what to expect?

My name is Kerri. I am 25 and I used to be a IV drug user. I just found out last week I have Hep C. I am scared to death. I went yesterday to have blood took to find out my viral load and genotype. I am pretty sure I contracted the virus between Oct and Dec last year. On my results it says acute HCV positive. Is there a difference when it says acute? What should I expect from here? Also my husband just got out of prison in Feb. he was tested there and was negative. What are the chances of him having it now? We did when he got out of prison use after each other one time. I am scared he might have it. I have no insurance and I hear treatment is real expensive. Any advice would be apprecited. I also am taking methadone does that have an affect on the liver?

[Alady1620]

If you are still in the acute stage, there is a small chance that your body could fight off the virus and you not become a chronic carrier.

Your dh should get retested just to be safe.  It is quite possible he could have caught the virus from your needle sharing.  It is unlikely he will catch the virus from you now if you do not share needles, razors, toothbrushes, and nail clippers.

Since you are uninsured, I would do one of two things.  First, look for a research study in your area.  There is one starting up with the drug NM283 (Valopicitibine), Ribavirin, and pegasys interferon.  It pays $1000.  Another good study drug is VX950. I chose this route bc of the close monitoring by my doctor and the free medicine.

My other suggestion involves contacting the drug companies and applying for their assistance program.  You could get your meds for free but that wouldn't cover doctor's visits.

I hope this helps.  I'm sure somebody else will come along to help you further.

[Alady1620]

Kerri, I forgot to add one important thing.  You need to be clean when you get treatment.  That means no alcohol, NOTHING.  Alcohol will destroy your liver.  It is very important that you quit drinking and using drugs.  It is a matter of life and death.

[kerri81]

thanks for your help. Im just more scared that anything right now and being clueless as to where to go from here doesnt help.

[kerri81]

I dont drink and i didnt use for 2 yrs until I had a relapse in oct. which is when i think i caught it the only thing i take the methadone for the addiction problems i just hope it doesnt cause more problems

[Alady1620]

I remember that feeling.  Expect to go through all the stages of grief.  I, myself, was in denial for a long time.  The best thing you can do is to educate yourself about the disease and quit drinking alcohol.

There's another site you may want to visit.  It is called Janis and Friends.  They have a wealth of information about hep c.  

http://janis7hepc.com/

[tulsatime]

Hey Karri, I Know how scared you must feel right now.  The best thing to do is read all you can to inform yourself. The accute means you just caught it recently.  I am not pointing fingers but if you and your husband shared a needle in Feb. You might have got it from him. He was tested when he FIRST went in. He could have caught it THERE if he did any drugs in the pen. When you shared  the needle with him, who used it first? Did it go back and forth?
He needs to be re-tested too. I guess the point is. You will probably never know for sure who gave it to you. But the main thing is you know now. And can keep an eye on it. Yes the methadone is not good for the liver, but if you need it to stop using.... That is better than using. What does your doctor say about the methodone?
The good news is hep c is a very slow moving disease so you have time let things sink in and make good decisions about where you go from here. First: Don't drink any alchol for sure. second stay off the Drugs. And Take care of your self. Get some milk thistle. And a good Vitamin. Keep going to the doctor to determine if treating right now is an option.  
Keep coming back and read a lot of info about it. A good place to go is:
http://janis7hepc.com/index.htm            Good luck

[Kalio1]

"I shot a man in Reno, just to see him die"

I love Johnny Cash!

[amirtracy]

Hi. I'm treating and I'm uninsured. There is some expense but everything but doctor's visits can be covered by financial assistance programs. There are even some clinics that offer treatment depending on where you are. Live the Rev said you might not need it. Save these links to your favorites and come back if you need more help. Best of luck and try not to worry. You're very young and chances are you're just fine. :)Tracy

http://www.scheringplough.com/schering_plough/corp/commitment_care.jsp

http://www.questdiagnostics.com/patient/indigent_program.html
http://www.procritline.com/patientassist/intro.jsp
http://www.atdn.org/access/pa/filg.html

[Forseegood]

Hi, welcome, I just remembered reading some studies on certain methods they use with people who are in an acute stage, they are a bit different then the usual treatments for hep c, I think Jim knows what they are, he might be by in awhile, hope he is having a good time whatever he's doing...

You need to talk to a good hepatologist like was mentioned, and look at all your options, I'm no fortune teller, but I doubt you have much liver damage at this stage, youre lucky in that, though of course I'm no expert... only a biopsy will give you a more accurate reading, but these issues you can discuss with your hepatologists or a good gastro who specializes in Hep C, remember not all docs know a great deal about this illness and they can steer you wrong....you have to ask them if they specialize in Hep C, etc...do some researching...

For us old fa^ts -  we didn't have any really good testing procedures (or awareness for that matter) till relatively recently, so many of us had it 20, 25 30 years before we ever knew we had it....which is bad for those of us who continued to party with drugs and alcohol, and maybe good if we were in the position of waiting for newer, better drugs that are on the horizon, this has many sides to it...

Much will depend on what your individual circumsances are, we don't all have the same stats and circumstances...so if you hear some nightmare stories, please know that not all of them will apply to you, we're all on our own paths with this...that was maybe the hardest thing for me to hear, thinking that everything everybody said was going to apply to me, it doesn't...

Once you get an inkling of where youre at in the disease, if you are truly in a accute stage, etc...you'll know more about what to do next, if anything. Take extra good care of yourself now, remember the liver is the first organ that filters all that goes into your body, be very, very kind to it, feed it what it needs, and don't tax it anymore....

Talk to as many experts as possible, professional of course...and there are many knowledgable people here as well, though we are just patients giving our own personal opinions...we aren't doctors...good luck to you...

[Forseegood]

hey, maybe I missed you, hope youre okay out there!

[jmjm530]

Inside today myself. Since tx began, skin sensitive to sun. Got too much the other day. Nay light. Call me Lestat.

[jmjm530]

Just wanted to add that as important as seeing a doctor for Hep C is, probably even more important that you make sure your drug problem is under control. Not just for the obvious reasons, but also because the treatment itself can sometimes cause people to relapse into old habits such as drug addiction or alcholism (alcoholism). For that reason many doctor have a waiting period before they will treat. Something else to discuss with your doctor. And until your're sure your husband's drug problem is under control, safe sex and other precautions like not sharing personal items like toothbrushes, nail files, combs, etc., probably make sense, although many monogamous couples do safely engage in unprotected sex with very little chance of transmission. Think it's about 3% but not sure.

-- Jim

[Forseegood]

Betcha you were an Eagle Scout as a kid, I can always depend on you for info when I'm in a Brian Fog spot...ewww, you know what I mean! I love Tekamake and yellow tail myself, boy, did that sound like it's going to get a Goof Riposte or what? I am kind of stuck inside for the most part, it's soooo devilishy hot today...sigh....Hope everyone had a great holiday!!!

[jmjm530]

Try and see a liver specialist (hepatologist). They can usually be found at your larger, teaching hospitals. Hopefully they will have some kind of clinic setup that can help offset your medical costs. I believe the procedure for treating acute cases is evolving and I posted something about that last week but can't find it. From memory, I believe they are using monotherapy (interferon only) for 8 or 12 weeks as opposed to combo therapy (two drugs) for 24 or 48 weeks depending on which variation of hepatitis c you have. As others have stated, a decent percent (but less than half) clear the virus on their own. Hopefully you will get to a hepatologist soon and they will guide you in making a decision.

As to your outlook, I can only venture a non-professional opinion as none of us here are doctors. But given your young age and the fact that you probably just got the virus, I'd say you most probably will have an excellent outcome. You should also have your husband tested.

All the best.

-- Jim

[Forseegood]

Jim, you never did try the aloe vera juice did you now? Ask Chev, she uses it too, it works!

[Snookmiester]

I use it too. Tastes like absolute hell, but it works great.. Also soothes the stomach if your still having GERD problems, etc.. I can't stand drinking the stuff, so personally I opt for pure pill form..

[Forseegood]

aaaah, it ain't that bad! After awhile you acquire a taste for it, at least I have, I make it with water and some kind of other fruit juice, a berry one is good....tastes better then that apple cider vin and water - and I'm doing that too! But Snook's right Jim, it works really well for upset stomack, gerd, whatever for a lot of people...in fact, like an idiot, I ate too many nuts yesterday, and I took a few oz of that and it really helped....

[jmjm530]

Well, thanks everyone. I'll pick some up some Aloevera next time I hit the local health food store. Any particular brand or doesn't it matter? Should I start with a small amount? How many cc do I inject? Do I pinch the skin first or just pull back and shoot? With a high fat meal or not? What about taking with antacids?

BTW I already tried Aloe Vera gel on face but didn't particularly notice much of a difference. Same thing with JoJoba Oil. right now I'm trying an immunosuppresive cream (Elidel) as a last line before trying systemics like tetracycline and/or oral anti-fungals.

Usually they try topical antifungals but my derm-of-the-month thinks I have too much going on for them to work. My feeling is that between the immunosuppresive action of the interferon plus 4-months of antibiotics, plus minimal washing because of dry skin, the normal fungus that co-exists with healthy people just took over during tx resulting in flares of sebopsorisis which is a combination of seborretic dermatitis and psoriasis.

Just to put this in perspective, what Eisbein (seb derm and rosacea -- actually I have psoriasis as well) amakes riba rash look like a party :)  Hopefully, the farther I get away from Mr. InterFEARon (yes he should be feared if you are sane) the better things will get. Right now I'm trying to cool my face down with cold soaks as I've noticed rosacea has similar symptons to heat stroke. Also trying aspirin. Last resort is to move to a monestary in iceland, or go back to my ex-girlfriend which would be similar.

-- Jim

-- Jim

[cuteus]

how do you know the infection occured during the relapse and not over two yrs ago when you were still using?  Were you tested at the time you stopped shooting? If you didn't, then the chances are that you have been infected longer than you think and now in the chronic stage. That means a different approach. If you tested negative at the time you got clean, then the acute stage is easier to cure with the present meds.
good luck

[Forseegood]

I know I prob pss some people off by even addressing treatment issues, but I do talk to a lot of people and read a lot of people....my friend Bill K was always telling me how awful he felt for an entire year after tx, and then he just got better, and better and better and now he's two 1/2 years post and he's perfectly fine and at the same athletic level he was before treatment, everything...

He also said he aged 5 years from the treatment, now he has those years back (that's important to him, he's an actor, ha ha) I know you'll be fine, it'll just take time, though I can imagine how bloody bored you are with this whole thing by now...

As far as the Aloe Vera juice, forgot where you lived if you ever mentioned it, do they by any chance have a Trader Joe's in your area? Cause they make a pretty good aloe vera juice and it's only 8 bucks a gallon...other then that, Fruit of the Earth makes a really good one too, and you can get that at CVS Online Pharmacy, it's about 10 bucks a gallon...

What I do is get an 8 oz glass or bigger, and pour about 4 oz or a little less, and then pour the rest with a little water and fruit juice (then I put my Ultimate Fiber in there, but that's for the more advanced class, ha ha) I think it's really good, too bad you can't see my skin, don't mean to brag, but....and it's really good for the indigestion, so two birds and a rock ya know?

Anyway, take some, see if it helps...Course Chev and Snook and maybe some others take it differntly then I do, whatever, just drink it!!!!