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How Can I test Positive for Hep C when I just had a baby and everything was normal?
I just had a baby 3 months ago and during my pregnancy I was tested for everything under the sun and everything was normal. My OBGYN knew I was a previous drug user but clean for some time and was on suboxone. When my babygirl was born she was healthy and didnt even have any reaction to the suboxone I was taking during my pregnacy and has been to her pediatrician and I've had my check ups and everythings been good. So recently I switched to a new dr to get my suboxone bc of my ins and during routine bloodwork came back positive for Hep C! I was completely shocked and left wondering how this came to be and how it went undetected through all my previous bloodwork and everything! This was a week ago I have not been to a specialist yet for further testing I'm waiting on a referal and I took my daughter to her pediatrician who then sent us to have her bloodwork done. Now many years back when I first started on suboxone my dr gave me a shot as a precautionary incase I ever came into contact with Hep C and it was supposed to help my body fight it off. Could this have something to do with the positive test result? I'm more worried for my daughter and not knowing if I do have it and why nothing ever came up in all the tests ive taken before?! I'm confused and scared and hoping that someone could shed some insight into my situation.
yes my test was positive for hep c antibodies waiting to go to specialist hopefully there no viral loaed but ill just have to take it a step at a time! I tried to taper down w the subs but was as lot for me with our new baby so if things keep continuing to improve for me mentally like they have been i will try to taper again.
I most likely had the virus when my kids were born and didn't find out until after they were grown. None of them have it.
Some people can indeed die from it and some can live their entire lives with it and never know and/or never have any liver damage.
HCV ( hep C virus) is spread from blood to blood contact.
Hep C lives in the blood but it does damage to the liver. Getting your liver tested is important.
If your liver is in good shape, I'd advise you to wait to do treatment as new shorter treatment options are on the horizon.
Good luck.
Some people can indeed die from it and some can live their entire lives with it and never know and/or never have any liver damage.
HCV ( hep C virus) is spread from blood to blood contact.
Hep C lives in the blood but it does damage to the liver. Getting your liver tested is important.
If your liver is in good shape, I'd advise you to wait to do treatment as new shorter treatment options are on the horizon.
Good luck.
Most people don't know they have until years have passed and there are serious symptoms. That's the only "cut and dried" time you refer to. At that point it is a sort of death sentence if left untreated. But now with the new miracle drugs that is a thing of the past. Many people have died of HCV related diseases. Could it be that you had a shot for Hep A&B? Shots for Hep C are non existant. It could be that you have Hep C anti-bodies? Stay calm until you find out more. Chances are you do not have HCV.
I'd be worried more about the suboxone.
I'd be worried more about the suboxone.
Hi there, like you I assumed that when having a baby they tested for everything. I also thought when I was diagnosed in 2007 that it was a death sentence. It isn't. During the time I had HCV I had two children. They are negative for the virus.
Gosh, I also believe everything happens for a reason. It is possible when they run the PCR that you will not have a viral load, I pray that is true for you. But...if you have it this is the best time to find out. The new medications are much easier and much shorter duration than they used to be.
Congratulations on your bundle of joy :) Take Care
Dee
Gosh, I also believe everything happens for a reason. It is possible when they run the PCR that you will not have a viral load, I pray that is true for you. But...if you have it this is the best time to find out. The new medications are much easier and much shorter duration than they used to be.
Congratulations on your bundle of joy :) Take Care
Dee
Hi there Hun. They were teenagers. I carried the virus for half my life and never knew that I was exposed. Actually lost a baby due to an ectopic pregnancy and had a blood transfusion. Hep C never crossed my mind at the time.
Even when families have a member with the virus, transmission is rare.
Good Luck to you
.....Kim
Even when families have a member with the virus, transmission is rare.
Good Luck to you
.....Kim
Thank You hearing that really does help me feel better...something that irritates me is that i cant help thinking that had i known different precautions could have been taken...but I cant go back now. When you found out that you were Hep C+ how old were your children if you dont mind me asking?! Bc ive been told when theyre this young you wont know for sure anyways (mine in almost 4 months)..
I had 2 beautiful children and didn't know that I was Hep C+. It's unfortunately not a typical test run by your OB Gyn while pregnant.
Neither one of my children contracted the virus during delivery or even
sharing our home together.
Chances are that your new baby will be negative. Even Breast feeding
after your babies birth is not a risk factor. There is no reason to feel
guilty that you've harmed your child in any way. It sounds to me like you
turned your life around, and will be a loving new mom.
Enjoy
.....Kim
Neither one of my children contracted the virus during delivery or even
sharing our home together.
Chances are that your new baby will be negative. Even Breast feeding
after your babies birth is not a risk factor. There is no reason to feel
guilty that you've harmed your child in any way. It sounds to me like you
turned your life around, and will be a loving new mom.
Enjoy
.....Kim
This message board is definitely a savior. I just started taking the medicine to hopefully rid me of this disease and I can't tell you how much these amazing people in here have helped me. I had so many questions just like you and they really put me at ease. We are lucky that we do have the available medications that are out there right now. You are in the right place and it's good that you found this out now so that you can be treated.
And Lynn yes that is a good idea about finding out if they ran that as part of their testing before bc my dr and the lab all knew that I was a previous drug user so I will have to call and find out...thank you to everyone for helping me with all this info it really helps!
See it's funny bc I always think everything happens for a reason and had I not gotten pregnant I would have never changed my ins and gone to this new dr who needed bloodwork for this all to come out. So although it scares me I feel at ease that if I do in fact have the virus I can manage the treatment and having it early on instead of ten yrs from now ya know...but bc of my worry about it I got online and came across this message board and it's helped me a lot. I always thought Hep C was a cut and dry thing you either have it and it's awful or you dont and in all actuality it's not that way at all so I've learned a lot just from other ppls experience and info on here. Taking a second look at my test it said positive for Hep C antibodies so until I go to do further testing in the next coming weeks I wont know for sure and if I do have it I am much better mentally prepared!
Just to say about the death sentence part that I have been living with hep c for probably 37 years and have known for 25 years and I am still here.
Likely you won't have hep c in less than 6 months from now it you actually do test positive for the virus on the next test and the odds your baby was infected are low.
You shouldn't feel guilty you had no way to know you had hep c if in fact you do have the virus.
Good luck to you both everything will be fine
Likely you won't have hep c in less than 6 months from now it you actually do test positive for the virus on the next test and the odds your baby was infected are low.
You shouldn't feel guilty you had no way to know you had hep c if in fact you do have the virus.
Good luck to you both everything will be fine
Thank You..for me the more information I get about this whole thing the better I feel. In the past getting Hep C to me was like a death sentence your life is over blah blah blah but now I am starting to realise that all my preconceptions about it were based on not having the knowledge on it. My biggest thing through all this is I can deal with what to do with the outcome for myself and if I have the virus but the guilt of possibly having gave it to my daughter bc I wasn't aware that I had it while I was pregnant is killing me. I am her mother and I am supposed to protect her and I do all these things like wash her new clothes before she wears them boil everything and anything that could possibly touch her mouth and this whole time I should have been protecting her from myself. ALthough I will say that even her pediatrician told me everything is going to be fine and if hers comes back positive we just keep testing her and checking on her down there road. Like I said both her and myself have no issues health wise so I was thrown off with this but all the info I can get helps so much! THanks Everyone!
I am sorry you are going through all this confusion. I will try to help you understand. First of all, there are no requirements that pregnant moms should be tested for hepatitis C. Some doctors do it and some don't. It is impossible to make a diagnosis from regular lab work. The test for hepatitis C exposure is called an antibody test. It is separate from your regular lab work. The doctor has to specifically order it. Once it comes back positive, the next step is to confirm it with a viral load test called an HCV/RNA by PCR. If that is positive (called detected), then the person does have hepatitis C. And actually, in many studies between 50 to 90% of patients who have ever injected drugs, will be infected after 6 months of IV drug use.....that is the bad news. The good news is that there are much easier CURES now.
THIS IS IMPORTANT. If you are positive for hepatitis C, your baby will come back with a positive test, as well. But do NOT freak out. By the time the baby is 12-18 months old, 96% will lose those antibodies because they are the mom's antibodies and are not there because the baby has the virus. Only 4% of babies born to hep C positive moms actually have the virus. If the baby is positive for the antibodies you can ask the pediagtrician to do a viral load test (HCV/RNA) on the baby as that will tell you if the baby is one of the 4% who actually got the virus.
I hope this helped you to relax. Enjoy the baby. Everything is going to be just fine.
THIS IS IMPORTANT. If you are positive for hepatitis C, your baby will come back with a positive test, as well. But do NOT freak out. By the time the baby is 12-18 months old, 96% will lose those antibodies because they are the mom's antibodies and are not there because the baby has the virus. Only 4% of babies born to hep C positive moms actually have the virus. If the baby is positive for the antibodies you can ask the pediagtrician to do a viral load test (HCV/RNA) on the baby as that will tell you if the baby is one of the 4% who actually got the virus.
I hope this helped you to relax. Enjoy the baby. Everything is going to be just fine.
Darn auto correct
Can you check if one of the tests they ran before was for hep c?
Was what I was trying to type
Can you check if one of the tests they ran before was for hep c?
Was what I was trying to type
Hi
There no vaccine as of yet for hep c. There are for hep a and hep b.
About 25% of people who test positive for hep c antibodies were able to beat the virus on their own so you may be one of the lucky ones. When you have the test for the virus the HCV RNA by PCR if that comes back virus not detected that means you do not have the active virus. The positive antibody test only means you were exposed at sometime in the past.
About all the testing you had before liky they did not test you for hep c before can you ask icons of the tests they ran before was for hep c that would either clear up the mystery or at least give you more information.
Also if you do have hep c there are recently approved medicines that are very effective at treating hep c and much better tolerated than the old treatments. So if you are infected get treated get cured.
Good luck hope your test for the virus is negative and congrats on the birth of your new baby
Lynn
There no vaccine as of yet for hep c. There are for hep a and hep b.
About 25% of people who test positive for hep c antibodies were able to beat the virus on their own so you may be one of the lucky ones. When you have the test for the virus the HCV RNA by PCR if that comes back virus not detected that means you do not have the active virus. The positive antibody test only means you were exposed at sometime in the past.
About all the testing you had before liky they did not test you for hep c before can you ask icons of the tests they ran before was for hep c that would either clear up the mystery or at least give you more information.
Also if you do have hep c there are recently approved medicines that are very effective at treating hep c and much better tolerated than the old treatments. So if you are infected get treated get cured.
Good luck hope your test for the virus is negative and congrats on the birth of your new baby
Lynn
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