Does Hep C affect our immune system prior to treatment

[litecloud]

My intuation says it does? What do you guys think?
Britgirl wants to know also !!!

[twotells]

About 5% with cronic HCV develop cryoglobulinemic vasculitis which can result in peripheral neuropathy (common) and kidney disease (less common).  This immune problem certainly reduces the quality of life and is only one difficulty the immune system gets into defending against HCV.  Treating HCV with Interferon/Ribavirin may resolve the cryo and it may not.  In some cases the cryo could be exacerbated by HCV tx.  I'm one who did have the problem exacerbated, but was fortunate to have this problem treated with Rituxan/Rituximab (Lymphoma drug) with good results.  I'm still on tx with Pegasys and doing better with the peripheral Neuropathy.  Dave

[new-sojourn]

Well, I saw a shrink for 6yrs for depression-we just thought I was depressed b/c of the cheating weasel I was married to. The  it was the divorce, then menopause, then teenagers, then the identity theft and embezzelments, and then my liver failed, I was told I was dying and then I was dx w/hep c and I never felt better in my life!

I've since read that anyone in therepy for depression for more than 2 yrs should be checked for hep c.

[audreywald]

Absolutley Hep C can contribute to depression. It is a very wearing disease, even before tx. If you are at ALL symptomatic; like just feeling tired a lot, even before you know your diagnosis, it is very depressing.

You cannot keep up. You have to cancel plans. You cannot do the things you did five years ago. You wonder if you are aging particularly badly.

At around age 40, I noticed that I got tired easily, and seemed to get sick more often. I used to ask other people my age, is this happening to you? Is THIS happening to you? When they would answer, no, but I have always had a lot of energy, I would think to myself, well, so did I.

When a child or a grandchild writes a school story about his family and says my dad works a lot and my mom likes to sleep, this DEPRESSES the hell out of you and makes you feel bad about yourself.

ANY chronic illness conrtibutes to depression. How could it not, unless you are a masochist who loves to suffer.

(and that is a different forum)

[jonihs]

Sorry to but in on a thread,but I seem to be doing it alot lately. When we were talking over meds the other day, I got to looking at my records and saw that the doc also had me on seroquel, which I looked up in my PDR and found it it an anti-psychotic for persons at risk for rage or suicide. Now, I've not even come close to riba rage and not thought about suicide. I think sometimes we get too many docs writing too many scripts, without enough communicating.     Joni

[cindee]

litecloud, I think so too. I asked my shrink, who I've gone to for yrs (for depression)...if the Hep c could have been attributing to my depression...of course she said no. But now that I've been seeing a physcologist for tissue damage, he's in w/ my pain specialist and knows a lot about hep c...he thinks yes, it could have been an underlying factor.
I'm getting ready to post to Joni and I think she brought up a good point about all the meds different doc's write us for. Don't get me wrong tho', I did need meds for depression or I think I would have "lost it" a long time ago. Best wishes and I almost forgot to say hello, and welcome! This forum is the "best". Much love, Cindee

Joni, Hey girl...about the seroquil....it was first used as an anti-depressant, but studies have found it helps with sleep. I used it for a few days, maybe a week, when I couldn't sleep, my shrink gave me samples......I never took them all...I still have a prescription on file at the pharmacy for them, but never had to have them filled. They made me sleep too much! I love ya girl, Cindee

[DonL]

I developed psoriasis in 1995 at the age of 43, which I am convinced was triggered by the HCV. Also, maybe once or twice a week, I would feel flu-ish at the end of the workday. It went away within an hour. Those are the only symptoms I can point to in my case.

[cuteus]

Check some articles of extrahepatic manifestations in hepnet.com.   it seems to affect more than the liver.
You get a foreign organism in your system, your immune system springs to action.  In hcv it is in action for 20 or 30 yrs.  Nothing good can come from this constant assault on this system.

[honey1616]

It probably could in some instances I'm sure.  I never had any problems or even knew I had it for that matter until oct 2003.  This is the first time in years...I have been sick and its just from being on tx trying to get rid of virus.