All ready to start treatment now this

[Redken98]

Hi all.  I was dx with hepc Nov.2011.  Saw a hepatologist, had all of the blood tests,  cardio work up, eye exam..etc.

50 yrs old....type 1b...vl 2,260,000

All labs came back fine.  I had a fibrospect result of 12...CT scan normal.  Hepa doc said he believed it would be ok to wait 4-5 years for newer treatment.  I did not have a biopsy,  he said by the looks of things I have minimal scaring.  I'm pretty sure I have had this for 30+ years.

I told him I did not want to wait.  I couldn't stand knowing I have this and not do what I can to kill it.  Plus I have had fatigue off and on as well as sever back pain in my muscle under my left shoulder blade.  My joints are starting to hurt and my knees sound like potato chips smashing everytime I set down.  They can't explain the back pain but from reading about extra hepatic manifestations,  I can't help but think its related.

They called and wanted me to schedule a class and get started.  The very next day I got a call from radiology and my mammogram came back with a shadow.  Got a ultra sound and I now have a swollen lymph node in my chest muscle.  I have to put off treatment until they make sure it isn't cancer.  I'm fine with that, I just had myself prepared to start tx.  

I'm  just wondering if anyone had anything similar and what your experience was....plus just wanted to vent

Thanks all!!    Kellie

[pooh55811]

Yes, my post should have read "I am now SVR." That auto-correct is driving me crazy. I never had so many errors in my typing as I have had with auto-correct. It just changes my words into words that I did not type, LOL.

Yes, my sugar was rising before treatment,too, but is now trending back down and normal (since treatment).

Yes, I do remember you and I am happy I was of some help.

[Redken98]

Thank you so much for responding.  I don't know if you remember me but I pm you some time ago.  You put my mind at ease then as you are today.  

The back spasms that you describe sound exactly what is happening to me. I had this start when I was 45ish.  Then came elevated sugar, popping and crunch sounding joints, hcv dx and now this.

They say it could be related but no definites.  I am just more determined now than ever to rid myself of this and hope my outcome is like yours.

I'm sure your post meant to say " am now SVR"  because I remember being
so happy for you when I read the good news!!  Thanks again

[pooh55811]

Back pain can be an extrahepatic manifestation of Hep C (as can many other health problems). From my own experience, I have had back pain for years, and over the years it has gotten worse and worse so that it would spasm and I would have to sit down or lie down and rest all of the time. It was one factor, along with fatigue and joint aches and pains, that caused me to retire early. I successfully treat for 48 weeks with incivek, Interferon, Ribavirin triple med Tx and am not SVR. My back pain, along with a host of other problems, is completely gone.

Lymph nodes can be enlarged or swollen for a lot of reasons so this may be nothing serious. However, there is always the possibility that it could be a symptom of something more serious. One thing that Hepatitis C is associated with is some types of Lymphomas. We do have people on the forum now who have Lymphoma and are treating their Hep C in order to prevent a recurrence of the Lymphoma.

Here is an article about enlarged chest lymph nodes.

http://www.laparoscopyindia.com/chest-diseases/enlarged-lymph-nodes

Here are 2 links to articles that list and discuss extrahepatic manifestations of Hep C.

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Extrahepatic.pdf

http://www.ccjm.org/content/72/11/1005.full.pdf

Best of luck to you and keep us posted. We do care and are very supportive.

[Redken98]

Oops..November 2012