Aa
help
i just found out 2 days ago i am positive for hepatitis c, i am scared to death. im 14weeks pregnant and the doctors have really gave me no information. plz help me
thank you all for your response's. for those of you asking they did futher testing to see if it was antibodies or hcv,and i came back postive for HCV. I will be able tell more about my situtation on Mon. 27th when i see my GI doctor. I understand why some of you asked certain questions because people get on here and say they have it and only have antibodies or however it was you put that,but im not that type of person,with the little knowledge i do have i researched until i found this site because i thought who better to talk to and get advice from then those who understand me and what im going through. I asked the ob doctor 4 times if she read the results right although i made stupid choices in my life before my children came along i was young and not aware that even if you were clean about it you could give it to yourself. all i know is my virals are well above normal,again thank you all for responding
my husband is in the marine corp and here with pregnancy they test twice during pregnancy for hcv i came back positive for the antibodies in which then they called me in for more testing confiriming i was postive for the virus. the ob doctor didnt give me any information about it. she only set me up an appointment with the GI doctor said she couldnt treat me. the only thing i know about this virus is what ive researched.
Like all the other women who posted I also had a normal pregnancy and evenbreastfed my two. It seems crazy that it wouldn't get transfered that I constantly double checked with obgyn. Thank god for that, no worries.
There is plenty of time to treat later (if you even have it) and by then who knows what treatment will be available.
There is plenty of time to treat later (if you even have it) and by then who knows what treatment will be available.
Welcome!
I would imagine that one of your biggest fears at this time is for your unborn child. Let me tell you my experience with HCV, and hopefully this will alleviate some of your fears, at least in regards to your baby.
I was not diagnosed with HCV until 1996, and by that time I had already given birth to a daughter and a son, in 1993 and 1996 respectively. My exposure to HCV came when I was in high school. I engaged in a stupid, stupid thing in January of 1980, and I have been living with the consequences ever since. So, I was obviously infected when my children were concieved and born.
Now for the reassuring part: neither one of my children has hepatitis c! When I was first diagnosed, I freaked out and had both kids tested. Thank God they were negative. My Dr. at the time was a very well respectived GI at the Houston Medical Center. He reassured my that the chances of a mother passing HCV to her unborn child were very small. If the mother is concurrently infected with HIV, the chances for the HCV virus passing to the child are greater, but still small.
Of course, there are no guarantees, but I hope that my story makes you feel a little better.
Take care!
I would imagine that one of your biggest fears at this time is for your unborn child. Let me tell you my experience with HCV, and hopefully this will alleviate some of your fears, at least in regards to your baby.
I was not diagnosed with HCV until 1996, and by that time I had already given birth to a daughter and a son, in 1993 and 1996 respectively. My exposure to HCV came when I was in high school. I engaged in a stupid, stupid thing in January of 1980, and I have been living with the consequences ever since. So, I was obviously infected when my children were concieved and born.
Now for the reassuring part: neither one of my children has hepatitis c! When I was first diagnosed, I freaked out and had both kids tested. Thank God they were negative. My Dr. at the time was a very well respectived GI at the Houston Medical Center. He reassured my that the chances of a mother passing HCV to her unborn child were very small. If the mother is concurrently infected with HIV, the chances for the HCV virus passing to the child are greater, but still small.
Of course, there are no guarantees, but I hope that my story makes you feel a little better.
Take care!
I assume that you know very little about the disease. I still remember getting the notice and my first thought was; "how long have I got?"
AFTER you find out whether you have the virus or not....... or *only* antibodies..... and if it turns out that you are positive for Hep C, if is probably about 10 times less of an issue than you think, particularly if you were recently infected.
You need to get a PCR; that checks for the presence of actual virus in the blood. This will tell you if you are indeed infected or merely have antibodies but NO infection. You may get a genotype test, which would tell you if you have a hard or easier to treat genotype of the virus.
I would suggest asking for a fibrosure test, from Labcorp; this is an easy blood draw, you'd just get one when they also draw for the PCR or genotype, and you would have the results in a week as to a fairly accurate portrayal of liver damage staging. My co-pay when I got one several years back was about 25 dollars; it's a bargain, IMHO.
I instructed my doctor to take the blood draws and only IF the PCR were to show me positive for HCV, then to run the tests for genotype and fibrosure. If you don't have the virus, you don't need these tests run IMHO.
The outlook for people w/ HCV is very good lately. It can be treated and cured and there are also new treatments coming that should be even shorter term, easier and more effective.
Many of us have had the virus for decades, many of us have had the virus without knowing it for decades and did not transmit it to loved ones.
Many of us still have minimal damage after decades.
Take a deep breath, and tell yourself it is going top be OK. There are many knowledgeable people here who will help you every step of the way.
best,
Willy
AFTER you find out whether you have the virus or not....... or *only* antibodies..... and if it turns out that you are positive for Hep C, if is probably about 10 times less of an issue than you think, particularly if you were recently infected.
You need to get a PCR; that checks for the presence of actual virus in the blood. This will tell you if you are indeed infected or merely have antibodies but NO infection. You may get a genotype test, which would tell you if you have a hard or easier to treat genotype of the virus.
I would suggest asking for a fibrosure test, from Labcorp; this is an easy blood draw, you'd just get one when they also draw for the PCR or genotype, and you would have the results in a week as to a fairly accurate portrayal of liver damage staging. My co-pay when I got one several years back was about 25 dollars; it's a bargain, IMHO.
I instructed my doctor to take the blood draws and only IF the PCR were to show me positive for HCV, then to run the tests for genotype and fibrosure. If you don't have the virus, you don't need these tests run IMHO.
The outlook for people w/ HCV is very good lately. It can be treated and cured and there are also new treatments coming that should be even shorter term, easier and more effective.
Many of us have had the virus for decades, many of us have had the virus without knowing it for decades and did not transmit it to loved ones.
Many of us still have minimal damage after decades.
Take a deep breath, and tell yourself it is going top be OK. There are many knowledgeable people here who will help you every step of the way.
best,
Willy
Thats what I'm thinking...I would want to know..the more I know the more it eases my mind...but thats just me...
Many of us had hep C while we were pregnant and didn't know it. Our kids are fine.
You need to be careful during breastfeeding. Since hep C is spread blood to blood if your nipples get cracked there is the chance of your baby becoming infected that way. Its a small chance but possible.
Remember, its spread blood to blood.
Now, your thoughts should be about your pregnancy.
Have a happy healthy one.
You need to be careful during breastfeeding. Since hep C is spread blood to blood if your nipples get cracked there is the chance of your baby becoming infected that way. Its a small chance but possible.
Remember, its spread blood to blood.
Now, your thoughts should be about your pregnancy.
Have a happy healthy one.
I have hep c and 2 beautiful children. I did not know that I had the disease when I was pregnant. They are now 17 and 15 and they did NOT test positive. Stay calm. The odds are with you.
Mike.. No I doubt you are missing anything. I was not even replying to the pregnacy issue myself ..just the fact that many here say they have HCV ..when it turns out they don"t either by a false pos. AB or a spon. clearance.
Will
Will
Really, it doesn't matter whether she has only Hep C antibodies are an active Hep C infection insofar as her pregnancy is concerned.
She can't do anything except proceed with her pregnancy.....or am I missing something here?
Mike
She can't do anything except proceed with her pregnancy.....or am I missing something here?
Mike
Why did he initially test you for HCV?
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That really makes no difference. What I meant to ask is do you know what tests specifically he did?
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That really makes no difference. What I meant to ask is do you know what tests specifically he did?
Take a deep breath, there are things you can do. You have tested positive for the Hep C antibody? What this means is at some point in the past you had Hep C. Once you have hep C you will always test positive for the antibody, like chickenpox or something.
Your next step may be to get a PCR test done, this will check for an active Viral Load. There is about 20-25% of the people who get Hep C that clear the virus on there own in the first 6 months. If you have cleared the virus, your PCR will be undetected. You will still test positive for the antibody, but there will be no active virus and you will be good, nothing more to be done really.
If your PCR comes back with some kind of a positive viral count, then you will want to find a good hepatologist or GI and decide what your options are as far as treating or not treating. You will want to find out what genotype you have and get a liver biopsy to see what shape your liver is in. The chances of clearing of virus are better then ever right now.
Hep C is a very slow moving disease, there are many here who have had it for 20-40 years before seeing damage to their liver and not everyone gets serious damage to their liver. It sounds scary at first, I know, but first things first, find out if the Hep C is active.
Your next step may be to get a PCR test done, this will check for an active Viral Load. There is about 20-25% of the people who get Hep C that clear the virus on there own in the first 6 months. If you have cleared the virus, your PCR will be undetected. You will still test positive for the antibody, but there will be no active virus and you will be good, nothing more to be done really.
If your PCR comes back with some kind of a positive viral count, then you will want to find a good hepatologist or GI and decide what your options are as far as treating or not treating. You will want to find out what genotype you have and get a liver biopsy to see what shape your liver is in. The chances of clearing of virus are better then ever right now.
Hep C is a very slow moving disease, there are many here who have had it for 20-40 years before seeing damage to their liver and not everyone gets serious damage to their liver. It sounds scary at first, I know, but first things first, find out if the Hep C is active.
I have hep C for 41 years, still only stage 2
Have 3 beautiful kids, none got the disease all are healthy, including my grandchildren!
Don't be afraid you have plenty of time to treat after you give birth
But mention it of course to your OBGYN
Have 3 beautiful kids, none got the disease all are healthy, including my grandchildren!
Don't be afraid you have plenty of time to treat after you give birth
But mention it of course to your OBGYN
First of all. you say you are positive for HCV. Do you know if you are just positive on the initial antibodies test or has there has been a follow up to test for active Hepc infection by a PCR test
Also what do you mean your doctor gave you no information? Why did he initially test you for HCV?
Tell us a little more and then we can answer your questions with a little more clarity.
Will
Also what do you mean your doctor gave you no information? Why did he initially test you for HCV?
Tell us a little more and then we can answer your questions with a little more clarity.
Will
You cannot treat until after the birth of your baby. These drugs can be very toxic to your fetus.
People who are positive for Hep C can and do have normal child birth and 95%+ of the time the baby does not have Hep C infection.
Basically, you just do like everybody else does as long as you stay clear of the Hep C treatment drugs.
Congratulations and good luck,
Mike
People who are positive for Hep C can and do have normal child birth and 95%+ of the time the baby does not have Hep C infection.
Basically, you just do like everybody else does as long as you stay clear of the Hep C treatment drugs.
Congratulations and good luck,
Mike
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