Is there a Cure?

I went to my derematologist to get accutane for acne and after taking the blood tests, my liver enszymes were slightly elevated. I had to take another blood test and it came back positive for hepatitis C?  I just had a baby 14 months ago and nothing showed up, why?   How damaged do you think my liver is?  Is this curable if it's not too mfar along?

[tulsatime]

Did they test you for hep c when you was pregnant? If so and it came back back neg, then you must have just gotten it in the last 14 months. So I am sure your liver is in good shape,  it takes a long time for liver damage to set in. Be sure to go to a specialist and get some answers. And yes there is a cure? I would make sure they did more follow up and it wasn't a false positive. Good Luck... Debi

[newleaf09]

They don't screen for Hep C unless they find elevated liver enzymes.  The screening tests cost money and doctors just don't normally think to add it unless you are showing some other signs of illness.  That's one of the reasons that so many people end up having it for a very long time before it's discovered.

Once you have had the disease (and many people have it with no symptoms) about 20% of those infected fight it off and destroy it with their own immune systems.  There are some people who live their whole lives with it with no problems but it does terrible liver damage to the others and you never know which one you'll be. It needs to be looked into.

The next step is bloodwork to determine whether you were one of the lucky ones who cleared it naturally or one of the 80%.  The whole process is kind of unnerving and if you decide to continue on to a cure, the cure is a form of chemotherapy.  Not pleasant but bearable.  See a gastroenterologist who is specialized in liver disease (called a hepatologist).  Good luck

[JennyPenny]

I would bet you have a false positive since you were clear in the first trimester of your pregnancy and the baby is only 14 months old. You need to have that antibody test confirmed. A RIBA will tell you if it is a false positive. An HCV/RNA (viral load) will tell if you truly have the virus or if you have it and have cleared it on your own. While it can be transmitted through things like manicures and tattoos, that is uncommon. The common ways are not things I would think a pregnant mom or mom with a young infant would be doing. Try not to worry, just get the confirmatory tests.

[JennyPenny]

Yes, there is a cure for many people.