Hepatitis C Warning Signs

[dontworry_behappy1]

By reading some of the serious health problems members are relaying in this new forum....I wonder.   Some of these stated illness are known to be directly associated with Hepatitis C.  This isn't new information.  The connections have been known since the early 90s.   So many have been suffering for many years, going to the doctor and never tested.
This is one of the greatest reason that not just baby boomers should be tested for Hepatitis C.  Everyone should be tested from time to time.  As soon as I started noticing changes in my health I asked to be tested for everything.  I first noticed a change in my digestive health over a period of a few years. This lead to me asking to be tested for Hepatitis.  

I'm now Hepatitis C free and no longer have digestive problems.  They say that Hepatitis C has no symptoms and you can have it for years without knowing.  I find that Hepatitis C does have symptoms and if you get tested and treated you could be dodging serious illness later in life.  

DWBH

[jenniferg65]

Hi I agree,with everyone here. I cant tell u how many times I went to the docs with vague symptoms spreading back 40+ years and I was only diagnosed in 2012.  In 1969 I wss diagnosed with infectious hepatitis which must have been the acute phase which I hear about.  I was ill for about 3 months and then declared fit enough to return to work.  But since then I was alwAys at the docs complaining if fluey symptoms, tiredness, itchiness etc.  In recent years it has been for spider veins in my feet, tingling soles (which the doc put down to gout!) unexplained bruising etc.  Unthinkable that they did not test me years ago.  at 65 I have just gone thru 10 weeks of treAtment and had to stop as u could not take the awful side effects.  If I had of done the tx years ago I would have been younger and fitter to deal with it. Thanks

[James10500]

Fatigue was my symptom.  Each spring after a long winter outside I would crash from about 4-7pm.  I went to the Doc they told me two years in a row I had a "sinus infection". The next year I strongly suggested "blood work" with the possibility of low T(?). Came back HVC +, the do asked if I'd ever been with a prostitute (this is how stupid this guy was). I said no, and new nothing of HCV at the time. So basically I demanded the blood work revealing my HCV.  Glad I was pro active.  Moral of the story, I agree with you all 1000%.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

[Dee1956]

I agree with Dustbear. My enzymes were only slightly elevated, it was not until I was bleeding under the skin from cyroglobunemia and my platelets were down to 65 and clumping badly that I was finally sent to a blood specialist and he did the test for HCV, lymphoma, leukemia, and another L word.

I had previously gone to 3 doctor showing them my legs and they said it was nothing, just age. ARGH

[dustbear]

I agree there should be a better screening process.
I'm one of the 20% who had normal alt-ast levels and still carried the hep c virus for 30 yrs with no side effects.
Here they only rely on the liver enzyme test.
This is not good enough!

[Dee1956]

I agree with you, I had symptoms, I was tested 3 times back in the 90's, the test came back negative.
When I asked my doctor in 2007 why he said the tests were not as sensitive as they are now.
I wonder how many people like me are walking around thinking they are ok.
I thought I was ok, because of the negative results, until my platelets fell to 65K and was bleeding under the skin.

You are right, everyone needs to be tested.  At my new doctors office everyone above the age of 50 is tested.  I think that is a good thing and will improve peoples rate of survival.

Thanks :)

[pooh55811]

"They say that Hepatitis C has no symptoms and you can have it for years without knowing. I find that Hepatitis C does have symptoms and if you get tested and treated you could be dodging serious illness later in life."
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I agree with you 100%.

I feel that my first extrahepatic symptoms started appearing long before I had any liver damage. I was at Stage 2 in 2011, but I probably had zero or very minimal liver damage when I had Systemic Vasculitis in 1993-94. I probably had zero or very minimal liver damage when I developed Sjogren's Disease, which was probably before I developed the Systemic Vasculitis.

IF I had been diagnosed in 1975 or 1980 (if they had had a test then, LOL) and IF there had been an effective treatment at that time and IF I had attained SVR, then I feel that I would not have had all of the extrahepatic manifestations I had and I would not have developed Sjogren's Disease. I would be a lot healthier now had I been able to treat and attain SVR many years ago.

I also agree that everyone, not just the Baby Boomers, should be tested for Hep C.