Hep C concern

[unfamiliar73]

Hi,three years ago I started having pains in my ribs and was told my liver was Inflamed. I was sent for a u ltraosh d and thos showed fatty liver. liver function test was normal.
since then, the pains in my liver area have continued, it feels a bit like a stitch, or a piercing pain..can also be felt on the opposite side of my body (spleen?). Sometimes ot feels at night like it is moving or twisting inside me.
November last year I had blood tests and the alt and ast were hgh, I've since lost weight and the most recent test I had the figures were lower but still high, Could this be hep c?
I've only kissed and not had any penetrative sex, I'm a non drug user.
Any ideas? I'm worried.

[patra_]

I cannot help you come up with where and how you got it.  I understand your concern, you want to know, so that you don't indulge in that behavior again.  

I can't begin to help you determine where/how you got it.  I can only say that you should stop any 'risky' behaviors of any sort.  I do not think handles and door knobs would fall into that catagory or we would truly have a world pandemic on our hands.

Just watch your behavior in future and put your concentration and energy into getting tested and IF you find you have HepC (or any other virus or disease), on getting treated and getting well.

I am truly sorry.  Maybe when you see the doctor he or she can tell you more, base on your personal experiences.

Again, good luck!

Blessings,

Pat

[unfamiliar73]

hi again Pat,

I'm fretting terribly over my concerns,

I'm confused because I've had no sex, no drugs, no blood transfusion, not shared sny toothbrush or razor, no needle stick incidents, etc. the only possible thng could be from French kissing. or could I have got it from a sex club I went to? I had a long sleeve top on and pulled the arms over my hands to open doors etc - if I had touched something with that then rubbed my eye, could that transmit the infection? There is no other way I couple have got it, so are these possibilities? I just need some reassurance. Thank you.

[patra_]

There are many many ways to get hepc, aside from IV drug use, or even rough sex, although hepc is NOT an STD, it would only involve rough sex so that there were tears/ bleeding, sinc hepc is a blood to blood virus. (BTWDrs don't even recommend barrier protection for sex in manogomus couples).

People who had transfusions before 1992, when they started testing blood, are in large number those who are pre baby boomers.  But tattoos, earing and other body part piercings, sharing a razor ( someone knicking themselves, not cleaning the blade correctly, someone else knicking them selves) sharing a thhthbrush, etc., needle sticks especially in a lab or hospital setting, but also Diabetes needles, other self injections, etc, dental instruments which were not correctly sterilized -  the list is long.  It is not so much about how you got it, but about finding the right treatment and getting rid of it.  Many on here have no clue where they were exposed.  Others of us can kind of pin down a moment in time where one of the factors occurred so figure THAT is where I got it.  (In my case, we believe it was blood transfusions in 1975, but who knows?)

Take comfort in the fact that you are following through to get this problem diagnosed (hepc or not) and you have a support community who have 'been there and done that' to walk the way with you.

Blessings,

Pat

[unfamiliar73]

Thanks, Pat,

I'm just struggling as to how I could have got hep C as I've not had sex wi anyone and dont so drugs.

I've seen several doctors, they all seem to think it's fatty liver.

When I had the ultrasound it did show I was full of gas!

[patra_]

i agree with AWM.  First thing, start drinking more water the 8 eight ounce glasses (64oz) per day is a start, but if you are thinking you may have hepc it wouldn't hurt to drink 1oz water for every pound of body weight up to 1/2 your weight, daily - is that about 2 oz per kilo?  I am not good with numbers, again, up to 1/2 your body weight.  Anyway, that is a good beginning.

Second the pains:  have you tried an antiacid when you get the pains, to see if these are just gas pockets?  I do get those - not as much now, but for years.

Third, you really need to talk to your doctor about all of this, get the hepc antibody test, and any other tests you Dr thinks are indicated.

Please get checked out.

Good luck and Blessings.

Pat

[unfamiliar73]

Thank you, My bilirubin level was normal in the tests I had - would it be elevated if hepatitis was the cause?

I've not had any sex....

[AWorriedMom]

It is easy to find out if you could have hepatitis C. Just ask for an HCV antibody test. Fatty liver can certainly be the cause of your symptoms. Dark amber urine is not a sign of liver disease. It is a sign of not being well hydrated. Urine from jaundice is coca cola colored and comes with elevated bilirubin.

Drug use is not the only cause of hepatitis C. Sex can cause it but rarely as it is not considered a sexually transmitted disease. It sounds to me like a discussion with your doc is in order. Good luck getting some answers.

[unfamiliar73]

Just to add, my urine has been a dark Amber colour for a while, too, as well as the pains,