risk from one time drug use

[MMOB80]

hello there, my question is that a few days ago i tried cocaine w/ a 3rd  cousin of mine whom i do not know all that well. i sniffed the cocaine just one time but it was right after he did w/ a $bill$.  i did not see his nose bleeding or really any blood on the bill either. i know for sure that my nose wasnt bleeding at all, but now im worried about getting hep c if he has it.  just looking for someones opinion how how risky that was and IF he did have it (he's much older than me) how likley it is that i could have caught it by sniffing that one time.  thanks in advance for your help...

[Marc1955]

It's pretty unlikely. First of all, your cousin would need to have HEP C. Then he would need to pass it to you. There's a lot of speculation there.

I notice from your previous post that you're someone who worries about contracting HCV. The chances are actually pretty low so it's really not something that it's rational to worry about. However, you may want to consider limiting some of your high risk behavior since it seems to cause you a lot of anxiety.

[MMOB80]

thanks marc for the reply, if he did have hcv, then could it be passed by sniffing the cocaine w/o blood present or does there actually have to be blood on the dollar bill and then for me to have a cut inside my nose to get it.  i dont want to offend him by calling him and asking if he has hep c and i am beginnning to wonder if i am over reacting by thinking that i may have had a risk in getting it.  thanks agian in advance for your thoughts

[Jakied]

Ask your cousin to be tested.  Has he ever injected drugs in his past?  Intravenous

drug use is the most efficient method of Hcv transmission.  Snorting is probably low risk,

but not NO risk.  If you have a drug problem, get into treatment.  If this is a one time

event, you are probably safe but learn from this.  If you play with fire enough times, you

WILL get burned.

But if i were you, I would ask your cousin to be tested for Hcv and Hiv.  Hopefully he is

neg for both.  If not, the risk to you is small but not -0-.

[MMOB80]

thanks, i am not at all worried as far as hiv is concerned w/ my cousin, he is been happily married for 15+ yrs w/ 2 beautiful little girls and ive been in a 3+ yr relationship myself.  other than in college  ive never done any drugs at all other than this time w/  him at a golf/ dinner party.  i didnt see any blood on the dollar bill or on him or me  i just got this crazy thought that maybe this could be possible and didnt know how risky it could be when there isnt any visible blood on the dollar bill and when i didnt have any cuts/scrapes inside my nostril

[Marc1955]

MMob80 - the answer your question, there would need to be blood on the dollar then you would need to have some sort of abrasion in your nose. HCV is passed blood to blood.

Sorry to be forward, but honey, who are you hanging out with? Your cousin is happily married with two beautiful little girls and he' s snorting cocaine at a golf/dinner party? And he's turning on this cousin who is much younger and has never done any drugs at all? I'd consider turning him in. Or at the very least, I'd never talk to him again. He is bad news. You need some good friends who can help you grow in positive ways. Stay away from this guy.

[Rockerforlife]

Cocaine is the devils candy....it will ruin your life....if you have any brains in your head....you will stay away .....PERIOD.

[CoWriter]

Evidence to support belief in transmission of hepatitis C by sharing drug sniffing equipment

Sept 11, 2008

Hepatitis C can be detected in the nasal passage, and in straws which are inserted in the nose, report researchers in the October 1st edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Their findings support the hypothesis that hepatitis C can be transmitted by sharing straws or banknotes which are used to snort drugs.

The theory of hepatitis C transmission through this route is that frequent or long-term sniffing or snorting of drugs such as cocaine can cause damage and bleeding in the nasal passage. Straws or banknotes that are inserted in the nose could come into contact with hepatitis C infected blood or mucus, which may then be transmitted to someone else sharing the same straw.

In recent years there have been numerous outbreaks of hepatitis C among HIV-positive gay men in Europe. Whilst there is a growing body of evidence that infection is associated with sexual practices including fisting, use of sex toys and group sex, some studies have also suggested that sniffing drugs may contribute to transmission.

At the same time, in many countries up to a quarter of hepatitis C infections remain unexplained, with individuals reporting no risky practices such as use of shared drug injection equipment.

And a number of epidemiological studies in largely HIV-negative populations (typically, blood donors or street drug users who do not inject) have found an association between snorting drugs and hepatitis C infection. Nonetheless not all studies have reported this finding, and there have been some criticisms of the methodological quality of these studies.

However, until now no study has examined the virological plausibility of the belief that sharing equipment to sniff drugs may contribute to hepatitis transmission. Investigators in New York therefore recruited 38 adults who snort drugs and have hepatitis C at a neighbourhood health clinic.

Tests conducted included:

Nasal swabs to test for the presence of hepatitis C and blood in the nasal passage

Each subject was asked to inhale air through plastic straws, which were then tested for hepatitis C and blood

An examination of the nasal cavity to check for disease.


In these tests, hepatitis C RNA was detected using the same sort of technology as a viral load test.

A third of the sample was coinfected with HIV, and 45% with hepatitis B. Hepatitis C viral load varied widely in the sample, with a mean of 5000 copies/ml. Liver function tests for ALT (alanine aminotransferase) indicated some damage, with a mean of 47 u/l.

The researchers were able to detect hepatitis C on 13% of the nasal swabs, and on 5% of the sniffing straws.

Blood was detected in the samples more frequently than hepatitis C. However whether blood was present or not did not predict whether hepatitis could be found. For example, of the five nasal swabs that were positive for hepatitis, there were no traces of blood on two of them.

Pathologies and damage to the nasal passage could increase the risk of hepatitis transmission. Among other problems, more than four out of ten subjects reported having a runny or stuffy nose at least once a week. Rates of inflammation of the nasal membrane were high at 71%, while rates of inflammation of the sinuses were normal.

It is known that hepatitis C can remain infectious outside the body for up to 16 hours. However the authors acknowledge that little is known about the quantity of virus needed for transmission. They suggest that when drugs are being snorted, there is greater discharge of nasal fluids and blood, and the quantity of virus is likely to be larger.

The authors believe that their most significant finding is that hepatitis C can be transferred onto sniffing implements. Nonetheless they recommend further studies to confirm this mode of transmission and its contribution to the spread of hepatitis C.

Reference
Aaron S et al. Intranasal transmission of hepatitis C virus: virological and clinical evidence. Clinical Infectious Diseases 47: 931-934, 2008.

http://www.aidsmap.com/en/news/CD24D656-6727-41F9-87A2-CF084595E9D0.asp

[geterdone]

Great post, never been a user myself but the last thing I would do is stick a used and well worn bill up my nose. Lord only knows where the bills was used or have been. Isn’t there like a 7 day possible infectious period associated with transmission?

jasper

[CoWriter]

"i did not see his nose bleeding or really any blood on the bill either."

Notice how the study I posted says that "of the five nasal swabs that were positive for hepatitis, there were no traces of blood on two of them."