I need Hep C information!!!

[TaylorParker]

Only i have just got diagnosed with Hep C, and I'm so nervous.
I would love to know what to expect, so if anyone could help i would highly appreciate me:)

[Anne1717]

There you are !!  Welcome to the group and I hope you will ask lots of questions.  Gosh you are so young and you sadi in your profile you were ashamed - please don't be.  We all make errors in judgement but hopefully we can correct them  You have a whole lifetime ahead of you and are lucky to have caught this early.  

The advice the members can give you will depend on information you can give the members.

Do you have a genotype?
A viral load?
A good doctor with Hepatitis experience?
How long you may have had this?

You are amongst good peple so hang in there kiddo.

Anne

[tashka]

Welcome to the forum! Anne asked you very good questions. Tell us more about yourself and your concerns, and we will try to help. Hepatitis C is a very broad topic.

[James10500]

Here are some answers for you.

http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Newly%20Diagnosed_10.pdf

[FlGuy]

How exactly were diagnosed?  Was it by a specific lab test?  Which one and what were the numerical results?

[AnotherJourney]

I have been jumping in and out of this forum for the last few years. I was diagnosed with Hep C and unsuccessfully treated. This forum is a god send in my opinion and many of the posters here can be a great sounding board and provide lots of insight. You have landed in a great place.

[TaylorParker]

I just got diagnosed yesterday, so i dont know the answers to any of thoughs questions

[Bill1954]

Okay, hang in there; it can be a bit confusing at first. One of the big questions that people often get confused about is whether they were diagnosed with Hep C (HCV) antibodies, or the active virus itself. There’s a big difference, and this point is important.

One way to determine this is if the doctor ordered a viral load test; if you have viral load, then you do in fact have active virus.

Many of us in here ask for copies of our lab results, and start a little medical file to help keep track of things. Next time you see your doctor, ask him for ‘hard copies’ of test results if you like.

If you do have active virus, it’s important to avoid alcohol; your doctor probably discussed this with you?

Good luck; ask questions in here, and get informed before you dive into therapy for the disease—

-Bill

[TaylorParker]

I contacted my doctor yesterday and he can't get me in till the end of May, but i want an appointment sooner then that, but when they diagnosed me yesterday they did some more tests, so i'll find out my virus load soon. But right now i'm just trying to get a doctors appointment. I could have Hep C for five months, because thats when i started sharing drug needles

[TaylorParker]

I took the viral load blood test yesterday, and they doctor is suppose to be contacting me and telling me the results.

And yes, my doctor did tell me to avoid alcohol, something i was very disappointed about.

[TaylorParker]

I contacted my doctor yesterday and he can't get me in till the end of May, but i want an appointment sooner then that, but when they diagnosed me yesterday they did some more tests, so i'll find out my virus load soon. But right now i'm just trying to get a doctors appointment. I could have Hep C for five months, because thats when i started sharing drug needles

[FlGuy]

The test (at least the viral load) takes about a week to process.  You don't need to wait until May to get some important information.

A week after the blood was taken contact the doctor and as them for copies of the lab results.  It appears that antibodies (an not necessarily the virus) was detected and that could be not bad new yet.  The viral load is THE the thing.  And waiting a month to see the doctor is not necessarily a bad thing either.  

If you think you got infected 5 months ago did you get sick then?  No everyone does.  But if you did what kind of sick were you?

Bummer about not being able to drink. Did he tell you to stop shooting drugs? Or, does he not know that bit of information?

[SusieS2010]

If you were just exposed to the virus in the last 6 months or so, and you have a viral load, you are still in what is called the acute stage. Treatment for people in the acute stage is over 95% curable.T ry not to panic. You are going to be fine. But you must get help for the drug abuse.

[Anne1717]

Sent by Anne1717 3 minutes ago
Hi Taylor - I am glad you wrote back.   I am very new at this as well so keep posting your questions and those with experience will chime in.  First of all, it sounds like you may be acute if you think you contracted it in the last 5 months.  If this is true, it is pretty important you get to a  GI doctor or liver specialist sooner that later - even if you have to get a new doctor,  Stress to them that you think you are acute.  Acutes are treated differently and there is a chance you could clear on you own since you are young and female.

I  am acute  We waited to see if I would clear on my own - almost did - but I don't have youth on my side.  I started treating 8 weeks ago.  
You and I are in the same position in that we haven't had it very long so our livers are in good shape.. Believe me - that is the best position to be in - other than not having it at all !

My best advice is to get a good doctor - preferably one in a bigger city hospital if you are near one.  Keep yourself very healthy - no drugs/ drinking/ cigarettes.  IF you are in the position of possibly clearing it on your own,  it is best to keep your immune system as strong as you can - eat well - sleep - walk.  If you don't clear, then your body will be in better shape to handle the treatments.  
Sorry if I sound too much like a mom - I am one and it's hard to leave the mom thing behind.   You will be okay - just start making good choices for yourself now.  Do you have adults to trust?

My best and keep your chin up

Anne

[TaylorParker]

When the doctor diagnosed me on the paper it said, Reactive 43.56, i dont know if that means anything or not, and i no longer do any drugs.

[FlGuy]

Good news, bad news, good news.  It's the result of an antibody test.  The good news is that it's not confirmation of HCV.  The bad news: it's a pretty high result.  More good news: no drugs.

[Bill1954]

Good for you for getting away from the drugs; they’re far more likely to cause damage in the short term; and probably long term too.

Yes, the ‘Reactive 43.56’ sounds like HCV antibody results. More specifically, the signal/cut off ratio (SC/O)  for an antibody test result:

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/LabTesting.htm
(scroll down to see the table)

This tells you that you’ve probably in fact been exposed to the Hep C virus, rather than this being a false positive result.

However, keep in mind that about 20% of patients in your situation clear the virus with their own immune response in the first six months of infection.

Soooo… while the possibility that you’re infected with active virus is increased, it still isn’t a firm diagnosis; that comes with the upcoming viral load test results.

Good luck, TaylorParker; let us know what you find out-

-Bill

[TaylorParker]

I'll keep everyone informed:)

[TaylorParker]

This makes no sense

[FlGuy]

Bill explained it better than I could. You've probably been exposed but it's not yet for sure that you will develop HCV.  It's possible for your immune system to fight it off.  That's why a May appointment is probably ok. But, if you can get the results of the viral load test by phone or fax next week please post the results and we can help you figure out what it says.

Hang in there.

[TaylorParker]

I should be getting my Viral load test results back in a week or two.

[snowwhiteblktears]

After reading most of the posts here I see I don't know hardly anything about hep c. I have never had one Dr talk to me about viral load or 90% of the things all of u mention. I am very confused, all I know is I have hep c and thats its the most treatable my platelets are very low my spleen enlarged and cirrhosis I know thats not a good thing. I am scheduled for another scope the 1st one showed nothing which had the Dr scratching his head. I guess when u have cirrhosis u have signs of it in your esophagus. I'm really scared that its to late for me to get treatment. If someone can explain what a lot of this stuff  means like the viral load, hcv etc... I would be very grateful.... thanks in advance

[TaylorParker]

If you're being treated for hepatitis C virus infection -- also called HVC -- your doctor is keeping track of your viral load.

Viral load is [the number of] viral particles floating in the blood. These are copies of the genetic material of the virus circulating through the body.

Being "hepatitis C positive" means you have anti-HCV antibodies in your blood. Having HCV antibodies just means you've been exposed to the hepatitis C virus. You can certainly be antibody positive and not have any measurable viral load. One lucky thing this might mean is that you are one of the 15% to 40% of people who naturally clear the virus from their bodies. The other possibility is that the virus, during the time blood is drawn, was only temporarily undetectable. HCV viral load in the blood goes up and down, and the test might have caught it on a downswing. So before we tell someone they are negative, we ask them to have the

Anything over 800,000 IU/mL is high. Anything under that is low viral load … Those with low viral load have a better chance of responding to treatment.

Here is a viral load chart:) http://www.hepatitis-central.com/hcv/hepatitis/loadchart.html

I hoped i helped

[FlGuy]

You go, girl.

[willbb]

To :Tp...somebody has been doing their reading...good stuff!!