop. If cannabis is legal in your area, it is here, you can find CBD at any pipe shop. CBD is not available on Amazon so don't confuse hemp oil for CBD oil, it's NOT the same thing. The listing must say "CBD" and give the milligram per bottle to be considered true CBD oil. But there are CBD oils available from private websites and it's not horribly expensive. Cannabis also helps a lot if you use a pure indica strain but go slow. I really hope this helps you find relief. MDs never help with side effects. They are useless in my opinion. The regimen I listed has stopped most of the anxiety and insomnia. Pain is still an issue but all of the supplements I listed helps it from being unbearable. If you can only afford one thing, I would choose the CBD oil. If you can afford to, I would see a naturopath for guidance. But you can do all of this by yourself too.

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Re: Kathleen (# 17)

Hi Kathleen iv been trying to contact you I need some info please reply lou

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Re: Kathleen (# 250)

How are you since your last post? I ended up with covid. Please write back. Lou.

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Re: Jilly Bean (# 277)

You’re having the same symptoms as my fiancé did after taking epclusa. He got cirrhosis after taking it and was very sick for a little over a year. We unfortunately lost him on Dec 30, 2023 because the hospital was horrible and was taking care of him right.

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Re: Jason (# 281)

Hi Jason I lived with hep C for over 10 years and felt fine. I had no medical problems or issues other than hep c ,but had no problems from it. My problems started 2 weeks into taking medication at first my doctor at the time nurse practitioner told me the numbness and tingling in my hands was a side effect from epclusa. The doctor was quick to tell me she was wrong and that I had carpal tunnel. Well my symptoms kept getting worse and the doctor wouldn't listen. 2 weeks after taking my last pill my symptoms in my hands and arms were so horrible I went to the ER. I was admitted for 5 days. Turns out epclusa can make autoimmune disease that is dormant flare. I now have transverse myelitis which is the swelling of your spinal cord. I have neurological problems now, before epclusa my teeth were fine now several cavities and lose teeth due to sjorens syndrome, I have reynards syndrome also now. Severe joint pain, chronic fatigue, tinnitus, and I don't know what else because I'm still being diagnosed with issues. I went from a healthy adult except with hep c to a chronically I'll person who has had to quit a great job and apply for social security because of all these health issues. I wish I would have did research on epclusa before allowing this doctor to prescribe it. I would have never taken it. Epclusa ruined my life

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Re: 10 2023 (# 293)

A great read I agree completely. I'm 70 now did tx 6 yrs ago now I'm a mess. copd, asthma, bad nerves, nausea. Please contact me if I can help. Wish I never touched that poison. I'm in Australia.

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Re: Toni (# 299)

So sorry for how you're feeling. I felt the same way for about a year, and only in the last four or five months have I begun to feel a little better, though I'm still left with severe anxiety. If you don't mind me asking, could you refer me to any information you may have regarding Epclusa paying out that money? I'm very interested in reading anything about that. Keep your head up, drink lots of water, eat right, and be as physically active as your strength permits. You'll start to feel better, it just takes a while. There were times when I literally thought I was dying, and I wasn't in a good place mentally because of it. But for the most part, it's cleared up. Diet is everything: eat right and consume plenty of veggies. Hope you feel better soon!

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Re: Toni (# 299)

Sorry to hear your story,where are you ?I'm in Australia I did treatment over 5 yrs ago I got rid of virus but I now have asthma copd ,neurology problems puffy feet found out last week I've lost 12 kilos in a year my Dr can't explain ,every time I mention epclusa he tells me how great it is obviously brainwashed ,iv just turned 70 wish I'd never touched epclusa my breathing is stuffed felt healthier pre treatment. Best wishes

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Re: Skpp930 (# 7)

I had hep c from being stupid at 15.1 year and turned life around.Lonh story short,altho having cirrhosis, my liver enzymes were impressive,normal.Told Ecuplsa would give me,maybe mild headaches.
Felt like I was dying.Reported it to Dr many times and checked me for everything but.
Finished and my Liver Enzymes are to the roof.Exhausted,lost hair,basically my life.I was lied to on so many levels,then find out this Company paid $178 million to push this poison NEVER told of SERIOUS side effects and death.
I have been crying for two days and can't even trust my Dr,as trusted with my life! I have a child,on the spectrum who depends on me.Yet so sick,vomiting,weak etc.I was much better off before treatment with blood work to prove it!
I am beside myself with sadness for my child and anger towards the Dr and Company lying about this drug for the BLESSED BUCK.Sickening.

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Re: Kathi (# 19)

I'm on my 2nd week of treatment and I've got shoulder pain so bad I cry, it started on the Left but has migrated to both shoulders now, across the top of my chest and into my neck and jaw. When it first started I thought I was having a heart attack. When did your muscle pain begin?

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Re: 10 2023 (# 293)

Hi. I'm in Australia. I can relate to your story. I now have COPD, asthma, swollen feet, neurology problems I'm sure and all I get from drs is "oh no epclusa wouldn't cause any problems, it's a wonderful med". The liver clinic has a lot to answer for.

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