Really Worried, Need some Advice Please :(

[scaredgrl85]

Hi Everyone,

Please if anyone has any advice I'd truly appreciate it.

I had unprotected sex in early April and contracted chlamydia. I've been tested thoroughly for all STD's including HBV and HCV.

Everything was tested to 3 months except for HBV and HCV- I tested these at the 8 week mark.

They tested me for the Hepatitis B surface antigen and that came back negative, and tested me for Hepatitis C anti-body and that was negative as well at 2 months. Are these conclusive?

I've been having the following symptoms:
Itchy right palm
Yellowish-Brownish Stool

Other than that, I feel fine. Is it possible that I contracted Hepatitis from my exposure. The itching is only on my palm, is itching associated with Hepatitis more systematic. Please anyone, I'm very worried.. I have an appt with an internist next week! Thank You.

[meki]

"Hi Everyone,

Please if anyone has any advice I'd truly appreciate it.

I had unprotected sex in early April and contracted chlamydia. I've been tested thoroughly for all STD's including HBV and HCV. "


Just FYI --- HEP C is NOT considered a sexually transmitted disease.

HEP B is.

Put lotion on palm --- see if that works - or gold bond.... And also keep yourself hydrated.

I don't know what you're eating - but yellow/brown sounds normal to me... LOL!

If your tests come back neg --- then don't worry - get retested in a few months --- and then once every year. I'm a big advocate in HEP PANEL testing.

Also - any and all medications they gave you to clear up the chlamydia - well - that might cause some of those symptoms...

Meki

[scaredgrl85]

Thank you for your quick response, I've just been reading all this stuff on the net stating that Hep C CAN be transmitted sexually. I was treated for chlamydia in early may. My tests came back negative for Hep B surface antigen and Hep C antibody at 2 months.

[SJL]

Literature that you read about Hep C does say that it is possible that it can be sexually transmitted, but very rarely, a very low %. I certainly wouldn't be worried about it. But, you do need to have a Hepatatic Panel done,(blood test). This is not on a regular blood test sheet, so be sure to ask for it. I wish you the best!
Be Careful,
SJL

[meki]

Scared - just so you can get what we mean by sexual transmission... I had HCV for many years, was pregnant with my daughter --- had wild sex during every time of the month with hubby.... gave birth to my daughter ---- and neither of them have it.

It can happen --- if both parties are openly bleeding. HCV is a BLOOD TO BLOOD disease. Not a bodily fluid (like semen or female lubrication, saliva) transmissable disease. It has to be infected blood going into blood.

So yeah --- there is a risk of transmission through sex... If you're doing things that could cause bleeding and both of you are bleeding.

And I'm an avid believer in HEP panel tests annually.

It would have saved me a lot of pain.

Meki

[copyman]

get off the internet !!! you do not have hepatitis from your exposure. now go live your life and dont forget to use protection next time.

[Bill1954]

Although the Center for Disease Control doesn’t regard Hep C as a STD, you’re right; it can be transmitted via unprotected sex. What’s important is to remember that sex is not considered an efficient mode of transmission. I was married for almost 20 years, and neither my wife or children contracted this from me (despite our best efforts, lol!). My experience is not an isolated incident… most of the forum members here essentially report the same story.

This is a blood to blood vectored disease, so we’re told. If you did contract it through consensual sex, it would be rare. 2 months is probably sufficient for antibodies to develop; for peace of mind, get checked again at six months to put this to bed.

Oh, and get vaccinated for Hep A and B! I’ll save you the lecture about making sure he keeps a sock on it from now on… it sounds like you’ve learned the lesson!

Take care,

Bill

Meki- I put lotion on my palm every evening… works like a charm ;o)

[Bill1954]

After all that, it’s important to remember that it is *possible* to transmit sexually—we have a new member here that is reporting possible HCV transmission via sexual assault. Grrrrr...

Bill

[meki]

BILL!!! ROFLMAO!!! My kind of man!

Meki

[Bill1954]

Sign me Bill The Shameless…

[scaredgrl85]

Wow, you guys are great. I'm so glad to get a lot of feedback. Yet I just want this one question to be answered please!

Is Itchy palm (one palm) an indication of Hep C?

I have been vaccinated in 1993 (I was 8yrs old). I'm guessing my system is still protected :)
I need to get vaccinated for Hep A though. Also, what is a Hep Panel? Didn't I do that? I'm sorta confused!

[meki]

THERE is NO vaccination for HEPC.

There is for HEPB and HEPA --- please go get those --- if you haven't had them --- or if you cannot remember if you've had them.

A hep panel is a a blood screen for hepatitis reactions... Tells if the Hepatitis virus is in your body --- which "brand" it might be. You probably had that to be told you don't have hepatitis.

Itchy palm --- not really - check for hydration levels (drink lots of water and juices)... Could be athletes foot --- scabies --- just dry skin --- no moisturizer... a zillion things. Eliminate each thing... Could be the cleaning cloths you use --- an allergic reaction... is it your dominant hand? What does it touch? Do you put soap on that hand more so than others? Are you touching things that could cause a reaction with just that hand?

Are you absently rubbing your hand against anything at times (my friend strokes her couch continuously when she talks --- and sometimes gets 'a' reddened palm) or things like that?

When you walk down a hallway do you linger your hand on things?

Do you have communal stairs where everyone touches the bannister? Consider cleaning that bannister daily with a bleach clorox cloth diluted down...

Buttons on elevators --- everything that is communally touched. etc.

Keyboards, etc.

Just eliminate things down - you should be fine.

Good Luck,

Meki

[Bill1954]

Hiya;

Severe itching (intractable pruritus) can be a sign of advanced liver disease (i.e. many years of infection). It’s also widespread, and not confined to the hands. I’d probably attribute this to stress in your case. Ghost stools, stool that is very light grey, or light yellow can also be a sign of acute HCV. None of these symptoms would lead a doctor to believe you contracted HCV, in my opinion.

Ask your doctor about vaccinations. We really don’t know how long the HBV vaccine lasts- so far it last 15-20 years… as long as it’s been available. If in doubt, ask for a Twinrix series- better safe than sorry.

The Hep panel is the HAV, HBV, and HCV test you’ve already had. I believe the suggestion was to get another test just to give you complete confidence.

Live large,

Bill

[scaredgrl85]

Thanks Meki,

Yes I've been vaccinated for Hep B when I was younger. And the right palm is the one itching me and yes I use this hand as my dominant hand. It's just so weird, there's nothing on my palm but it's been itching me for the last week driving me crazy, it feels more like an internal itch.

I drink plenty of water and can't think of anything I'm touching that I have an allergic reaction to. I hope it'll go away with time, I'm praying, I start school on Wednesday!!!

Can I really put Hepatitis out of my head? I feel like when I'm done with one virus another one starts :(

Thank you again for being so great :)

[meki]

I thought Ghost stools were the ones that you know should be there...

You did all that work... and you heard it go "plunk" ---- and you got the splashback of water ----

But when you looked... there was an empty bowl...


*G*

You're welcome scared - we all go through that --- wipe down your mouse OK?
And try some gold bond --- or some hydrocortisone cream (don't laugh --- but anusol has a good one... and you could try benedryl cream also --- that might help). If it doesn't go away - though... go get it checked. Could be something super simple. Or just stress.

[scaredgrl85]

Thanks Bill!

I know for sure my stool is not ghostly looking or gray. Its a mixture of yellow and light brown. I've been dieting and losing a lot of weight lately so I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it. I certainly plan on getting tested in late Oct or Nov just for peace of mind, but I want to take it out of my head that my symptoms are due to acute HCV infection.

Take Care :)

[meki]

You can pretty much take it out of your mind... Testing annually is smart --- smart for life!

Good luck!

Meki

[Bill1954]

You Betcha, Scared! Just remember that there's no doctors here-- just a bunch of patients. Verify everything with your doc.

Meki- Anusol? Sounds like some kind of strange sunblock- does it have a good SPF factor? Certainly hope so.

[alagirl]

Itchy palms can be a sign of anything from using the wrong laundry detergent, to probs with your gall bladder (rarely) to poison ivy.  In other words, itchy skin in general is a catch all symptom that can denote tons of things, most of them very benign.  In general, it's said that hepC doesn't spread very easily sexually, however, as with almost any disease that is able to be transmitted sexually, male to female transmission occurs more easily than female to male (because women have a large amount of mucous membrane inside that is more easily abraded during sex, allowing for blood contact).  I'm going to respectfully disagree that only 1% of people do get it sexually since there is a notable percentage of people who do not have other risk factors who seem to get it somehow and the etiology is unknown.  

Anyway, two months out is a pretty good indication you are clear of hepatitis so I would not keep worrying about hepatitis.  And I could be wrong but I thought the hep vaccine, even in 93, covered A and B?  Does anyone else know?  Maybe you could check your earlier vaccinations before re-doing them, if you have access to your old files.  It wouldn't hurt you to run another hep panel in two or three months but you can be 99.9% sure it is going to come out fine.  A hep panel tests for A, B and C.  Actually, to be more precise, it tests for 'Hep A Ab, IgM' and 'HBsAg Screen' and 'Hep B Core Ab, IgM' and 'Hep C Virus Ab.'  That's why they call it a Hep (4) panel.  And all of that?  Is about exactly as much as I know about anything, so I'm going to shut up now :)

[scaredgrl85]

Thank you again everyone :)

I don't remember there being any blood present and I guess since it was a one time exposure my chances are a lot lower. Who else on this forum claims that they contracted the virus sexually?

This palm is just driving me crazy, I'm trying all the creams and it's been a month. I even went to a dermo and she said that it looked like a blocked sweat gland but it shouldn't be lasting this long :(

[meki]

A blocked sweat gland?

Hmmm--- Try warm "baths" for your hand then...  And rubbing alcohol on just that spot... And repeat... rinse repeat and then --- about an hour later -some lotion...

If that doesn't work after 2 days --- then it's not a blocked sweat gland.

[Jakied]

A two month neg for hep b and c puts you in safe territory, ecpecially for hep b.  The cdc says the window period for B is 1 to nine weeks with 4 weeks the average.  Hep C has a window period of 2 weeks to 26 weeks with a 50 day average so you have rounded second and are coming into third base.  If I were you, I would get one more test at 6 months, and then stop testing and worrying.  I have a feeling you will be neg.

Fyi, Hep B is much more likely to be transmitted through sexual activity than hep c.

[scaredgrl85]

Thanks, I'm certainly going to try that. :)

Jakied- My gut is telling me that I don't have HCV, I've never had anal sex or any sex that would cause any bleeding. I've been reading around also and have seen that if a person does have itching from Hepatitis, its usually ALL OVER and not just in one area like mine (palm).

Thank You everyone, you're all so sweet :)

[scaredgrl85]

I just read this off the planned parenthood website:

HCV is more likely to be spread during sex if either of the sex partners also has another sexually transmitted infection.

Does that mean that since he had chlamydia, I had more of a chance of it getting transmitted t me? Or does it refer to the STD's that form open sores and cuts?

[meki]

Nah --- just take the stats like they are.

Chances are if a person is multi partnered frequently - the chances are greater of sexually transmitted diseases.

No - and yes --- chances are greater that he could have HCV... However not really. HCV is not really transmitted sexually - unless both partners are bleeding.

And yeah - if someone has multi partners - unprotected - yeah --- it could happen.. the roulette wheel might fall --- and yeah - you could be bleeding...

But you're talking less than 2% chance or something like that.

They're talking stats and PP usually deals with massively infected folks.

Remember a lot of people being diagnosed can't figure out where they got it... (I have YET to meet someone who ONLY had sex ---- and no other risk factors: Any surgery, any dental work - any innoculations) so don't be too freaked out - OK?