Early Detection?

Hi all,

I will be tested for Hep C on Wedneday, because I just discovered that a partner of mine from three years ago is positive. I know that perhaps he contracted the disease after me, but I did live with him for a year and shared razors, tweezers, etc... and when we first met, I was coming out of my wild college days and I did coke with him two or three times that summer. Probably shared a straw.

Before I get lectured about drugs: I truly do not do them anymore. Haven't in years. Found the anxiety was too much for me. My coke days lasted about 6 months in college.

My question is not what are the odds that I have it, which I have seen other people all freaking out, asking you guys, because hell, no one knows til they test, and I know I'm at risk, so I won't waste anyone's time.

My question is: If I test positive, is it a good thing that I am catching this now? Is three years relatively early enough to prevent liver damage? I can't seem to find anything about this online.

Thank you in advance for your time and willingness to help people and answer their questions! :)

[spectda]

Hi
Generally it takes 20-40 years of having hcv before liver damage occurs. some people have more serious disease at 20 years, and some people at 40 years have hardly any damage. I am sure you have a long way to go before this occurs for you, if you even have it.

I know you didn't ask, but I think your risk is quite low from what you described. It's possible that you have it, but I would bet against it. Good Idea to get tested just in case.

Good luck - Dave

[Bill1954]

A lot of us in here contracted HCV from drugs; I doubt you’ll get too much lecturing from this crowd.

It’s very doubtful you got the disease without sharing needles; other modes of transmission aren’t very efficient.

If you somehow turn up positive for virus, yes; it’s actually a decent time to find out. Ten years ago, we didn’t have nearly the management options that are available right now; the drugs in the nineties yielded less than 12% cure rate. With the medicine available now, we are achieving 50, 60, sometimes >80% success in clearing the virus.

If you were infected in the past few years, it’s very doubtful you would have sustained much, if any damage to your liver. This disease generally requires decades to produce life threatening illness, although there are occasional exceptions to that.

Given your stated history, most likely you’ll be fine and test negative for virus. Take care,

Bill

[RobertBeWell]

Yep, doubtful you'll have it. Many married couples where one has it, but not the other, lived together for 20,30, 40 years without infecting the other.

It's pretty hard to do. Good idea to get tested anyhow, to ease the mind.

Good luck.

[Boobert]

A lot of us in here contracted HCV from drugs; I doubt you’ll get too much lecturing from this crowd.

I liked that.

[misscata]

you guys are a fun, easy-going group with a great sense of humor, or so i've concluded by reading others' questions and your answers ;) if i by chance test positive, it's nice to know that at least i'm in good company!!!!

thank you so much for your honesty and for humoring me with my low risk! unfortunately, i may have worked myself up by Googling everything. The internet is the hypochondriac's worst invention, by far. still, i maintain my test date, as is the educated thing to do.

stay well, all!!!

[Diane12855]

I agree that you should keep your test date because I'm one of those who caught my hep c from my ex. We did the coke for about a year, and he had an acute case during that time.

Anybody who gives you a hard time because of mistakes you made when you were young has forgotten they were ever young, so just stay here. We are nice people here, if not a little crazy.

(;-)
Diane

[nygirl7]

I actually got it via snorting coke (there is no other way I could have gotten it back then and with my liver damage it was obvious I didn't just get it in the past few years).  My exhusband had the disease however I didn't know him back in the early 80s so that is unlikely (although could be).

However both my kids are negative and they used my razors and toothbrush and tweezers and anything else you can think of for sure. That way is REALLY unlikely (but again could be possible).

You won't find much lecturing in here.........we're a bunch of people with crazy younger days mostly who grew up and now have to face the consequences of our actions. It's too bad we can't teach other people about that but of course they wouldn't listen anymore than we did.  ;)

Good luck - hoping you are negative.