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HEPATITIS C SYMPTOMS

I AM 34 WEEKS PREGNANT.  SIX WEEKS AGO, I HAD A LEVEL BREAK OFF THE WALL FROM A DIALYSIS MACHINE IN A PATIENT'S ROOM THAT WAS HEPATITIS C POSITITVE AND GOT SPLASHED IN THE FACE AND EYES WITH WATER AND SOAKED MY LEGS, ALTHOUGH THIS SHOULD OF BEEN JUST TAP WATER.  TWO WEEKS AGO, I HAD TWO BOWEL MOVEMENTS THAT WERE CLAY COLORED AND HAVE BEEN HAVING RIGHT SIDED ABDOMINAL AND SIDE PAIN ON AND OFF FOR I WEEK ABOUT 3 DAYS AFTER THE DIFFERENT BOWEL MOVEMENTS ALTHOUGH THIS COULD JUST BE FROM THE BABY.  NOW, I FEEL NOTHING AND MY STOOLS ARE NORMAL.  I JUST HAD LABS DRAWN AND MY ALT AND AST WERE NORMAL.  I ALSO HAD A QUALITATIVE HEPATITIS C TEST DONE WHICH WAS NEGATIVE.  MY QUESTION IS IF THESE SYMPTOMS WERE FROM HEPATITIS , WOULD MY AST AND ALT BE ELEVATED.  I NEVER HAD CLAY COLORED STOOLS BEFORE.  I ALSO WONDER IF MAYBE GALLSTONES WOULD BE POSSIBLE.  I AM WORRIED AND DON'T WANT TO HAVE HEPATITS C BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION TO MY BABY.  I WAS WONDERING WHAT SYMPTOMS OTHER PEOPLE HAD WHEN THEY HAD HEPATITS C.
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Avatar universal
That is so weird...my brother did the same thing!  Only he didn't go to emergency, he went to his doctor!  Those damn beets will do it everytime!
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26471 tn?1211936521
I've got a friend who was on treatment.  He looked into his toilet after a bowel movement and saw red.  He ran to his car and screeched into the emergency room parking lot.  He ran inside and yelled at the triage nurse, "I'm bleeding outta the butt!"  Then he remembered - beets for dinner the night before.
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Avatar universal
I KNOW YOU ARE WORRIED BUT IF THE TEST IS NEG. FOR HEP.C THEN I WOULDNT WORRY TO MUCH AS FAR AS YOUR BOWEL MOVEMENT THEY COULD BE MANY THINGS AND STILL NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT THE CHANCES OF PASSING THIS OWN TO YOUR BABY ARE VERY SLIM DARLIN.SO JUST RELAX A BIT AND MAYBE RETEST IN A COUPLE MONTHS IT CAN INCUBATE A WHILE NOT SURE HOW LONG. I GUESS 6 TO 8 WEEKS THOUGH AND MOST PEOPLE RID THEIR BODY OF THE VIRUS ALL BY THEMSELVES,BUT PLEASE RETEST FOR IT AND LET US KNOW HOW IT GOES.OH AND THEIR IS NO REASON FOR A BIOPSY AT THIS TIME THEIR CAN NOT BE ANY DAMAGE TO SEE AT THIS POINT IN TIME IT CAN TAKE YEARS AND YEARS FOR IT TO HAPPEN SO PLEASE RELAX AND GOD BLESS CONGRATS ON THE NEW BABY.......DELORES
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Avatar universal
I disagree; you do NOT need a biopsy at this point.  I am not a doctor or health care professional, but what you describe is extremely low risk as far as tranmission of hepatitis c.  I understand your concern given you are pregnant; discuss your concerns with your doctor; I am sure he/she could put your mind at ease.  If you are really worried, ask for a qualitative pcr test.  I really would not worry too much about this incident.  Hepatitis c requires direct blood to blood contact for transmission to occur.  In the worst case scenario, which is highly unlikely, if you were infected, only about 5% of infants born to mothers who have hepatitis c will be infected (my daughter happens to be one of the unlucky 5%).  Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!

G
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Avatar universal
Oops, just read you did have the qualitative pcr done.
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Avatar universal
You should NOT have a Biopsy...............If you were just exposed
to Hep C there is NO WAY your liver could be damaged from the virus. I doubt you were infected without blood contact,and I doubt
you would have any symptoms. You could retest in 6 months, but I
would say,Relax.....
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I appreciate your concern; however I want to say that in general, this is the kind of thinking/fear that we want to dispel. You cannot catch Hep C by drinking from our glasses, eating off of our plates, kissing us, or being splashed by our water.

It is a blood to blood disease only; as long as a hep C persons blood does not come in contact with your blood, you are quite safe.
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Avatar universal
i'm gallium's wife and a trama rn for 34 yrs. in the olden days we were taught not to wear gloves because it would make pts uneasy. i can't begin to tell you how much blood i've been exposed to and i've always tested negative, the last time was last week. you will experience many difference in your stools and new aches and pains during pregnancy that are normal. relax, enjoy your pregnancy and your job. use common sense and test regularly as i feel all healthcare givers should but know the odds are on your side. i assure you i share more than a glass of water with gallium and have over a decade.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Andy...Relax  you couldn't have caught hep c from water.  This is a blood disease.  As far as your stools changing...that could be anything and you said they are normal now.  I think parenoid is what you are feeling by being in that room and that happening but you don't need to worry.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I'tell you what I tell everyone else. BIOSPY! No matter what any other test tells you or doesn't tell you nothing will tell you what anything close to what a biospsy wil..Get your biopsy , then come back and let us know what you find out let us know and we can give you advice from there,   Joni
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