Aa
general
Just diagnosed with hep c MD say to do another test to see if active alt at 66 worried like im going to run away amd never comes back im a nursing student just waiting for state board exam. What should I do? Is there anyway to.cure it?
It is normal for your viral load to go up or down. It means nothing as it can change day by day.......
So my 2nd lab result for viral load came out, guys and gals u r the experts on this . First viral load is at 5million something now is 3million something it went down 2million something I took milk thistle twice a day and curcumin xant a herbal meds from Indonesia, now question is does it mean something ? Like the 20% of people who kills the virus on their own ? Or its just normal for the virus to go up and down
I was already retired when I was diagnosed with Hep C in 2011. Therefore, I did not have to deal with work or with telling anyone at work. If I was working, I don't think I would tell anyone if I could help it. There is a stigma attached to Hep C. People associate it with drug use and assume that is how a person got it even though most people did NOT get it from drug use. Plus, work places can be very rumor/gossip filled. You are a nurse (or about to be one) so you really cannot afford to have people assuming that you got Hep C from drugs. It could affect your career. In your case, the fewer people who know you have Hep C, the better. So I would be careful about who I told if I was you.
Of course, if you have to be off work for a long time then you may have no choice but to tell your manager something, but be sure that manager can keep it confidential. You are not required to tell them your diagnosis, but if you are off for a long time, they will probably require some doctor's justification. But the doctor does not have to state the exact illness. One can always say that one is being treated for a blood disorder.
Maybe some other people who had to deal with work can give you some ideas on how they dealt with their employers.
The other possibility is that you could take your State Boards or your exams, then treat your Hep C, and wait until after you finish treatment to get a job as a LVN. That way you would not have to worry about getting time off from work or telling anyone. But I don't know if you can afford to do that.
You will be able to make a more informed decision after you know your Genotype and after you have a liver biopsy to determine how much, if any, liver damage you have. You are young so you may have no or very little liver damage.
Of course, if you have to be off work for a long time then you may have no choice but to tell your manager something, but be sure that manager can keep it confidential. You are not required to tell them your diagnosis, but if you are off for a long time, they will probably require some doctor's justification. But the doctor does not have to state the exact illness. One can always say that one is being treated for a blood disorder.
Maybe some other people who had to deal with work can give you some ideas on how they dealt with their employers.
The other possibility is that you could take your State Boards or your exams, then treat your Hep C, and wait until after you finish treatment to get a job as a LVN. That way you would not have to worry about getting time off from work or telling anyone. But I don't know if you can afford to do that.
You will be able to make a more informed decision after you know your Genotype and after you have a liver biopsy to determine how much, if any, liver damage you have. You are young so you may have no or very little liver damage.
OMG thank you pooh for the info on taking thenclex first. I am a student for Lvn LPN . So did you tell your work about it?
The medications affect everyone differently. Some people have few and/or mild side effects. Others have more or more severe side effects. There is no way to know what side effects you will have until you actually start treatment.
I am a registered nurse and I am very sure I could not have worked, at least not long hours or critical work with patients. I may have been able to do a desk job. I was on Triple Med Treatment and adding that third drug did worsen the symptoms.
The problem with Interferon, or at least one of the problems with interferon, is it affects your mental ability. We call it brain fog. It affects the memory, the ability to think straight, the ability to function, the ability to calculate and do some normal activities, etc. If one has a job that requires one to be accurate and have an acute thinking ability, Interferon may interfere with those capabilities. I could not remember a thing for more than a few seconds while on Interferon. I had alarms and notes and reminders and post-its all over the place. I had to keep track of my pills and really have a system because I could not remember if i had taken them 5 minutes after I took them. I forgot how to turn on the windshield wipers and the car lights. I went to pick up the cat, paid the bill, and walked out without the cat. People have tried to open their garage doors with the TV remote or make phone calls with the TV remote. I could not add up simple numbers. I am sure there are some people who do not have too much brain fog, but many or most of us do have some or a lot. So I would say that anyone who is working with calculating medications or working with patients maybe should be at a desk job instead. I don't know what kind of nurse you are studying to be, but if you are caring for patients you need to be able to think clearly. I also think people who are electricians, precision operators of equipment, airline pilots, surgeons, etc. should take a leave or get a desk job while on treatment. The risks are too great that one could make an error due to brain fog. Interferon also tends to make a person quite fatigued.
I think that it would be a good idea to have several plans. If Plan A is to work, then have a Plan B and a Plan C. You are in a rather odd position since you are studying to be a nurse and therefore do not have a job as a nurse yet. You could look into vacation time (which you probably do not have accumulated yet). You could also look into sick time but you probably don't have that accumulated either. You could look into disability but I don't know if you would qualify. Other possibilities might be living with family who can help you while you are treating. These are just some things to think about.
The thing is, first you need to find out your Genotype. Your Genotype will determine what type of treatment you have. By the time you get a Hepatologist, get your Genotype, get a biopsy, and get everything else done that needs to be done, it may be sometime later this fall or winter before you can start treatment anyway. While I rarely, if ever, tell people to wait for treatment, it is possible that there may be some new treatment options for you by the time you have everything lined up to start treatment.
So, just take it day by day and week by week. As you get closer to the start of treatment you will have a better idea of what type of treatment you will be doing and what you need to prepare for. It is helpful that you are thinking about this early on.
I think you mentioned something about studying for State Boards? Or did I misinterpret that? If you have to take State Boards this summer, take them ASAP, before you start treatment. You would want them over and done with before you start treatment. The drugs can affect your ability to think and remember. This is a temporary side effect and goes away after one is off the drugs.
I am a registered nurse and I am very sure I could not have worked, at least not long hours or critical work with patients. I may have been able to do a desk job. I was on Triple Med Treatment and adding that third drug did worsen the symptoms.
The problem with Interferon, or at least one of the problems with interferon, is it affects your mental ability. We call it brain fog. It affects the memory, the ability to think straight, the ability to function, the ability to calculate and do some normal activities, etc. If one has a job that requires one to be accurate and have an acute thinking ability, Interferon may interfere with those capabilities. I could not remember a thing for more than a few seconds while on Interferon. I had alarms and notes and reminders and post-its all over the place. I had to keep track of my pills and really have a system because I could not remember if i had taken them 5 minutes after I took them. I forgot how to turn on the windshield wipers and the car lights. I went to pick up the cat, paid the bill, and walked out without the cat. People have tried to open their garage doors with the TV remote or make phone calls with the TV remote. I could not add up simple numbers. I am sure there are some people who do not have too much brain fog, but many or most of us do have some or a lot. So I would say that anyone who is working with calculating medications or working with patients maybe should be at a desk job instead. I don't know what kind of nurse you are studying to be, but if you are caring for patients you need to be able to think clearly. I also think people who are electricians, precision operators of equipment, airline pilots, surgeons, etc. should take a leave or get a desk job while on treatment. The risks are too great that one could make an error due to brain fog. Interferon also tends to make a person quite fatigued.
I think that it would be a good idea to have several plans. If Plan A is to work, then have a Plan B and a Plan C. You are in a rather odd position since you are studying to be a nurse and therefore do not have a job as a nurse yet. You could look into vacation time (which you probably do not have accumulated yet). You could also look into sick time but you probably don't have that accumulated either. You could look into disability but I don't know if you would qualify. Other possibilities might be living with family who can help you while you are treating. These are just some things to think about.
The thing is, first you need to find out your Genotype. Your Genotype will determine what type of treatment you have. By the time you get a Hepatologist, get your Genotype, get a biopsy, and get everything else done that needs to be done, it may be sometime later this fall or winter before you can start treatment anyway. While I rarely, if ever, tell people to wait for treatment, it is possible that there may be some new treatment options for you by the time you have everything lined up to start treatment.
So, just take it day by day and week by week. As you get closer to the start of treatment you will have a better idea of what type of treatment you will be doing and what you need to prepare for. It is helpful that you are thinking about this early on.
I think you mentioned something about studying for State Boards? Or did I misinterpret that? If you have to take State Boards this summer, take them ASAP, before you start treatment. You would want them over and done with before you start treatment. The drugs can affect your ability to think and remember. This is a temporary side effect and goes away after one is off the drugs.
Can you work while you are on the meds like ribavirin and interferon? Or you are totally tired and weak like stay in the house kind of thing?
I totally agree with what Pooh said.
Disregard what I said in my earlier post. Your PCP actually ran a viral load which confirms HCV.
Now you have some information you can work with.
The next step (to me) is to find out what your genotype is since the meds you take (or your treatment options) depend on that. Plus, as the others suggest HCV is becoming increasingly easier to treat and cure but it also matters what your Genotype is.
I would also get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B if you have not done so already. You will see lots of us on here were advised to do that when we were diagnosed.
The thing about comparing treatment to any type of drug withdrawal is the way I see it there are things you can do to ease the gnawing physical aspects of your body craving a drug. The mental aspect of kicking is tough if you are not ready but if you are and you aren't white knuckling it then to me quitting using was just something I had to do.
I just can't see comparing it to 48 weeks of treatment for Hepatitis C (with Interferon, Riba & a PI). I especially can't see comparing it to treating for a shorter duration with an all oral HCV medication. There are posts on here about people who have taken Methadone and or Suboxone while treating. I do not want to say too much since I made some faulty assumptions in my other post. I will say this is all totally doable if you are ready.
I probably had Hepatitis C the whole time I was drinking and drugging but did not know it. In a way I am glad I found out I had Hepatitis C after I quit using since I was not confronted with having to stop when I was not ready. If you are seeing someone about your addiction I would continue along that path since it sounds like either way you are getting your life together.
The other thing that if it were me I would want to know is how advanced my fibrosis is. So when you find out what your Genotype is maybe you can ask about the different ways to assess your fibrosis. I had a biopsy (a somewhat invasive procedure) as well as a Fibrosure test (a noninvasive procedure).
____________
There is lots of support and insight on here and you do not have to go through this alone.
Disregard what I said in my earlier post. Your PCP actually ran a viral load which confirms HCV.
Now you have some information you can work with.
The next step (to me) is to find out what your genotype is since the meds you take (or your treatment options) depend on that. Plus, as the others suggest HCV is becoming increasingly easier to treat and cure but it also matters what your Genotype is.
I would also get vaccinated for Hepatitis A and B if you have not done so already. You will see lots of us on here were advised to do that when we were diagnosed.
The thing about comparing treatment to any type of drug withdrawal is the way I see it there are things you can do to ease the gnawing physical aspects of your body craving a drug. The mental aspect of kicking is tough if you are not ready but if you are and you aren't white knuckling it then to me quitting using was just something I had to do.
I just can't see comparing it to 48 weeks of treatment for Hepatitis C (with Interferon, Riba & a PI). I especially can't see comparing it to treating for a shorter duration with an all oral HCV medication. There are posts on here about people who have taken Methadone and or Suboxone while treating. I do not want to say too much since I made some faulty assumptions in my other post. I will say this is all totally doable if you are ready.
I probably had Hepatitis C the whole time I was drinking and drugging but did not know it. In a way I am glad I found out I had Hepatitis C after I quit using since I was not confronted with having to stop when I was not ready. If you are seeing someone about your addiction I would continue along that path since it sounds like either way you are getting your life together.
The other thing that if it were me I would want to know is how advanced my fibrosis is. So when you find out what your Genotype is maybe you can ask about the different ways to assess your fibrosis. I had a biopsy (a somewhat invasive procedure) as well as a Fibrosure test (a noninvasive procedure).
____________
There is lots of support and insight on here and you do not have to go through this alone.
"on the pcr test with the addiction MD it says quantitation 5,461,100 iu/ml "
"what does that number means"
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It looks like you already had a PCR test (viral load test) done. The fact that you have a quantifiable viral count means you have Chronic Hepatitis C. That number means that your viral load (count) is 5,461,100 per ml of blood. The other number means the same thing but is expressed in log form.
If I were you, I would get a referral to a Hepatologist or you can just look one up in the phone book and make your own appt. (That is what I did, look one up and made an appt.) Once you have a Hepatologist, he/she will do further testing and probably a liver biopsy. You will need to find out which Genotype you are because the treatment is determined by the Genotype. Your Hepatologist will order those tests and any others that you need.
I know this is a big shock to you as it was to most of us. The more you learn about Hepatitis C the less frightened you will be. Knowledge helps. This forum is a good place to ask questions. Most of us have Hepatitis C or we had it and are now cured so we know all about Hepatitis C, the various stages of liver fibrosis, the shock of diagnosis, the fear, the treatment, the side effects of treatment, etc. Please ask any and all questions and we will respond.
Many of us (me included) have already treated and are now cured. So you also can be cured. You just need to get a good doctor, a Hepatologist, to treat you.
I treated with Interferon, Ribavirin, and Incivek. My treatment was 48 weeks. Not all treatments are that long. Many are 24 weeks. Treatment is no picnic, but it is doable, and it is well worth it despite the side effects one may get. The side effects are nothing compared to End Stage Liver Disease. You are young. You will do fine on treatment. (I was 65 when I treated. I made it through treatment.)
Keep us posted and best of luck.
"what does that number means"
-----------------------------------------------
It looks like you already had a PCR test (viral load test) done. The fact that you have a quantifiable viral count means you have Chronic Hepatitis C. That number means that your viral load (count) is 5,461,100 per ml of blood. The other number means the same thing but is expressed in log form.
If I were you, I would get a referral to a Hepatologist or you can just look one up in the phone book and make your own appt. (That is what I did, look one up and made an appt.) Once you have a Hepatologist, he/she will do further testing and probably a liver biopsy. You will need to find out which Genotype you are because the treatment is determined by the Genotype. Your Hepatologist will order those tests and any others that you need.
I know this is a big shock to you as it was to most of us. The more you learn about Hepatitis C the less frightened you will be. Knowledge helps. This forum is a good place to ask questions. Most of us have Hepatitis C or we had it and are now cured so we know all about Hepatitis C, the various stages of liver fibrosis, the shock of diagnosis, the fear, the treatment, the side effects of treatment, etc. Please ask any and all questions and we will respond.
Many of us (me included) have already treated and are now cured. So you also can be cured. You just need to get a good doctor, a Hepatologist, to treat you.
I treated with Interferon, Ribavirin, and Incivek. My treatment was 48 weeks. Not all treatments are that long. Many are 24 weeks. Treatment is no picnic, but it is doable, and it is well worth it despite the side effects one may get. The side effects are nothing compared to End Stage Liver Disease. You are young. You will do fine on treatment. (I was 65 when I treated. I made it through treatment.)
Keep us posted and best of luck.
The doc I saw was actually am addiction doc coz before treating me with suboxone he did liver panel then found alt high he did hepc antibody, now he revers me to my pcp . It was then my pcp wanna do the blood test all over again. However on the pcr test with the addiction MD it says quantitation 5,461,100 iu/ml then hcv log 10 = 6.737 log10 iu/ml taken when my alt at 66. Now I havent got my result from my primary doc, u guys are the experts what does that number means
At this point there is still a possibility you might be one of the people who clear the virus on their own. It sounds like you only tested for the antibody (which means you have been exposed to Hepatitis C) the next blood test is called a PCR and that is one that determines whether their is presence of the virus in your blood.
After that you need to find out your Genotype. Knowing your Genotype will enable you to assess the likelihood that you will even treat with Interferon. Knowing your Genotype will indicate the type of meds (and options) you have to treat with.
I find it worrisome that the doctor you are seeing now does not seem very well informed. I mean you have expended a lot of grief over some of the things he has said and you do not really have many facts as of yet.
I hope you continue to post in this thread and let us know the results of your next lab.
After that you need to find out your Genotype. Knowing your Genotype will enable you to assess the likelihood that you will even treat with Interferon. Knowing your Genotype will indicate the type of meds (and options) you have to treat with.
I find it worrisome that the doctor you are seeing now does not seem very well informed. I mean you have expended a lot of grief over some of the things he has said and you do not really have many facts as of yet.
I hope you continue to post in this thread and let us know the results of your next lab.
So I did another blood test 2 days ago started milk thistle and curcumin ( its a herb that most of hep c people from where I was born took ) blood test for the liver enzyme alt went down from 66 to 43 what does that means? I also wish I will be that 20% of people who wont need the interferon therapy thing, well even before taking it I already felt the side effect. Idk why but I felt discomfort on my knees like mild pain after you go to gym feel like
The treatment side effects are really just about totally unpredictable, at least with what info we now have on you. You don't even know if you actually have the virus or if you were one of the lucky 15-20% whose own immune system is able to beat it. Honestly, that many of the people infected are cured by their own natural immune system. The part that confuses many (though there is no excuse for a doctor to be confused here) is that the common first test is for antibodies, which means a positive only shows that you've been exposed, but doesn't show whether you still have live virus or not. It also returns a false positive occasionally. Once exposed you will always have the antibody, because your body did try to fight it off. You need an HCV PCR test to show whether there is any actual viral RNA circulating. To say HCV can't be cured because one has HCV antibodies is like saying we all have permanent incurable measles and mumps just because we have the antibodies, whether from infection or immunization. The only significant difference is that our HCV antibodies do not offer any immunity to new infections, because the virus has too many mutations. Get your PCR done and go from there. You really should look for a better-informed doctor too, I mean, what else does this guy have wrong? I wouldn't want to trust him with my health.
Many of us here have been through treatment and most of us were cured. We can't say what tx (treatment) will be like for you because which drugs are used and for how long depends on which genotype of the virus you have and on the current condition of your liver and on how quickly the virus responds to the drugs. The sx (side effects) depend greatly on which drugs you have to take, how old you are, how much damage your liver has had, whether you have other major health issues, and plain luck.
Many of us here have been through treatment and most of us were cured. We can't say what tx (treatment) will be like for you because which drugs are used and for how long depends on which genotype of the virus you have and on the current condition of your liver and on how quickly the virus responds to the drugs. The sx (side effects) depend greatly on which drugs you have to take, how old you are, how much damage your liver has had, whether you have other major health issues, and plain luck.
So u r saying that the treatment is a lot more painful and depressing than opiate withrawal?
Take a deep breath. You've only been clean for 4 weeks. It's still baby steps. And the more you stress yourself out, the higher the risk of relapse.
And your doctor is a dunce. Viruses can be cured. Look at the flu virus! Just a silly, simple dismissive comment by an idiot.
Knowledge is power. so make yourself knowledgable about your disease, if you have it, and keep records. People put far too much trust in doctors, and lawyers, and builders, and the list goes on. But they can be dodgy, and we're left with the clean up mess, and a 'How stupid was I?'.
And your doctor is a dunce. Viruses can be cured. Look at the flu virus! Just a silly, simple dismissive comment by an idiot.
Knowledge is power. so make yourself knowledgable about your disease, if you have it, and keep records. People put far too much trust in doctors, and lawyers, and builders, and the list goes on. But they can be dodgy, and we're left with the clean up mess, and a 'How stupid was I?'.
I did heroin withdrawals too many times over 30 years.
Yes, hard and sick but worst days are first week. the rest is psychological lifestyle change, peer pressure etc stuff.
It really doesn't compare to undertaking treatment for HCV.
I have never been so sick and ****** in my life. I'm halfway in a 48 week treating program.
BUT I am doing everything I can to kill this disease. No matter that I am sicker on treating than I was at any other time in my life.
I now know what ESLD is. And how people suffer.
I want to be well now. And this helps me to deal with anything these meds throw at me.
Yes, hard and sick but worst days are first week. the rest is psychological lifestyle change, peer pressure etc stuff.
It really doesn't compare to undertaking treatment for HCV.
I have never been so sick and ****** in my life. I'm halfway in a 48 week treating program.
BUT I am doing everything I can to kill this disease. No matter that I am sicker on treating than I was at any other time in my life.
I now know what ESLD is. And how people suffer.
I want to be well now. And this helps me to deal with anything these meds throw at me.
Side effects can be difficult, but for me, it wasn't as bad as opiate withdrawal. I never want to go through the agony of being sick from heroin withdrawals again. Wait and see what your dr. says on your other test. If you test positive for HCV, a biopsy will give you an idea of the damage to your liver. This will help you decide if you should treat now with the current drugs, or if can wait for the new drugs with lesser side effects. You're young, and I can't imagine you've had HCV for too many years unless you started shooting dope as a teenager. So IF you have HCV, hopefully your liver is still in good shape and you can wait.
How terrible is the side effect of the meds for it seems to sounds like opiate withdrawal
Welcome to the forum and good for you on getting clean. I'm also a former addict and found out when I was a year clean that I had hep C. It caused me a lot of mental and emotional anguish, but I decided to take whatever action I could to get it taken care of. I finished treatment in Mar. of this year and am hopefully on my way to being cured.
Since you're a nursing student, you should be able to find and understand the information that will lead you to the best treatment plan for yourself. Don't let this news overwhelm you and stress you out. Take a deep breath and relax. You're going to be alright. Stress took me back out many times and relapsing is the worst thing that a person with hep C could do.
Since you're a nursing student, you should be able to find and understand the information that will lead you to the best treatment plan for yourself. Don't let this news overwhelm you and stress you out. Take a deep breath and relax. You're going to be alright. Stress took me back out many times and relapsing is the worst thing that a person with hep C could do.
Hi first welcome to the forum youve come to a great place and second very well done getting clean i know its not easy.Yes hep c is curable &yes treatment can be harsh but so worth it as i am sure the hundreds that use this site will agree. It perfectly normal to be scared at first everyone is but educate yourself as much as you can through web asking doc and of course through this site everyone of us will try to help you the best we can I myself came onto the site because my hubby got hep c he was undetectable from wk 4 and remained that way all the way through his 24wk of tx. He now 11wk post tx so in 4mth we will know the final outcome.Best of luck with it all and please remember you are not alone and we will help and support you all the way. Take care and keep posting Jules
very happy for your commitment to the clean life. i was 35 when i hit bottom. i am now 62 and still clean. with todays new class of drugs, called DAAs(direct acting antivirals)the virus is curable.(my opinion). if the virus cant replicate, it cant return. Can do is right, get tested and find an experienced liver doc to advise you and follow your case. best of luck
Go to "Incivek.com" and see that there is a cure. It's in huge bold print.
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