Aa
Crushed by diagnosis
Hello everyone. I was just diagnosed yesterday with HBV. I feel like my world is crumbling. I think that I may have had this for awhile because for the past few years my liver function in my blood tests have been high, but I am a big drinker so I thought it was from that. Does this mean I have chronic HBV? Do I have to quit drinking alcohol for the rest of my life? My wife is going to get tested tommorrow and hopefully she already cleared the disease and can get vaccinated. There are so many questions, I am making an appointment to a gastro doctor here in a minute. Is there still hope for a normal life? I work in the food industry also and I am worried about that. I am ashamed and feel dirty, but don't know how I contracted the disease. I am not a drug user and I have been married for the past 5 years. Thanks
I understand how you feel, "crushed". I remember when I first received the news after donating blood during a blood drive my senior year in high school. I was a goody-two-shoes, never-been-kissed type of person and the news from the health department was devastating. Turned out, my mother had most likely transmitted it to me during child birth...
But, life goes on, I'm 26 now, married and getting ready to start my treatment.
Although there are not too many treatment options, there are plenty of antiviral pills available as well as treatments using interferon. Make sure to ask your doctor about the interferon as well, as I have found in my experience that they are very quick to put you on a pill first. However, the side effects of any interferon treatment are quite severe, which may be the reason they seem to avoid mentioning it. Remember, it is your right as a patient to know your options and to decided for yourself.
The antiviral pills will most likely bring your viral count down to an undetectable level, however, there are still risks involved with it as well. There is the risk of the virus building up a tolerance to the pill, and there is a GREAT risk of exacerbating your condition if you ever miss doses or discontinue the treatment with the antiviral pill. Yet, the positive results are more immediate than the interferon treatment.
As for your wife, if she contracted it, as an adult, she has a greater chance of clearing it than a child would. For example, an infant contracting HBV during childbirth is most likely going to develop chronic HBV unless it is immediately vaccinated. Hopefully your wife will have acute HBV, clear it, and then be vaccinated so that you both can live at peace. The vaccination is good for a long time.
Hang in there and hopefully you will find that although it is a hassle or a burden to bear, you will find that more often than not, you feel fairly normal and as long as you manage your diet, exercise and abstain from any drug/alcohol use, you can continue living a healthy life as others. Of course, get on some type of treatment to prevent further damage on your liver by the virus.
Best wishes!
But, life goes on, I'm 26 now, married and getting ready to start my treatment.
Although there are not too many treatment options, there are plenty of antiviral pills available as well as treatments using interferon. Make sure to ask your doctor about the interferon as well, as I have found in my experience that they are very quick to put you on a pill first. However, the side effects of any interferon treatment are quite severe, which may be the reason they seem to avoid mentioning it. Remember, it is your right as a patient to know your options and to decided for yourself.
The antiviral pills will most likely bring your viral count down to an undetectable level, however, there are still risks involved with it as well. There is the risk of the virus building up a tolerance to the pill, and there is a GREAT risk of exacerbating your condition if you ever miss doses or discontinue the treatment with the antiviral pill. Yet, the positive results are more immediate than the interferon treatment.
As for your wife, if she contracted it, as an adult, she has a greater chance of clearing it than a child would. For example, an infant contracting HBV during childbirth is most likely going to develop chronic HBV unless it is immediately vaccinated. Hopefully your wife will have acute HBV, clear it, and then be vaccinated so that you both can live at peace. The vaccination is good for a long time.
Hang in there and hopefully you will find that although it is a hassle or a burden to bear, you will find that more often than not, you feel fairly normal and as long as you manage your diet, exercise and abstain from any drug/alcohol use, you can continue living a healthy life as others. Of course, get on some type of treatment to prevent further damage on your liver by the virus.
Best wishes!
i forgot to mention because very obvious to experienced patients hbsag is surface antigen of hbv, as long as it is positive you are infected, and hbs ab is the antibody that gives immunity to hbv (virus mutated with no hbsag are very rare).
the acute hep B can take more than 6 months to clear the virus but it is very imortant to have hbs ab within 6months, after you have that antibody you are sure you will clear the virus
the acute hep B can take more than 6 months to clear the virus but it is very imortant to have hbs ab within 6months, after you have that antibody you are sure you will clear the virus
Does this mean I have chronic HBV?
you have to check hbvdna quantity and alt when you are free from alcool, also check your liver damage by fibroscan, alcool can make much more damage than hbv
alchool is like poison (a lot of alchool can cause cirrhosis and hepatitis without hbv so just think what it can do with the help of the virus...), just check old posts to know what hbv/alcool can do to the liver
Is there still hope for a normal life?of course, according to the status of hbv you might need tx or not and live your life just like others, just be careful not to spread hbv (hbv is very contagious through blood/sex and in some cases also saliva can spread hbv).
the main way to spread hbv is not drug use, hbv is 100 times more contagious than aids and even if you use condom you are not 100% safe
just go to a very good liver specialist who is very updated about tx and check liver by fibroscan since you are a heavy drinker
you have to check hbvdna quantity and alt when you are free from alcool, also check your liver damage by fibroscan, alcool can make much more damage than hbv
alchool is like poison (a lot of alchool can cause cirrhosis and hepatitis without hbv so just think what it can do with the help of the virus...), just check old posts to know what hbv/alcool can do to the liver
Is there still hope for a normal life?of course, according to the status of hbv you might need tx or not and live your life just like others, just be careful not to spread hbv (hbv is very contagious through blood/sex and in some cases also saliva can spread hbv).
the main way to spread hbv is not drug use, hbv is 100 times more contagious than aids and even if you use condom you are not 100% safe
just go to a very good liver specialist who is very updated about tx and check liver by fibroscan since you are a heavy drinker
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis B Community
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
