shots for hepatitis b and c

I HAVE THIS FRIEND WHOSE EX-LOVER HAS HEPATITIS C. SHE SAID HE USED TO HAVE HEP.B WICH TURNED INTO HEP.C. SHE SAID SHE WENT TO THREE DIFFRENT DOCTORS AND GAVE HER A SHOT FOR HEP.B AND C. SO SHE WOULD BE PROTECTED. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF THERE IS ANY SUCH THINGS AS SHOTS SO YOU WON'T GET HEP.B,C. I NEED THIS INFO TO MAKE SURE MY COUSIN WILL BE PROTECTED. PLEASE GIVE ME ALL INFO POSSIBLE ON THIS REQUEST. THANK-YOU SO VERY MUCH


                                      SINCERELY TAZZ

[kitty56]

Tazz I am not sure about it, but when I worked for a home health agency they paid for their aides and nurses to have three hepititis (hepatitis) shots that supposedly would protect us from these viruses. I am dating a guy who has hep C and I want to know if the shots will protect me from contracting this virus. If you find anything out please post it here!
Thanks,

Kat

[R Glass]

  There is no immunization shot for Hepatitis C

[Harry Potter]

Shots are for A (2-shot series) & B (3-shot series), but as RGlass says, there is no such thing as a shot for Hep C.

[wed1942]

Most health care agencies give their employees the Hep B vaccine. This is a series of three shots. Kids are also immunized for Hep B now. It is my understanding that there is a vaccine for Hep A but not C. From what my doc has said, even though my titers are negative for Hep B (I recieved the series of three shots and an extra dose a few years later), he says the tests are not sensitive enough and if I ever tested positive for the Hep B, then I do have immunity.
Has anyone heard if they are recommending that folks with Hep C get immunized for A and B?

[Mary4now]

Yes I think they are recommending, because if you do get A or B it would be way to hard on your liver, could be fatal is what I have heard.  I am getting the B series now (again). I have not been immunized for A though.  I actually thought that was what I had 38 years ago, but in a random blood test they found anti bodies to C, I guess I could have had A then gotten C somewhere down the road.  M

[rockyroad128]

Hi my name is roxanne (rocky for short) I just recently found out that i have hep c "HELLO"  and come to find out a year after not being w/ this person (1993) I was checked came back neg, but never told him thought he'd be fine as well (we have a 16 yr old child together), so it's not like we are not in touch, well 5 yrs.ago he went to treatment and found out  he has had hep c for some time well thank the lord for his girlfriend who was told i knew "cause , came over to dicuss all the drinking he's been doing and she's worried that w/ his his hepc, i was like when did he get this she said that most likely before me, my heart dropped and was in shock that he never told me because he that he caught it after me anyway, I live in IL.there is a gastroenterology # 630-717-2600 Dr. mark fallah or dr.thomas lee both have been successful w/ these shots you get once a week for 6 months and then you no longer have hepatitis and the have so many patients to prve it. It's been fda approved the only down fall is your going to be down for 6 months and be sicker than a dog and w/ out a dought have to have someone take care of you they ask for you to start gaining weight 'cause you will loose about 60 to 80 pounds, but first your liver has to be in good condition, and that's about all i know about it im going in wed.for an altersound, then a biopsy of the liver they've taken a lot of blood for cancer and to make sure it wasn't false reading which would be so .....well you could imagine. sorry for blabbing so much, but wanted to get this out there and this medical treatment is in every state so look and maybe you'll get luck and beat this, also remember this is not 100%

[Jakied]

Hepatitis b CANNOT 'turn' into hep C.  Not Possible.  It is possible to be Co-infected

with both viruses but B cannot turn into C  and C cannot turn into B.  Fyi.

Also, there is a vaccine for Hep B but not Hep C.  

[CoWriter]

"have been successful w/ these shots you get once a week for 6 months and then you no longer have hepatitis"

Actually, the length of treatment depends on the GENOTYPE you have.  Genotype 1 gets treatment for 48 weeks and Genotype 2 or 3 gets treatment for 6 months.  


"the only down fall is your going to be down for 6 months and be sicker than a dog and w/ out a dought have to have someone take care of you"

That's not true.  Not everybody reacts the same to treatment.  

Many of the people on this board are currently on treatment and have jobs.  Before you start treatment, make sure you learn about side effect prevention.  There are many things that can help you not feel so sick during treatment.  


"they ask for you to start gaining weight 'cause you will loose about 60 to 80 pounds"

If they are truly doing that with all their patients, then run out of there, don't walk.  Obesity causes you to become insensitive to insulin.....and being insensitive to insulin is one of the major factors for failing treatment.  

If you're obese, it will actually help if you loose some weight BEFORE starting the treatment.  If you're obese you certainly don't want to gain more.  If your weight is normal, there's no need to put on weight.  Instead, you  need to learn about good nutrition so you can MAINTAIN the weight.  

To say that all patients on treatment will loose 60-80 pounds and that's why they  should gain a bunch of weight before treatment is ridiculous.

Tell them to come talk to us.  I'll be glad to explain insulin resistance to them.  

[bandman54]

working on my 9th week..... I have lost no weight thanks to the advice summarized above!

thanks c.w.!

bandman

[proud48]

Before you can start Peg-Interferon and Ribavirin treament you are required to have the vaccine for Hepatitis A & B.  There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C. We would all be very lucky if that was true!

[CoWriter]

My pleasure.

[jmjm530]

Tazz:

You can get a series of shots to protect for Hep B.
No shots to protect for Hep C.
Hep B does not turn into Hep C

Mary:

I don't know where to begin but your information is almost all wrong. Assuming this is what your doctor told you, I'm not surprised because many doctors don't know very much about Hepatitis C and that includes in some that treat it.

My suggestion is that you get a second opinion from a liver specialist (hepatologist). You should find them at a teaching hospital. Better to travel some then to find a local doc who doesn't know what they are doing or saying.

[Trinity4]

Didn't Tazz post in '02 and mary in 1/08?

[jmjm530]

And indeed they both have been very patient waiting for an answer.

[laurajean575]

to clear up a few things i took 48 week treatments for hep c in 2004 to 2005. aug 13 th 2010 hopefully i will still be in remission. what that means is it never goes away. like cancer it can come back anytime. i took 1 shot a week of interfron, 3 months in became anemic and had to take 2 more shots a week. i was very sick but i made myself work 35 hrs a week. so i didnt get wrapped up in the mess mentaly. i was told by a lawyer no one can work under treatment. well i did, could have quit for a year. my husband and god was what got me through it all. i couldnt have gone through it being the only bread winner in the house. i gained 45 lbs. couldnt eat, was so sick and the pain. but the worst for me was after treatments. treatments are poison, it ruined my hair and nails i was 44 yrs old it kicked me right into menapause. im tired and hard to have any energy. i will never be the same, destroyed my immune system, so for someone who never got sick now run from sick people, hospitals ect, cause i catch everything now. but now 5 yrs later im much better gariner frutius triple moisture conditioner saved my hair leave in all night also. my liver was not damaged, but my viral load was very high i had type 1 hardest to get rid of easiest to come back. i flew through with flying colors it depends on each person on how it will effect you. but it will be bad no matter who you are, its a very strong poison. get all the info before you take treatments, but if you are blessed with sources to get treatments do it. i may have 3, 4 10 or 30 yrs before i die, even though im in remission it could come back and treatments not work again. but since i took treatments i have a better chance that my liver want just shut down and have to have transplant. someone with active hep c can just boom need a transplant or worse cancer spread to many organs and its to late. i quit drugs and drinking in 1986. found out in 2004 i had hep c. i got it from drug use, not from sharing needles. we used the same glass of water to rinse needles not realizing we were mixing our  blood together. we were so stupid but hey we never shared needles. all this going on i looked up friends i partied with then, i found 7 have died of hep c that led to cancer. 4 are dieing from it. they all have continued through all these years drinking and drugs and now its too late. i was blessed i didnt  abuse my liver all these years it stayed dorment. also ive been married now for 18 yrs. i was so scared my husband had it, again god blessed us he was negetive. low chance during sex, its blood to blood and a woman on her period is the most dangerous, and we have had sex then. so i am blessed. many of my friends i couldnt find its scary just knowing about the ones i did find to know what sex drugs and rock n roll did to us. please also find out that if you have it anyone who touches your blood can catch it your babies, toddlers elderly parents, its not a big deal during sex but can be, but theres clippers, toothbrushes, tweezers anything that can get blood on it, you dont have to see it. protect your loved ones and all people and yourself. educate yourself. learn everything you can and do whats right. also if you know someone who has it. you dont have to be afraid, be smart not stupid learn all about it. there is millions who have it and dont know and millions who know, but cant get treatments whick is over 200,000 to treat, have to have good insurance. some are still doing drugs and dont get it. i hope someone reads this and it will help. any more you want to know my email is ***@**** god bless to all. thank you for reading this