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Both docs have told me that NOT being vaccinated would be a horrible thing because having C makes it soooo much easier to catch the other two. Maybe its something you should think about doing because just trying to get rid of C is enough for me. I cant imagine adding more tx drugs or doubling what Im already on. (I dont know what they treat A or B with)
ask Bill and Jim.. I have a lot of respect for those guys Not to mention everyone else on this board.
Thank you all for helping me
God Bless
We went to Mexico two years ago and my husband and both kids had the Hep A vaccine. I didn't have it because years ago I was told that my illness was due to Hep A and I thought I was immune. Little did I know at that time it was not Hep A, but Hep C. Actually when my doctor ran the blood tests for Hep A,B & C, I said to her that they will come back with immunity to A and clear for B & C. Of course that was not the case.
I've never heard of anyone not being advised to since it is only in your best interest to protect yourself from the possibility of any more liver damage and it won't hurt you whatsoever.
We cannot afford to take the chance.
Always confused I'm not sure why you'd want to wait to see if you get SVR before protecting yourself. If somehow you do get one of the other heps it could be catastrophic to the condition of your liver. It's just a simple set of shots but it could end up helping you a lot.
Rocker, I don't know the answer but I'm sure someone else does
Denise
I did get the hep A vaccine as soon as I could get in. Two different docs suggested my liver had suffered about as many insults as it could take and getting hep A might cause severe damage. As it turned out, I had the first injection pre-tx and the second during.
I found out from my niece recently that kids here cannot enter Head start without being vaccinated. I couldn't detect any sides from the A vaccine.
I think I understand the reluctance to getting vaccinated. For me, this was a special issue.
i think it's a really interesting question: whether some side effects on treatment might be increased or caused by the vaccine.
previous post concerning spike in viral load and hbv vaccine: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Hepatitis-C/Thanks-hepatitisresearcher/show/95213
My Hepatologist tested for antibodies from Hep B, even though I had a negative test prior for Hep B. Never did understand why. But when I got the call about the viral load and the test results he said there were no antibodies for Hep B, and next office visit I need to be vaccinated for it. I will comply, even though I do not think there is any risk now of me contracting Hep B. Come to think of it though, I did not think there was much chance I had Hep C, and that was a complete surprise!
LD
If you've had A and B and cleared them on your own you don't need the shots but should be re-tested occasionally because it's possible to lose the acquired immunity as you age
this is the answer i was hoping for
thank you
same thing with pneumonia...you get exposed when you WBC is low...and you may not have a fighting chance...so as a preventative getting these is advance is overwhelmingly more logical.
Also, not to sound prejudice, but having a family in the restaurant business I shlepped my share of grub. The kitchen help in most places are notoriously underpaid, undereducated and often illegal immigrants. I can't tell you the things I witnessed or you would never eat out again. But I can tell you that 50% of mexicans are carriers of hep a or B...and they represent a lot of the kitchen staff in the bigger cities.
We almost never eat out because of things I witnessed behind the scenes....
so if you are someone who does eat out, or does fast food joints....you really want to be innoculated.
and no, I don't think this is what your symptoms are from. This treatment is hell, hades, and a few other choice words I won't use....it's the drugs you are on now, not your vaccine. The vaccines are pretty weak...sometimes so weak they don't even "take"...so the chances of you reacting strongly is very rare, or getting the disease from them is almost nonexistant.
mb