hep c

[alicia8489]

hi am 22 years old and i have hep c genotype 3 they say only 10% of ppl in US has this i dont know how i got it  (NO drug use) i just want to know what can i do?? please help :(
  

[willbb]

Hi alicia...sorry to hear of your diagnosis.HCV Geno type 1 is the most prevalent in  North America,however it is also the hardest to get rid of by current treatments whereas Genotype 3 has had considerably better success.
At this point it is not really important to focus on how you may have contracted HCV, rather what you do now going forward.

Best to get referred to a specialist (usually a gastroenterologist or a Hepatologist as Dee has advised) to run some further tests to ascertain and discuss  treating in the near future or possibly waiting .

For the most part HCV will damage the liver over time ,however this process usually takes many years and often decades
You are young and the chances of there being any significant liver  damage at this point are minimal..

There are many sites to look over for the "newly diagnosed" and I have linked one below if you are interested

Treatment for Geno 3 currently is approx. 75  -80% successful and there are many new drugs in the pipeline that may even have better efficacy.

There are many helpful people here and feel free to ask any questions of the group you may have.

Welcometo the site..
Will

.http://hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Newly%20Diagnosed.pdf

[Dee1956]

Thank you Mark, I wanted to help however it was a little early for my brain LOL
Take Care
Dee

[maybe368]

Just to clear one thing up, While common, drug use is not the only way to get hep c, not likely in your case, but many people got it from blood transfusions, emergency health care workers, as is my case, but probably not yours, sharing razors with someone that has it or any other way that your blood can become mixed with blood with the virus. Dee is giving good advise, go see a Hepatologist and try not to worry, information is power. You are very young and have a better ability to fight it than us old farts, so that is something in your favor, just try to stay positive...Mark,

[Dee1956]

Hello there until someone more knowledgeable answer you- there is a first test to see if you have been exposed then there is a second test to see if your actually have the virus, they check for a viral load..  Have you had the second test?  I am surprised that your doctor did not refer you to a Hepatologist for further testing.  
I think you should talk to your doctor again,
Don't be afraid, it could be that you don't even have it.
Good luck to you.
Dee