Hepatitis C Antibodies HELP

My recent blood tests revealed I was reactive to a Hepatitis C Antibody Panel Acute Reflux Test. It measured 21.40. My liver enzymes were high at ALT=53, AST/SGOT=47 and my white blood cell count was at 11.2.

I had a blood test two years ago and this did not show up. I have lived a clean, sober life for 34 years. (You know the old hippie lifetsyle some of us lived back in the day.) Is it possible for hepatitis to lay dormant for 34 years and there not be any trace of antibodies in my blood until now?

I do take a lot of herbal supplements, so wonder if anything was a bit heptatoxic for my liver.

Any help would be appreciated.

[GreatBird]

If you've had hepatitis C for 34 years it would have showed up in testing for antibodies during that 34 years *IF* it was tested. Hep C antibody tests are not run routinely, so for many of us yes, we have had the virus for years and years and didn't know it. Often raised liver enzymes are what prompts a doctor to order the antibody test, although not always.

Until you have a viral load test run to determine if there is active virus, there is some question about whether you do have hepatitis C. Antibodies indicate exposure. They will persist even in the 15% of people who fought off the virus on their own.

Is your doctor running a VL test for you?

[Texan302]

Thanks for the good response. This helps. Two years ago the routine blood test also checked for hepatitis but the antibodies did not show up. So this is the first time. I think perhaps the niacin I was taking or some other herbal supplement caused this reaction in  my liver. Recently, two others I know told me they had tested positive for Hep C antibodies but later the tests were negative. I did find in research such things as heptatoxic herbs. But I still think to take a viral load test to make sure. I have to pay out of pocket so may wait a bit.