Hepatitis C on Razor and Toothbrush

[Bevily]

My husband has Hepatitis C, genotype 3a, initial viral load of 543,000.  He is in week 14 of the Pegasys/Copegasus treatment.  His platelets were getting low at 33 last week, back up to 39 this week.  We asked the doc to do a viral load test,even though he said they don't usually do them at 3 months for genotype 3a, but they did the test and he was undetectable! We were very happy to hear this news.  He has had a very rough time with the treatment with mucle aches and insomnia.  He also is not on any anti-depressants, after trying a few and not liking them. He has been very emotional, but has managed to work, but with much discomfort.
   I had a good question to ask.  My 10 year old daughter asked, after hearing that her Daddy was undetectable, if he should get rid of his toothbrush and razor because they may still have the virus on them.  I thought this was a very good observation and a good idea.  I wondered if this topic comes up often? I just wondered if anyone could possibly be undetectable and then re-infect themselves at some point after if they didn't dispose of a used razor or toothbrush?  Just a thought...Melissa

[shebee]

Oh gee, I am so sorry that you hep, too.  I have been working so much that I have not kept up with the board.  I just pulled a 14 hour day (again)...I am so tired, that I am ready to drop, but it is nothing compared to what hubby is goint through.  At least I feel good in the morning.  LOL!

So, you will start tx in 6 months?  You'll just love it!  LOL!
What stage are you and what genotype?  Will you do tx for 6 months or a year?

I am so worried about my hubby.  He is so sick now.  Just a few weeks ago, he was doing fine.  I think that he is getting depressed for the first time ever.  The infergen is different.
He did not do anti-depressants last time and since he is stage 4, grade 2, he does not want to put anything else into his body.
Since he is not working, he is feeling useless.  Ha!  If any man ever worked harder for his family, I would like to meet him.  He is a wonderful guy.

Tx is tough, but hepC is worse.  I wish you both the very best.
Shebee

[couchpotato]

Thanks for the info Shebee, I really appreciate it. Because Bui's platelets have always been in the low range the docs are kinda experimenting with his treatment. There has been no mention of stopping tx but he will not do his shot tonight but instead get more blood drained on Monday and then if they have recovered enough he will do it Monday night or Tues. He has mentioned Nuemega to his doc, I guess we do not have it here. (Canada)
   He is taking folic acid, calcium and milk thistle daily so no problems with sore legs but he is pretty tired. Mind you, he is building a house so has a lot of physical work to do, any 52 year old would be tired, right? Plus kinda insomniatic, so that doesn't help. As for night life, forget it! Only adults I see are him and his mother, as he reminded me of this a.m. He is pretty cheerful, maybe putting up a front as I don't know if you have read previouly but I am infected also and  the tables will be turned in 6 months. No sense in bitching, this is a fact in our lives!
  My thoughts are with you all today and tonight, good luck to you. Thanks for letting me vent, nobody else for me to talk to.

[scruffy]

Glad you brought this toothbrush issue up. I had'nt even considered that I might re-infect myself this way. I believe I will take some precautions. Thank your daughter for me and thankyou.

[Bodie]

There is a product out now that you can put your toothbrush in to sterilize it. It is called The Germ Terminator. You put your toothbrush in it and a little cup of water that comes with it and plug it in and it steam cleans your toothbrush. And so far I think it works. It does get real hot and all of the water is gone when I open the lid. You have to watch it with clear handle brushes cause they melt. But since I was on tx and my husband has a different type than me I thought one of these would be safer in the long run.
Just my thoughts on it, anything for peace of mind. Worry is the enemy of anyone on tx. Stress is hard on the immune system anyway and on tx it will triple, if not more.
Now on the razors, if I cut myself, I get rid of it. But, thankfully, I don't have to shave but once a month anyway cause the hair on my legs and underarms doesn't grow at all hardly. It all is on my head, for now. That may change later on, but that is the way it has always been.
Good luck and God Bless.

[shebee]

Hi there....Yep, hubby's platelets are a problem, too?  
Cutting back to 1/2 dose of peg (ask doctor!) usually will bring them back up.  Also there is a product called Neumega that might help.  Hubby does not take asprin, tylenol....or anything other than tx.


http://www.neumega.com/


Dr. Ben Cecil (spelling?)  does not let his patient go lower than 20 and uses neumega.  

http://www.hepatitisdoctor.com/

He will answer your email...or our GIPA, (on this forum), Erin, will help out.

Don't worry....just keep on pushing for tx.  You might want to have a more experienced doctor "on Call."  A backup in case yours wants to take him off of tx.  If your hubby has low platelets...chances are that his spleen is chewing them up because he is at cirrohsis stage?????    He will be extra tired & etc....so you need to be extra energetic and understanding.  He needs you more than ever now, so hang in there.  Tx does not last forever, and if he can stay on tx, he has a great chance of clearing!

I also noticed that hubby's platelet dropped when he was very stressed and had to do a lot of physical work. Also, if we had a late night out, it took him at least 3 days to recover.  This would also drop his platlets.

Is your hubby getting any rest?  Do what you need to do to insure that he is resting as much as possible.  Put him to bed and FEED him well.  He needs good food in order for his body to heal.  The interferon makes his body fight so hard.

Does he have trouble with leg pains, too?  Calcium seems to help.


Just my thoughts,
Shebee

[couchpotato]

That was an excellent question, one that doesn't pertain to my husband yet (he's only been on tx for over a month), but when the time comes I will make sure he keeps changing his toothbrush and razors. Especially because his gums bleed. He also has platelet problems, his blood results today showed they'd dropped to 27 AGAIN, but his liver enzymes are great. Wish somebody out there had similar platelet worries to report and could give some advice or at least some peace of mind to us. Ive asked before but have never gotten any response, maybe it's not common? Thanks

[oldhippiechick67]

Ditto what Rev said!  I know they say you should change your toothbrush every 3 months (healthy people), but every week is a bit excessive.  I would think  once a month is good enough.  And once you are "undetectable" keep one for longer if you want.  The razor changing it every time?  are you RICH? lol,
dont be so paranoid.  Clean your nail clippers in alcohol, peroxide, or bleach solution... that should be enough.  I buy Braun $18+ (for 3) toothbrushes, I certainly am not replacing them every flippin week.  Once I am undetectable I will but soaking it in bleach solution should kill any germs and viruses if you cant afford buying new ones every week/month/whatever. Remember the meds we are on are doing a dang good job of killing off the virus in most cases.  These are purely my opinions Bevily, and since your hubby is undetectable now, yes a new toothbrush and razor would be a good idea. And clean his nail clippers  or go all out and get new to celebrate!  OHC

[oldhippiechick67]

I found this on another site...interesting eh?
Question:
If a person gets a positive hep C result thru a hepatitis diagnostic panel, thengets a negative viral load or no virus detected. Do they have hepatitis C? Can they pass it to others? And lastly, is the virus hidden somewhere in the body
[where it] can come back again? Should they use precautions to not pass [the virus] to others?

  Answer by Mack Mitchell, MD  
Dr. Mitchell is Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Carolinas
Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina and Clinical Professor of Medicine
at the University of North Carolina

The hepatitis C test that is done for screening is an antibody test. It remains positive even after the virus has been eradicated. If your ALT (liver enzymes) is normal and the HCV RNA is undetectable by PCR, then it is likely that you
have recovered from hepatitis C. You cannot donate blood and should continue to avoid sharing razors, toothbrushes, needles, etc. Fortunately, hepatitis C is not frequently transmitted by sexual intercourse. It is primarily a blood borne infection.

[raheem]

Gee, what a great question....and from a 10 yr. old!  I really don't know the answer but it certainly makes sense to frequently change toothbrushes and razors.  I bet you could re-infect yourself because you could infect someone else, so why couldn't you re-infect yourself?

[DownThisRoad]

Right on, OHC.  Thats just the article I wanted to see!

[Sunny 1]

Not sure what the textbook answer is, but I used the same toothbrush for my 17 weeks of treatment. I'm 10 months post-tx now and still clear.  =)

[mrbill]

as soon as i found out i have this thing, i keep my razor and toothbrush in a seperate metal box. my daughters are 8 and 13 and know better now, but i dont want no chances. may be a bit extreme to some, but just the thought of my girls or my spouse accidently using something and catching this makes ill.

[MajNeni]

I think Sheebee's hubby had low platelets like that.  Best wishes for your husband.  Maj Neni

[MajNeni]

I agree with OHC, bleach should help to recycle a lot of toothbrushes, etc.  Soak them for 10 minutes in a fairly strong solution, give them a good rinse (Ugh, the taste!); perhaps rotate 3-4 toothbrushes on a weekly basis.  Alcohol every time, bleach rinses if possible, 3-4 weeks off should kill most viruses hanging around on personal items...  Razor blades are more risky, because of cuts, so just use cheap ones for now!

Dentists tell you to get a new toothbrush every 3 months because the brushes wear out!  You know; get bent up, bristles pointing to the side, and maybe they don't look so wholesome anymore.  When they're not good enough for a second career as household aids (God forbid, scrubbing grout, cleaning the keyboard, etc.), then those toothbrushes aren't much good for your teeth.

Maj Neni

[shebee]

Every week hubby changes toothbrushes & razors.  He also soaks his razor in alcohol after every use.  I think that it is better to be safe than sorry.



Hubby does have low platelets.  He is on daily infergen & co-pegas (riba.)  He is so tired and unable to work at all now...He is out of breath and his hands are cold & gray.   He was doing so well a week ago.   Hmmmmmmmmmm..... looks like it is time for Procrit again.  The infergen is different than pegasys or peg-intron.  Personally, I think that he is doing better on it, but he seems to be very weak with a lot of headaches. He also worked before...so it is too early to tell at this point.

So far he has not been able to do much around the house, and with me working full time +, our happy little home is a MESSY, but Happy Home.  LOL!  The laundry room closely resembles a Huge Mountain!  It is late, but I am determined to dig my way through it.  I will get a shovel, and one scoop at a time, I will bring it down.


I found myself feeling a bit resentful because nothing is getting done unless I personally do it, and after 10-12 hours a day, I can't do much, either. (No, rather, I don't want to do much.)  

Then I started remembering all of the brave people who do not have mates & do tx on their own...and all of the mothers who work and juggle children, & etc.  I decided if they can do it.... well, so can I!  All of you are such an inspiration to me.

My attitude is much better now.  I have decided to pretend I am a single mother, with no help.  This has made such a difference in my outlook.   I will work, do the shopping, run kids, juggle baby-sitters, lessons, bills, & etc. ...and do it will a good attitude!   At least for a while, this is how is has to be...

Hubby is so grouchy; this is so out of character for him.  He is also unreasonable, somewhat depressed, and bitchy.  Other than that, he seems fine.  LOL!   I thought that my patience would wear thin, but it has not.  Over and over again, I find myself smiling and soothing him with kind words.  The harder that life gets, my character seems to be transforming into something better in some weird sort of way.

I keep on thinking that if the tables were turned around, and I was sick, hubby would take care of me.  If you have a mate that has hepC, your marriage vows will be tested to the max.  You'll soon find out if you meant them or not.  :)  

I do.  



LOL!




I feel very good about my job.  In a few short weeks (with God's help) I have pushed my way to the top.  What are the chances of that ever happening?  Everyone thinks that I have "such drive."  LOL!  I do...my family needs to eat.  LOL!

If I do well, with or without hubby's help, we will have security.  It is amazing what we can do when we are under crushing stress.  We can fall down and not try at all or use it for our advantage.  (I would prefer to lay down. :)

It really seems like a simple choice to me.

I am beginning to think that it is much easier to fight and do the right thing.  All of you who are on tx, set your face, and do not look to the right or left...keep your eye on the goal.  HepC free in 2003! (ok... or 2004 or 2005 or 2015.) Just push on.

Guys, this is sooooooo hard.  Just listen to me whine!  LOL!
Guys, thanks for your ear tonight.  I an having such a tough time right now.  

With all my heart...I bid you goodnight, and may God be with you all.  All of you are always before me.  I am always in prayer for all of you.
Your Shebee

[MichaelT]

While actively treating, there really isn't a concern. However, there is a lot to be said for taking steps to ease one's mind and emotions. Changing toothbrushes and using disposable razors is a worthwhile expense for mental/emotional health.

You must be proud to have such an astute daughter. Her questions are quite amazing from one who is only 10.

And thanks for sharing the good news!

-Michael

[Revenire]

Interesting question: If a person is undetectable then why would there be any virus be on a toothbrush or a razor?

Could you get reinfected from your old toothbrush? The one you started treatment with? I don't know. An old razor? I don't know.

Do I change them? Yep, but not every single week.

[DownThisRoad]

Good question.  I've read about disposal of hygienic products on this forum and also checked with my doctor to get his opinion.

Since I started my treatment meds, I've changed my razor every time (only using it once) and have replaced my toothbrush every week.  I also went through my personal case I have for manicure and pedicure tools, including all files, and replaced my items at the time that I became undetected.  I think it is just a good idea since we are all fighting so hard to rid ourselves of this virus and this is just a very moot point compared to what we go through with treatment.

Do it, you have nothing to loose except just a few $'s for replacement of your personal items and possibly the risk of re infection.

[AmIDoneYet]

I did the same while on the treatment.  I was totally focused on making sure it worked.  I went through 48 toothbrushes and razors.  I also threw out old nail clippers and bought new ones.  Don't know if it worked or not but it bought some peace of mind.

[Dirac]

I had the same idea when I was on tx. I changed my tooth brush
every week and I never used my razor more than once during the
whole period of 48 weeks.