Aa
hives and hepc?
I was diagnosed 2y ago, 2a/c, stadium 0, vl 64,000 and was advised not to treat it yet (2 doctors), but do another biopsy in 5y, in hope that there'll some better drugs available...
I exercise 'a lot', watch what I eat and work like a maniac... you can't do much about the last one in today's society, can you :-)
however, I did notice that since October I started having skin problems, all of a sudden hives started appearing on my forearms, and sometimes knees or ankles...they are itchy and usually withdraw in couple of hours...what I also noticed is that I get them if my skin is exposed to any kind of pressure...I carried a sports bag over my shoulder on my last holiday and couldn't believe the reaction, my whole arm got swollen, it hurt, felt itchy and warm...not to mention something silly as tiping on my computer, having my wrist against the keyboard and then getting hives some time later...
I did a series of alergy, food and 'what not' blood tests, but the doctors just can't discover the cause...
Has anyone had any similar problems? Could it be connected to my hepc diagnosis?
ps. pardon my English, it's not my mother tongue...
I exercise 'a lot', watch what I eat and work like a maniac... you can't do much about the last one in today's society, can you :-)
however, I did notice that since October I started having skin problems, all of a sudden hives started appearing on my forearms, and sometimes knees or ankles...they are itchy and usually withdraw in couple of hours...what I also noticed is that I get them if my skin is exposed to any kind of pressure...I carried a sports bag over my shoulder on my last holiday and couldn't believe the reaction, my whole arm got swollen, it hurt, felt itchy and warm...not to mention something silly as tiping on my computer, having my wrist against the keyboard and then getting hives some time later...
I did a series of alergy, food and 'what not' blood tests, but the doctors just can't discover the cause...
Has anyone had any similar problems? Could it be connected to my hepc diagnosis?
ps. pardon my English, it's not my mother tongue...
I'm very sure hives are related to Hep C. I think I found a cure for it. I've tried many different vitamins and supplements as the medication did not work for me. Hives came back every now and then. But I haven't had any hives now for about one and a half years thanks to Herbalife. Following is the list of Herbalife and other vitamins that I take:
Herbalife Line 3 tablets 3 times a day
Rose Guard (previously Rose OX) 1 tablet twice a day
Vitamin B complex 1 tablet a day or 2 if you feel tired.
Drink enough water. I say enough as every-ones needs are different. Learn to listen to your body.
I take my vitamins after food only and never on empty stomach.
I have them for a month or two in a row and then have a break for a month or two.
My liver too feels a lot better now. I don't have any dull liver pain any more.
Herbalife Line 3 tablets 3 times a day
Rose Guard (previously Rose OX) 1 tablet twice a day
Vitamin B complex 1 tablet a day or 2 if you feel tired.
Drink enough water. I say enough as every-ones needs are different. Learn to listen to your body.
I take my vitamins after food only and never on empty stomach.
I have them for a month or two in a row and then have a break for a month or two.
My liver too feels a lot better now. I don't have any dull liver pain any more.
Hey, i was diagnosed with HCV (genotype 1b with a viral load under 300,000) last year just b4 my 30th birthday.
Suddenly I was having hives. It started with my face from around my eyes then spread all over my body. Hives stayed and grew bigger over 24 hours then would go away slowly to appear somewhere else on my body. I saw so many dumb doctors that kept telling me I am allergic to some foods or make-up or other personal hygiene products. But I never had allergies before. I saw a very good dermatologist and she advised I had some blood tests and other tests nearly for every type of disease done as hives are an autoimmune response of our body to foreign invasion. My HCV tests came back positive. My fibroscan showed some liver damage and my Gastroenterologist-Hapatologist suggested I had Hep C for a long time. Even though my mother thinks I contracted it with a blood transfusion in early childhood I think I contracted it a few months earlier through unsafe sex. I was never raped, nether did I ingect drugs.
I started my research on HCV and came across Lloyd Wright who lost faith in traditional medicine and cured his Hep C after taking control of it himself. I read his inspiring book "Triumph over Hepatitis C" and decided that I too could do it. For next 3 months I felt great! I drunk up to 3 liters of water, vitamins, exercised regularly and put myself on a healthy macrobiotic diet eating plenty of wheat, brown rice, buckwheat and vegetables with occasional meat and mainly fish and chicken for dinner. However, my parents and my boyfriend allied with my Gastro-Hepatologist though I had to start the treatment right away.
So I did. My first month on a treatment was a HELL. Hives broke out all over my body and I was feeling completely sick, with temperature over 40C and pain all over my body. My mood was down and I felt like I was going to die before I could complete my 48 weeks treatment. In the second month my hives were gone and on the 12th week virus was not present in my blood. My specialist was confident we were going to beet it. So I carried on. I injected 4 mg Interferon weekly and took 400 mg Ribovirin a day. The most difficult part of the treatment was the depression. I still can't understand how is it possible to make yourself feel so bad to cure yourself?
My hives would appear sometimes during the treatment in places of friction ( bra-straps, underwear ), on my elbows and knees and sometimes on my forehead but never stayed over a day and were smaller. I still can't believe I made it through this horrible treatment.
My 6 month after treatment blood work came back positive. The specialist says new drugs are in stores in the US and I can start another treatment in couple of months. When I speak of Lloyd Wright and his persistent and responsible approach to treatment my specialist thinks it's impossible.
But I think it's my life, my Hep C and nobody is responsible for it but me. I read a lot of motivational literature and am interested in psychology. Believe me, there is a reason why people have certain illness. And the cure is as close inside as the illness. All we need to do is acknowledge it and start acting upon it.
To all of you undergoing the treatment: I wish you courage, patience, good friends and relatives. To the rest: I'm taking control of my life and my Hep C. My main goal is to live to my full potential and I believe it is in my hands. At the end it is not the years in our life that matter, but the life in our years. I wish you all happiness, prosperity and self realization.
Suddenly I was having hives. It started with my face from around my eyes then spread all over my body. Hives stayed and grew bigger over 24 hours then would go away slowly to appear somewhere else on my body. I saw so many dumb doctors that kept telling me I am allergic to some foods or make-up or other personal hygiene products. But I never had allergies before. I saw a very good dermatologist and she advised I had some blood tests and other tests nearly for every type of disease done as hives are an autoimmune response of our body to foreign invasion. My HCV tests came back positive. My fibroscan showed some liver damage and my Gastroenterologist-Hapatologist suggested I had Hep C for a long time. Even though my mother thinks I contracted it with a blood transfusion in early childhood I think I contracted it a few months earlier through unsafe sex. I was never raped, nether did I ingect drugs.
I started my research on HCV and came across Lloyd Wright who lost faith in traditional medicine and cured his Hep C after taking control of it himself. I read his inspiring book "Triumph over Hepatitis C" and decided that I too could do it. For next 3 months I felt great! I drunk up to 3 liters of water, vitamins, exercised regularly and put myself on a healthy macrobiotic diet eating plenty of wheat, brown rice, buckwheat and vegetables with occasional meat and mainly fish and chicken for dinner. However, my parents and my boyfriend allied with my Gastro-Hepatologist though I had to start the treatment right away.
So I did. My first month on a treatment was a HELL. Hives broke out all over my body and I was feeling completely sick, with temperature over 40C and pain all over my body. My mood was down and I felt like I was going to die before I could complete my 48 weeks treatment. In the second month my hives were gone and on the 12th week virus was not present in my blood. My specialist was confident we were going to beet it. So I carried on. I injected 4 mg Interferon weekly and took 400 mg Ribovirin a day. The most difficult part of the treatment was the depression. I still can't understand how is it possible to make yourself feel so bad to cure yourself?
My hives would appear sometimes during the treatment in places of friction ( bra-straps, underwear ), on my elbows and knees and sometimes on my forehead but never stayed over a day and were smaller. I still can't believe I made it through this horrible treatment.
My 6 month after treatment blood work came back positive. The specialist says new drugs are in stores in the US and I can start another treatment in couple of months. When I speak of Lloyd Wright and his persistent and responsible approach to treatment my specialist thinks it's impossible.
But I think it's my life, my Hep C and nobody is responsible for it but me. I read a lot of motivational literature and am interested in psychology. Believe me, there is a reason why people have certain illness. And the cure is as close inside as the illness. All we need to do is acknowledge it and start acting upon it.
To all of you undergoing the treatment: I wish you courage, patience, good friends and relatives. To the rest: I'm taking control of my life and my Hep C. My main goal is to live to my full potential and I believe it is in my hands. At the end it is not the years in our life that matter, but the life in our years. I wish you all happiness, prosperity and self realization.
i am 30 yrs old ..i just got diagnosed with H C about 3 'months ago..im now suffering from hives from everything i have being reading othe net ,this stuff is making go nuts i mean crazy...my doc wants to conduct some text,truth is i think im not gooing to survive this i have no health insurance..secondly i was in denial for sometime now ,i thought this condition was only suited for illicit drug users ,and i was never one..my question is this condition cureable or a gradual death sentense...
oh, I think maybe I wasn't clear enough, I didn't mean menopause...my doc just sent me to check the hormones to see whether they are connected with the hives...
if I may but in on the weather :-) the weather is great, it's around thirtish and to be honest, after a load of rain at the beginning of summer, and two crappy summers full of rain in a row...this heat wave feels great :-)Especially if you can enjoy it somewhere along the Mediterranean coast...I am going in two weeks and can't wait to get there...
thanks once again for caring so much, your name really says it all :-)
if I may but in on the weather :-) the weather is great, it's around thirtish and to be honest, after a load of rain at the beginning of summer, and two crappy summers full of rain in a row...this heat wave feels great :-)Especially if you can enjoy it somewhere along the Mediterranean coast...I am going in two weeks and can't wait to get there...
thanks once again for caring so much, your name really says it all :-)
have you been tested for cryoglobulinemia?
there is a syndrome similar to Raynaud's that affects hep c positive folks. get tested, just in case.
there is a syndrome similar to Raynaud's that affects hep c positive folks. get tested, just in case.
wow, that hyperlink you left prob did me a solid and wouldn't take me to the spot you wanted me to go, hey, morning's turning out to be better then I thought! he he....
Might meet Califia in Cambria (nice little burg, ever been?) so maybe that's as far north as I'm going to go for awhile, just talking about it though.... they have a stretch of beach where all these sea lions hang out and of course, there's always the Hearst Castle up the hill...
I guess we're both in our respective little hotseats, me trying to find out if I make this first trial, and you finding out your current stats, nice time to blow town...have the best time in Europe, prob Scotland is a good bet...this global warming or whatever is making a lot of Europe a lot hotter, and they aren't geared up for it, no AC and proper ventilation in a lot of places, etc....Don't want to think of the Hot Goofy Family sweating to the oldies!
Might meet Califia in Cambria (nice little burg, ever been?) so maybe that's as far north as I'm going to go for awhile, just talking about it though.... they have a stretch of beach where all these sea lions hang out and of course, there's always the Hearst Castle up the hill...
I guess we're both in our respective little hotseats, me trying to find out if I make this first trial, and you finding out your current stats, nice time to blow town...have the best time in Europe, prob Scotland is a good bet...this global warming or whatever is making a lot of Europe a lot hotter, and they aren't geared up for it, no AC and proper ventilation in a lot of places, etc....Don't want to think of the Hot Goofy Family sweating to the oldies!
thank you all for your responses...
I got worried, especailly after a number of test and no explanation...it's clear to me that hives can appear as a possible side effect to meds, but I'm not under treatment...and they CAN be really annoying...
txx once again!!!
I got worried, especailly after a number of test and no explanation...it's clear to me that hives can appear as a possible side effect to meds, but I'm not under treatment...and they CAN be really annoying...
txx once again!!!
yes, I guess I was lucky there...I found out by accident, and I am glad because that gave me an opportunity to make necessary adjustments in my life-style...
I don't know what to tell you about the treatment part...on one hand I am really happy that I am given an opportunity to wait for better meds while so many others have no choice and have to undergo treatment...and to be honest, I am terrified of it...on the other hand, knowing and living for more than two years that you are carrying a desease is not easy either...don't get me wrong, I don't make any fuss about it, but that constant awareness somewhere in the back of your crowded consciousness, that's something you have to learn to live with :-(
good luck 2U2!!!
I don't know what to tell you about the treatment part...on one hand I am really happy that I am given an opportunity to wait for better meds while so many others have no choice and have to undergo treatment...and to be honest, I am terrified of it...on the other hand, knowing and living for more than two years that you are carrying a desease is not easy either...don't get me wrong, I don't make any fuss about it, but that constant awareness somewhere in the back of your crowded consciousness, that's something you have to learn to live with :-(
good luck 2U2!!!
just wanted to add, this is just my case, I'm not advocating that anyone do what I do...but if you want to see some studies about estrogen and hep c, but them both in a seach engine...
So if I start on estrogen, I could have my very own <a href=http://www.sunset.com/sunset/travel/rockies/article/0,20633,1088468,00.html">Casabas</a> to while away idle time, annnnnd I could be helping my liver too?
You're full of the good news, Forsee. Hey, I get it, that's where the name comes from. Duuuuhhh.
You're full of the good news, Forsee. Hey, I get it, that's where the name comes from. Duuuuhhh.
Hey, as far as those hormones, FOR ME, I really think they keep the disease at bay in some way, I do a thing with hormones where I don't take them the whole month because I become (over exposed to estrogen) if that makes any sense...when I take them every day I get worse migraines and that's already a problem for me...so I take estrogen in cycles through the month and that is way better for me...
Anyway, once I forgot to take estrogen all together for about a few weeks, man, did I feel bad, I felt like I was having a hep flareup, took my estrogen (I take bio-identical estrogen and progesterone cream, lowest doses) and I felt much, much better the very next day...
I've read studies where they theorize that estrogen helps protect women from the virus somehow, that's a reason why women don't progress as fast with the virus as men on average, statistically speaking...
That women who are premenopausal have the best results with the disease and that when women who are menopausal who take small amounts of estrogen do better with this disease then menopausal women who don't...(there are just some studies indicating this) and as far as my case, I think there must be something to this....
Now this is just my case, I'm sure some others have different takes and experiences, good luck!
Anyway, once I forgot to take estrogen all together for about a few weeks, man, did I feel bad, I felt like I was having a hep flareup, took my estrogen (I take bio-identical estrogen and progesterone cream, lowest doses) and I felt much, much better the very next day...
I've read studies where they theorize that estrogen helps protect women from the virus somehow, that's a reason why women don't progress as fast with the virus as men on average, statistically speaking...
That women who are premenopausal have the best results with the disease and that when women who are menopausal who take small amounts of estrogen do better with this disease then menopausal women who don't...(there are just some studies indicating this) and as far as my case, I think there must be something to this....
Now this is just my case, I'm sure some others have different takes and experiences, good luck!
Thank you for your comments and wishes :-)
I had a biopsy a year and a half ago, and I have a very low liver damage...
I have to say that my hepatologist wasn't of much help with the hives, however, I do think they are not stress related because I get them when my skin is exposed to pressure (or I just wake up with them) that's why I eliminated that as a possible cause...
it did help to hear that other people had similar problems...antihistimine might be the solution, I'll see what to do about it next week when I get my hormones results...
txx once again!!!
I had a biopsy a year and a half ago, and I have a very low liver damage...
I have to say that my hepatologist wasn't of much help with the hives, however, I do think they are not stress related because I get them when my skin is exposed to pressure (or I just wake up with them) that's why I eliminated that as a possible cause...
it did help to hear that other people had similar problems...antihistimine might be the solution, I'll see what to do about it next week when I get my hormones results...
txx once again!!!
I developed hives about 10 years after I unknowingly contracted Hep C and they're the kind that occur when my skin is exposed to the slightest cold temp, for example, while carrying milk in a grocery store. One day while on a canoe trip after being in cold water for 10 minutes hives broke out all over my body and my throat closed up, I was breathing so heavy but couldn't get air down my pipes and everything was getting fuzzy. I was in anaphylactic shock. It was the weirdest thing, I couldn't understand what was happening to me, I was laying on a river bank gasping for air with no one in sight except for my boyfriend who was freaking out. All of a sudden my throat opened up -- either I had warmed up or I experienced a miracle. Now I carry an epi pin if I go swimming or even visit cold climates. I suspect cryoglobulemia is causing the sensitivity to cold but haven't had test for it.
Be careful -- hives can occur suddenly and if they are systemic involving your airways you can die.
Be careful -- hives can occur suddenly and if they are systemic involving your airways you can die.
Dude,
You described my pre-diagnosis skin prblems! You think yu're itchy now...wait till the meds wreak havoc on you're skin.
Peace
br007
You described my pre-diagnosis skin prblems! You think yu're itchy now...wait till the meds wreak havoc on you're skin.
Peace
br007
I had hives frequently with Hep C. I never had them in my life until I contracted Hep C. They stopped when I started tx. The doctor said the frequent outbreaks were due to my immune system being taxed from Hep C.
most of us did not even know we had hep c because of no effects until you are almost dead. offhand i think your hives are from something else.
cheers for you drs. not treating yet. there are may side affects from tx and some may last years so if you can wait for the new drugs I would wait. they will be much easier to take.
good luck
bobby
cheers for you drs. not treating yet. there are may side affects from tx and some may last years so if you can wait for the new drugs I would wait. they will be much easier to take.
good luck
bobby
Youre English is pretty good to me! Welcome...All I can tell you is from my own experience with this....I have low liver damage (doesn't sound like you've had a biopsy yet, so I don't know if you exactly know what your liver damage is, if you have liver damage at all....not everyone with this does.)
Anyway, about almost two years ago now, these hives started breaking out all over my body, all over! It completely freaked me out! So, being the Woody Allen neurotic that I am, I went to the ER about it...(although going to the ER when youre really not sure of something seemingly drastic, is usually a good idea)
I told them well I have hep c, the ER docs told me it was prob stress because they gave me an ultrasound and blood tests, and they figured my hep was not advanced at all...(you really should take a biopsy so you have a much better idea where you are at with this, these other tests don't always give you the full picture)
So they figured the hives werent related to my hep c ..okay...then they gave me a print-out on hives, and there in black and white, it said you can get hives from a virus...how come they don't read their own print-outs? ha ha!
You'll see, it's usually only liver specialists, particularly hepatologists, who know about this disease...and they will prob give you better direction than another kind of doc...
you should try to get yourself hooked up with a good hepatologist, failing that, a gastro who specializes in hep c...there are some of those...
Anyway, I took a an antihistimine, and they went away...I had them for about a day...I've never seen them again...Good luck to you and welcome...
Anyway, about almost two years ago now, these hives started breaking out all over my body, all over! It completely freaked me out! So, being the Woody Allen neurotic that I am, I went to the ER about it...(although going to the ER when youre really not sure of something seemingly drastic, is usually a good idea)
I told them well I have hep c, the ER docs told me it was prob stress because they gave me an ultrasound and blood tests, and they figured my hep was not advanced at all...(you really should take a biopsy so you have a much better idea where you are at with this, these other tests don't always give you the full picture)
So they figured the hives werent related to my hep c ..okay...then they gave me a print-out on hives, and there in black and white, it said you can get hives from a virus...how come they don't read their own print-outs? ha ha!
You'll see, it's usually only liver specialists, particularly hepatologists, who know about this disease...and they will prob give you better direction than another kind of doc...
you should try to get yourself hooked up with a good hepatologist, failing that, a gastro who specializes in hep c...there are some of those...
Anyway, I took a an antihistimine, and they went away...I had them for about a day...I've never seen them again...Good luck to you and welcome...
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