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Avatar universal

How did you find out you had Hep C?

Rocker's thread about annual LFT testing got me wondering.  How did you learn that you had Hep C?

I was tested after my cancer surgeon noticed scarring on my liver when he reviewed my annual follow-up CT scans.  Later I learned that my PCP (former) had ignored elevated ALT and AST for more than 25 years.  By the time I was tested the liver damage was stage 2/3.  Good thing the surgeon ordered that test and asked questions or I would not have gotten tx!

jd

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1815939 tn?1377991799
Welcome to the forum.

This is a very old thread. You will get more responses if you go to the top of the page and click on the orange rectangle "Post a Question" and then post your question. Be clear about what you are asking. The more information you give us, the better we can respond to you.

Did your husband have a Hepatitis C antibody test or did he have the Hepatitis C RNA test. Does he have a viral load. The antibody test tells you only if he has been exposed to Hepatitis C. The Hep C RNA test will tell you if he has chronic Hepatitis C. However, if his liver enzymes have been elevated for a while, then it sounds like he may have chronic Hep C.

If he has chronic Hepatitis C, his doctor will probably order a liver biopsy and the biopsy will tell you what stage of liver fibrosis he has. There are 5 stages of fibrosis. 0 means no damage, 1 is mild damage, 2 is moderate damage, 3  is more advanced than 2 but not as advanced as 4, and 4 means advanced liver fibrosis (Cirrhosis). Many people have no symptoms that they are aware of. However, Hepatitis C has many extrahepatic manifestations and it is only later that people realize that they do, in fact have some symptoms of Hep C. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of Hep C.

This is a good forum. There are many knowledgeable people on it and people will respond to your questions.

Again, it is best to start a new thread if you wish to get the most responses.
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Avatar universal
Did you have the itching clotting brusing before you found out about the cirrhosis? My husband just found out he has it from a routine physical.But no symtoms. Although his liver enzymes ave been high off an on and they never did the hep c test. Unbelievable.he has had ultra sound and a specalist ordered full liver panel. So worried. He drinks beer not since he found out but all these years.
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717272 tn?1277590780
Had an acute case in 1971 as a teenager.  Looked like a jackolantern, itched and sat on the couch for a month.  They did not differentiate the types way back then.
Fast forward to last summer....Had a racing heart rate, went to Doc and he was looking for heart attack evidence and turned up high AST/ALT. More bloodwork for liver diseases and turned up HCV.   Shocked to know I'd had it 38 years!

Lots more tests, scans, MRI's etc. and found cirrhosis.  I realize now that I was close to decompensating: itchy, bruising, slow clotting.  What was so terrifying was how close I came but it seems so mild now that I am reading about folks who did not find it until bleeding varices occurred

20 weeks in with SOC & boceprevir, miserable, crashing HGB, platelets & WBC but still incredibly grateful and happy to have started tx before I decompensated.
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Avatar universal
Supposed to have regular liver panels done because I have polycystic ovarian syndrome - hadn't had one done fro over a year - went to Dr about migraines - he did a liver panel and found out my enzymes were elevated - tested me for hep a, b, and c and hiv - positive for hep c.  At least I know I didn't have it very long before they detected it.

I always tell family and friends that if you are not going to get yourself tested for STD's, the Heps, or HIV then at least get a liver panel done with your yearly examination -cuz you just never know.
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Avatar universal
Many thanks to all for your responses.  I note that many of us just stumbled upon the diagnosis by accident.  The random nature of Hep C detection underscores the need for some type of standard screening.

jd
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206807 tn?1331936184
"For the record, I never drew any water out of any toilet and didn't know anyone who did."

Same here  
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634590 tn?1293774093
My story is very confusing. On 21.01.03 i drank and smoke Hashish. After 10 minutes i got very confused and my heart rate went to 120. BP was also high and i was feeling my self powerfull. i went to emergency and they give some sleeping pills. Next morning when i woke up, i felt tiredness in both legs. Day by day,  i started getting much tired and only after one week i was in the bed completely. The most affected part of my body by this infection was my legs. I lost appetite gradully. i was too weak to walk. After examination the HCV was detected. SGPT was at 142. But i could not get PCR. After 6 years of every time tiredness in legs, i got pcr in aug 2008 and started tx. Now im post 3 week. Feeling better gradualy.

Im confused whether i was infected priorly and drink+smoking boasted it up. Or i got infections through drink or smoke (which is not possible).


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254544 tn?1310775732
I was on chemotherapy for treatment of Leukemia when I was 25 years old (1985).  At that time I was receiving 2 units of whole blood and a unit of platelets every day.  I'm one of the few that went into a seriously acute phase and was in a coma for 11 days.  So I pretty much knew right away.

Mouse
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Avatar universal
For the record, I never drew any water out of any toilet and didn't know anyone who did.  
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750120 tn?1252455030
I posted way early in this thread that I was aware of one contact with the infection through tatooing.  Since then I've remembered going to the plasma lab in the late 70's and being rejected because of something with my blood that they didn't know enough about (according to them) to explain.  I just forgot about it until now.
Joey
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750120 tn?1252455030
This thread has been the greatest!
Dawn,  the biopsy is not that big of a deal...really.  I've had 2 and was freaked out both times but it was just my imagination terriblizing about the procedure.  In reality, it really wasn't that big of a deal, not bad at all.  About the Hep-C, damnit! The good news is that Hep-C can be cured.  Think those positive thought no matter how sick the treatment may cause you to feel.
I am so glad that the Hep-B issue came up here.  I am amazed that so many of us Hep-C'rs have/had Hep-B.  B was a nasty little thing that a lot of needle junkies got from drawing their water out of the toilet for a fix because we sat there waiting to puke and empty out our bowels directly after our fix.  This is repulsive to read and think of but so true.  I had Hep-B in 1977/78.
Love to all
Joey
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276730 tn?1327962946
In  the early 80's I had VERY HIGH liver enzymes. I had a biopsy then at it showed inflammation. I was diagnosed as chronic hepatitis. I remember the doc saying he hoped it wasnt Non A-Non B hepatitis? I had not a clue neither did they as to what was going on.

In 1992 I was told I had Hep C.
I did you drugs at the age of 16 and 17 after that point I didnt do any drugs except for marijuana occasionally.

Thats was it. Thats my story unforrtunately.


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206807 tn?1331936184
  Your my hero.
I bet it went something like this as you went into the room.
Oh man, Hepatitis C, what am I going to do, HEY PORN!!!!!!!!!!
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Avatar universal
Then, literally 5 minutes after being told about the hep,  I was shown into a little room with some porno magazines to produce a sperm sample.

Actually, I am quite proud to say that I delivered the goods in normal time despite being in a state of shock.

I reckon I am probably the only person ever, who on being told he had hep c, was jerking himself off five minutes later.
=============================================

Well, I have had my good laugh for the day and my eyes are tearing up from laughing.  The way you worded it, is just too funny. I started to visualize it but then decided not to go there.
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619345 tn?1310341421
I was just dx this past summer FINALLY as when I first was dx was in 1963 with Hepatitis but C didn't exist then  In May of last year I was very ill and was in bed for days getting weaker and weaker I thought I had broncitis and finally was hositalized for a week I was told I needed me gallbladder removed and not by laproscopy new proceedure but the old way as I had blockage in my bilary ducts?  

I went for a second opinon with a GI  after an hour of consultation and examination telling him my complete history of relapses of the HEP in my 20's and 30's he ordered the tests and my results came back positive for HEP C with a viral load of 47,300,000  Never too late (didn't have my gall bladder out
Since then I have had many tests the latest being a CAT scan  first was a ultra sound twice  fibrotest, Fibroscan  and lab work which proved I am
IR  Living with HEP C with IR and doing all I can to learn so when it is time for me to treat to have the best success possible
baja
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Avatar universal
MYS
My office was having a blood drive in 1998.  They offered raffle-style prizes, including a day off with pay.  I didn't win a prize.
A few weeks after I donated my pint, I got a big thick letter from the Red Cross, saying I had tested + for Hep B and C, they were throwing my blood away, putting my name on a 'Do not donate' list and warned me not to try to donate again.  
I ran to my PCP, who did some more tests and determined that I had had Hep B at one point in my life - and I don't know when, as I never turned yellow, never got sick - but only had the antibody, not an active infection.
I did have Hep C, tho, and ended up taking more than 1 day off work for that when I was on treatment!
MYS
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Avatar universal
I found out in Dec 08 after a breakup my bf, I went to get checked for all STDs and hepc bc I found out after our relationship had started that he had the desease, he told me it was not a STD when we broke up I found out differently and went to the Dr for a full workup ...that is when I found out I had it.  I am new to this site as of today there is no support gruops in my community and I stumbled here on accident..I am geno 1 and I go for my biopsy this coming friday, ironically I did go with my ex to his so I do know what to expect and I am still scared beyond belief about the biopsy and the whole hep c thing.  It is hard when you are so alone in a situation as I am sure most of you can relate to, family tries but they never treat you the same after and they always just seem to look at you so different,and not to mention your worries are exagerated.
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748940 tn?1233337448
Found out during my yearly physical exam in Oct '07. My ALT was 66. . . . 'normal' range was up to 65. The doc called me back and suggested antigen tests. Was positive for hep B antigen (had cleared) and hep C virus positive.

Only remarkable items: my GP was right on top of things. . . he followed through immediately.

I had hep B in 1967 and hep C probably at the same time although certainly no later than early 1971.

Preliminary results: geno 3a; vl 330k; bx grade 1 stage 2 (Metavir)
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541844 tn?1244309824
I found out by reading my medical file while waiting in the examination room.  My doctor of 15 years had run several tests earlier to try and determine the cause of chronic diarrhea.  At one point, he discussed my elevated liver enzymes and said they may just be normal for me.  He then did a sonogram and drew more blood.  I never heard anything for about 3 months on those tests and figured he had nothing to report.  

Then went to see his colleague for bad cold because he was out of town.  His colleague left me alone for a long time in the examination room with my file.  Finally, I picked it up and looked through it out of boredom.  Last blood test showed positive for HCV.  My doctor ordered the test but failed to tell me the results.  I called the next day and asked for results and nurse told me over the phone that I had it.  Promptly received an official letter informing me after that and suggesting I see a gastro.
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446474 tn?1446347682
I known I had been exposed to "Non-A, Non-B" and B hepatitis since at 80s at least. I did understand what that meant. No doctor ever said anything about it. Just that I had been exposed to Hep B and "Non A Non B" hepatitis. Like it was something like small pox I had been exposed to when a child. Something in the past. All my blood tests including AST & ALT over the decades were always normal.

Then in May of 2007 I went to pre-op to talk to an anesthesiologist before having a procedure to remove a kidney stone. In less that 2 minutes...he says "What's wrong with you?" "What do you mean?" I said. He says "The only time I see someone with these blood levels is with someone who had cancer or HIV"...

Needless to say, I was in shock. It was a Friday and I was having the procedure early Tuesday morning. I didn't know what to do. This was the first time I ever had experienced a serious medical issue. After coming partially back to my senses, I decided to worry about the kidney procedure first, then follow up with my primary doc to find out what was going on with my health.

Found out later that the anesthesiologist was looking at my platelet count. Why he drew his "catastrophic" conclusions I don't know.

When I saw my primary doctor he looked at the same blood tests. This was the first time my blood level were out of range. AST and ALT as well as platelet count were out of range. As we all know, low platelet count can be an indication of cirrhosis for someone who has had HCV and HBV for 35 years plus like I had. A biopsy confirmed this unfortunately. Stage 4, cirrhosis.

And so my ongoing saga began...
Cheers.
Hectorsf
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559277 tn?1330618739
I'm geno 3.  You had similar situation?
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Avatar universal
I went to my PCP for a simple sore throat and fever that wasn't going away. Upon examination he palpated my liver and told me it was enlarged so he ordered a hep panel and here I am. I also had elevated liver enzymes on a few previous blood tests but was always told it was nothing to worry about. That was in the late 60's early 70's.
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408795 tn?1324935675
Guess I fell asleep at the wheel.lol  I have traced my HepC back to 1973, but I wasn't diagnosed until 1992, at that time my doctor said that it was inactive.  He did advise me to stop using, and in retrospect I wish I would have, but I didn't clean up until 2003.  Oh and I did have the prior tests done with the non-A non-B reading, but I was in a messed up head space and I don't have those dates.  latr
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Avatar universal
What a story...sounds like a movie script...they say life is stranger than fiction...your ordeal confirms it....waht were the odds of this happening to anyone?
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