Oysters

[Hep C Hubby]

I read that raw oysters are a no-no for people with hep c and liver problems.  Also, hubby has verices in his stomach due to liver problems.  Anyone else know about this?

[hippygem]

Thanks for posting this, I had some oysters and shellfish the other day and suffered cramps for a couple of hours, not the first time neither.  I just didnt realise that eating raw shellfish could cause that, many thanks.

[darcar]

i have read that anyone with liver problems / cirrhosis should not eat raw fish period.
My bf loves sushi .but got deadly sick two times after eating it...within about 10-15 minutes.
sweating, stomach cramps, massive diarrhea, severe weakness.turned white as a ghost and nearly collapsed on me.
At first i thought he was having a heart attack..but his vital signs were good, no chest pain and no difficulty breathing...
main symptom though was stomach pain/ cramps plus all the rest.
i later researched and found that to avoid those raw fish because they have alot of parasites that a compromised liver can not detoxify..and thus what a normal person might be ok..
the cirrhotic patient can not take.
Avoid raw fish imo.
not great even for those who dont have liver issues...tapeworms etc..all can come from that...things where cooking would otherwise kill it off.
hope this helps!

[Hep C Hubby]

Thank you all for your posts.  Can anyone tell me about stomach verices?

[R Glass]

I am from South Louisiana and until SVR I am giving up Raw Oysters. I know I may be biased but I feel we have the best Oysters in the world so you know I am going through torment. However, on occasion I do eat them fried. I refuse to give up Shellfish. I couldn’t imagine life without Crawfish, Shrimp, and Blue Crabs.

[alagirl]

Oh man, no raw oysters...  I was upbeat.  I was cool.  I'm in the acute phase, I'm starting treatment next week, I'm confident in my ability to beat this virus, I don't really drink much anyway so cutting out alcohol is no big deal -

But then you've gotta hit me with the no raw oysters card?  Geez...  Sux.  

[GoofyDad]

Yup - that's the bug alright. My mistake - thought it was viral.

I've always heard oysters were good for your Willy.....but not always - one nite I ate a dozen and only 11 worked!

[Willy50]

Read the link I provided.  It's all there and a good read.  IF the oysters are cooked they should OK.  Undercooked or uncooked could be fatal for some folks.  I believ there are some other things....either toxins or viruses that can also be passed through eating some shellfish.  (Vibrio vulnificus is bacterial)

OR just google........ Vibrio vulnificus

Willy

[GrandmaBRZ]

Every time I see my gastro, he emphasizes " NO RAW OYSTERS".  I finally asked him why    he emphasized no oysters every time i saw him..  He told me of a CEO in our area who had eaten raw oysters while at a business luunch.  He was dead that evening. The cause of death was liver failure.  According to family the CEO did NOT know he had HCV or any liver disease.  Apparently had HCV for  quite a few years but no symptoms.  I then remembered reading article in paper.  SO
NO RAW OYSTERS!

[GoofyDad]

kcmike - that's month's that *don't* end in R. September is the start of oyster season on the chesapeake.

Raw oysters *can* carry a particular virus (I forget the name) that will knock your liver for a loop. Once processed, cooked or canned, I think they are OK. I have cirrhosis and I eat them once in a while anyway....

[kcmike]

I've already given up alcohol and tobacco, please don't take my oysters!  I only eat oyster at the Bristol Restaurant (live in kansas).  They serve only New England oysters and you can watch your order get shucked right in front of you at the bar.  I've always, even before TP, been cautious about raw oysters.  Oh, and by the way I also heard a tale of don't eat oysters in any month that end in "r" such as September.

[Willy50]

Check this out;

http://www.americanhs.org/vibro.htm

[mremeet]

Hepatitis A is commonly transmitted through raw or undercooked food. Since raw oysters fall into that category, they're a no-no for liver compromised people. Also, oysters are often harvested from bays and waterways that are at least partially polluted with sewage residue. Raw human sewage is a carrier of hepatitis A (amongst other things), so oysters are especially prone to becoming a carrier of fecal residue and anything that may be in it (like hep A). Hepatitis A is found and communicated via human fecal matter, either by a food preparer contaminating the food directly (via unwashed hands with fecal matter on them), or by foods that have been exposed to contaminated fecal matter and then are not cooked thoroughly prior to serving. A few years back there was an outbreak of hep A at a chain of mexican restaurants. The outbreak was traced to human sewage being used as a fertilizer for green onions grown in Mexico. The sewage residue remained on the onions and since they were served raw, they infected many people. The weakest and most vulnerable within that group, died. A person with another form of hepatitis (B, C etc) can be killed or seriously injured as a result of getting hep A concurrently. That's why it's important for anyone with chronic hepatitis (usually B or C) to be vaccinated against hep A. And lastly, those with chronic forms of hepatitis B or C also commonly have immune system deficiencies (especially those with cirrhosis). Their weakened and overtaxed immune systems make them especially vulnerable to e-coli bacterial infections too, which again can be easily transmitted via raw oysters that may have been harvested in waters that were...less than pristine (which pretty much means everywhere in modern times).

[nygirl7]

Can't you get like hep A or B from oysters?  I would think then just for that reason they'd want us to stay away from them...after all they do make us get innoculated against hepa and hepb and being that it's raw seafood - it makes sense to me.

I think it's a good move just to avoid them altogether.

[mikesimon]

I think you are wise to abstain from oysters. My transplant center forbids oysters for TP recipients. Mike