Hi I need info about Hepatitis C

[helpme114]

hi i just found out 4 days ago that i have hepatitis c. i am 14weks pregnant and have been very sick. i havent had any energy the ablitiy to eat or anything for that matter. i wonder if my virals being so high has something to do with this? there above 150000 along with everything else being above normal as well. i am looking for any insite i can get right now, i am scared to death for me and my unborn child. i go see the GI doctor on monday to see ow bad things really are and to see about treatment. please anyone that can help me in anyway i would be greatly apprecated. thank you

[lapis]

Hi, sorry to hear about your diagnosis, but you're in the right place for information and support.  Welcome to the forum.

Viral load numbers are insignificant except in the context of treatment.  Is this your first pregnancy?  Many women have nausea and fatigue, especially in the first trimester of pregnancy.  I hope that you will feel better soon.

It's good that you're going to see the GI doctor.  Do you live near a large teaching hospital?  A specialist called a hepatologist is really the best sort of doctor to see, since they specialize in liver disease.  Maybe you could ask the GI doctor how much experience he/she has with Hep C, and consider getting a referral to a hepatologist in the future.

You cannot go through treatment for hep C until after your baby is born.  But in the meantime, you might be able to get more information about the staging of your hep C.  Please continue to ask questions and search this site for more information.  Best wishes to you.

Lapis

[helpme114]

Thank you very much.This is my 6th pregnancy but ive only gave birth to one child thus far. Ive already had complications with this pregnancy as well but I have high hopes,It just really scares because of my history with miscarriage and now being told that I am positive for HCV......My husband is in the marine corp. and so im still learning about the doctors here.

[JasmineT]

Wecome to the forum and sorry to hear of your diagnosis.  Your viral load is considered low.  Hep c is unlikely to be causing you any symptoms.  It is a big shock to hear.  You will both be ok.  There is about a 95% chance you will not pass this to your baby.  Only 20 to 30% develop life threatening complications from hep c, I believe this is much less for women who contract hep c pre menopause.  Still you should read up on symptoms and risks.  Eventually you may wish to treat.  The current treatments are tough but cure rates are fairly high.  There are new meds coming in the next few years that may be easier.

I have been married for over twenty years. I have likely had hep c for 12 to 30 years, possibly longer.  I just found out a year and a half ago.  My husband does not have hep c.  It's not that easy to catch.

They measure liver damage by stages.  Mine is only stage 1, stage 4 is the most serious.  Hep c normally progresses very slowly.  Everything passes through the liver so you should be living healthy and watch what you put in your body including medications.

Before you visit the GI, it may help to read up and write a list of questions.  Make sure you get copies of all your test results.  It sometimes takes time to absorb and I have had nurses provide wrong info.  

Here is a site with some good info.
http://www.hepatitis-central.com/

[susy50]

hi welcomme to the forum .One of my daughters is 14 years old and i have had hep c for 27 years i got hep c from a blood transfusion.My daughter is very healthy and never had hep c when she was first born they tested her and she was positive for hep c antibodies the doc told me that was nothing to worry about and it would clear on its own so for the first year of her life i took her for blood work every 3 months the antibodies had cleared right away and she was negative a week after birth so no worries.

[wtbleep]

I too found out about my hep C while I was pregnant with my second child.  My 5 yr old son was tested right away and had no virus.  Unfortunately my daughter was not so lucky and still has the virus at age 10.  This is one of the reasons I went through tx in a clinical trial and so far I have been successful in clearing the virus.  My hope is that when my daughter is ready to do tx there will be an quicker & easier tx.  She has been healthy, happy and full of life.  
You are very young and because of the pregnancy you will have plenty of time to research the subject.  My advice would be to enjoy your pregnancy (your unborn child has about 3% chance of being infected) and try not to worry but educate yourself about your choices.