Aa
What can we do
My Partner was recently diagnosed with Hep C. We are getting no help from the Doctors and the specialist appointment is 3 months away. My problem is my Partner is so tired and sore all the time he spends most of the time in bed. We have been told by the doctor this is not normal however these were the symptons he went to the doctor for in the 1st place. He is not drinking any alcohol and having a very strict diet. We have also seen a Naturapath and got some vitamins from her.
The doctor seems to think he should just get on with it and this makes him feel worse. He is not imagining this.
Is there anything else we can do to help him feel a bit better so he can get on with his life until we get to see the specialist.
The doctor seems to think he should just get on with it and this makes him feel worse. He is not imagining this.
Is there anything else we can do to help him feel a bit better so he can get on with his life until we get to see the specialist.
Thankyou so much for your replies. Its nice to know there are people out there who are prepared to help. As the Partner who is not infected it is difficult to give constructive help and I probably make things worse by doing everything for him and offering all the sympathy in the world.
Last week we saw a Naturapath who has given him some stuff the help the liver and this has really worked whether its phycological or not I don't know but he is feeling so much better and is up and around again.
Once again thankyou all so much.
Last week we saw a Naturapath who has given him some stuff the help the liver and this has really worked whether its phycological or not I don't know but he is feeling so much better and is up and around again.
Once again thankyou all so much.
From what you've said, your partner has HepC but where and when he contracted it is only a guess. Is there a record regarding the blood transfusions?
I was diagnosed in 1995 and at first felt like a leper (a hepper leper). I wanted to shut myself up away from my family. I stopped having guests over, fearful they might accuse me of endangering them. My family doctor, who I was close to, distanced herself ever so subtly. It was really hard psychologically and I didn't even have symptoms. I only saw a liver specialist in 2001, when I started to feel 'tired'. The specialist was very gruff with me and said that 'fatigue has nothing to do with hepC' and I should get anti-depressants instead. I felt insulted and ridiculed and thought he was nuts but it did turn out the fatigue at that time was related to something else. I never did go on anti-depressants, out of spite, and luckily my fatigue passed.
Fatigue is like back trouble. A million wrong diagnoses for our most common complaints.
Your partner's diagnosis might be very timely because his hepC urgently needs attention. On the other hand, he may be barking up the wrong tree and the diagnosis of hepatitis is distracting your attention from a different medical issue that is causing him so much grief.
It's awful to wait to see the specialist. I had to wait eleven months and then he spent about two minutes with me. When I saw him again, seven years later, I went in there knowing exactly what I wanted from him, said one thing over and over and never let him get me off topic.
Good luck with everything.
I was diagnosed in 1995 and at first felt like a leper (a hepper leper). I wanted to shut myself up away from my family. I stopped having guests over, fearful they might accuse me of endangering them. My family doctor, who I was close to, distanced herself ever so subtly. It was really hard psychologically and I didn't even have symptoms. I only saw a liver specialist in 2001, when I started to feel 'tired'. The specialist was very gruff with me and said that 'fatigue has nothing to do with hepC' and I should get anti-depressants instead. I felt insulted and ridiculed and thought he was nuts but it did turn out the fatigue at that time was related to something else. I never did go on anti-depressants, out of spite, and luckily my fatigue passed.
Fatigue is like back trouble. A million wrong diagnoses for our most common complaints.
Your partner's diagnosis might be very timely because his hepC urgently needs attention. On the other hand, he may be barking up the wrong tree and the diagnosis of hepatitis is distracting your attention from a different medical issue that is causing him so much grief.
It's awful to wait to see the specialist. I had to wait eleven months and then he spent about two minutes with me. When I saw him again, seven years later, I went in there knowing exactly what I wanted from him, said one thing over and over and never let him get me off topic.
Good luck with everything.
O.K-now we know that he has chronic infection of twenty year duration and that he was infected at a young age.
An infection of this duration in a relatively young man should not totally debilitate him-it is not typical
I think the key here is that he was recently diagnosed-was he like this before the diagnois?
If not he maybe shocked and depressed and this is what is is afflicting him.
As previously noted an anti-depressant may be indicated.
Lethargy ,sorrow and anger are self perpetuating.He does need to get a grip on himself (easy for me to say I know).
Most of us chronic cases many a lot older and with with advanced liver damage get by.
Some fatigue is normal but not to this extent.
Of course something else maybe going on but the doctor doesn't seem to think there is.
The figure of 240 is probably ALT or AST and indicate that his liver is inflamed.
It is well above normal range but not uncommon with Hep C.
Hope this helps,
keep posting if you need more input.
An infection of this duration in a relatively young man should not totally debilitate him-it is not typical
I think the key here is that he was recently diagnosed-was he like this before the diagnois?
If not he maybe shocked and depressed and this is what is is afflicting him.
As previously noted an anti-depressant may be indicated.
Lethargy ,sorrow and anger are self perpetuating.He does need to get a grip on himself (easy for me to say I know).
Most of us chronic cases many a lot older and with with advanced liver damage get by.
Some fatigue is normal but not to this extent.
Of course something else maybe going on but the doctor doesn't seem to think there is.
The figure of 240 is probably ALT or AST and indicate that his liver is inflamed.
It is well above normal range but not uncommon with Hep C.
Hope this helps,
keep posting if you need more input.
As far as the soreness goes, hepc can cause symptoms similar to RA and in some cases people who have had mild arthritis in the past start to develop more severe symtoms. Not always attributed to hepc, but it does happen. The fatigue is another symptom associated with hepc. This may be attributed to depression, which can be controlled with an antidepressant. Perhaps he should discuss this with his GP or find another doctor, preferably a liver specialist, which will see him sooner. There are tests to determine if RA is present, and non-steroid medicines that will help with the soreness. Also, if you don't use it, you lose it, so the doctor is correct that he should push himself a little harder in order to keep some flexibility is his muscles..He's only 40 yrs old and lying in the bed all day is not good for the mind or the body at any age really.
Not knowing with this disease is so difficult. Once he gets the proper tests done to determine whether treatment is necessary now or at a later date, things should start to make more sense and he will gain some insight to how he should proceed with his illness. A liver function test of 240 and not sure whether that's AST or ALT but regardless, that would not be a reason for his severe pain and fatigue. At this point, until he can be seen by a specialist again, he may want to be tested for RA and consider a AD. I can't hurt in my opinion. Good Luck and hope it works out for you.
Trinity
Not knowing with this disease is so difficult. Once he gets the proper tests done to determine whether treatment is necessary now or at a later date, things should start to make more sense and he will gain some insight to how he should proceed with his illness. A liver function test of 240 and not sure whether that's AST or ALT but regardless, that would not be a reason for his severe pain and fatigue. At this point, until he can be seen by a specialist again, he may want to be tested for RA and consider a AD. I can't hurt in my opinion. Good Luck and hope it works out for you.
Trinity
He is 40 years old
He has had two blood transfusions one in 1988 and one in 1989 and the doctor thinks this is where he contacted HepC.
The only information the Doctor gave us is his Liver Function Test was 240..
I'm not sure what that means but the doctor did say he didn't think he should be feeling as bad as he does.
He has had two blood transfusions one in 1988 and one in 1989 and the doctor thinks this is where he contacted HepC.
The only information the Doctor gave us is his Liver Function Test was 240..
I'm not sure what that means but the doctor did say he didn't think he should be feeling as bad as he does.
When was he infected-how long ago?
This is key information.
How old is he?
Do you have any details concerning his infection Liver Function Test Results for example?
We need firstly to know from the above whether his symptoms are caused by acute or chronic infection.
He does need to see the specialist of course but in order to help you we would need some of the information requested above.
This is key information.
How old is he?
Do you have any details concerning his infection Liver Function Test Results for example?
We need firstly to know from the above whether his symptoms are caused by acute or chronic infection.
He does need to see the specialist of course but in order to help you we would need some of the information requested above.
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