Aa
started to feel horrible and very grumpy
I started to feel really bad and felt like my personality had changed (for the worst), acting very snippy at everyone. I work in sales so this is not a good thing , and i have two small children. I have hep c , and have had for over 3o yrs., but i have not sought treatment because 4 yrs ago when biopsy was done i was told it was very mild and non aggressive. My new results just came in and my alt level was at 690 and my ast was at 216 . I am very worried right now , I do have an appt to see spec. next week. I have been having really strange things happening , I feel like I am in a bubble, and when i look at things they seem to move like a vapor, i cannot get enough to drink and i cant seem to pee enough, my throat also seems swollen and my voice is changed. i also have diabetes type 2 was has went from 6.5 to almost 10 on the a1c test , has anyone else been where I am, what is happening ? what should I expect ? if anyone could offer any help would greatly appreciate it ......
I am obviously not a professional or capable of providing any reasonable explanations for your mood and physical symptoms but it sounds like things are really starting to build up and you are stressing to the max. Believe me, I understand worry but the thing is you truly do not have enough factual data to base any conclusions or make any outcome-based decisions. It is extremely likely much (if not all) of these things are manageable so try and let yourself take a break on assuming the worst.
Four years ago is not all that long and it's possible your liver may still be in fairly mild condition. I am very glad your appointment to see a specialist is next week - I hope you mean liver specialist. At that point you will have the chance to find out what your genotype is and what your viral load is as well as other data that may indicate when and if you can treat your HCV. I believe out of range liver enzymes in and of themselves could indicate a variety of things. I don't know much about diabetes but it seems like constant thirst and a few of the other symptoms you mentioned need to be addressed and adjusted. Whether this is all related to your HCV, I cannot say.
I hope one of the more experienced members can provide symptomatic relief as I simply do not have the expertise. You are in the right place and encourage you to read posts as well as post frequently as I am certain you will learn a lot and it will allay lots of your anxiety.♫
Four years ago is not all that long and it's possible your liver may still be in fairly mild condition. I am very glad your appointment to see a specialist is next week - I hope you mean liver specialist. At that point you will have the chance to find out what your genotype is and what your viral load is as well as other data that may indicate when and if you can treat your HCV. I believe out of range liver enzymes in and of themselves could indicate a variety of things. I don't know much about diabetes but it seems like constant thirst and a few of the other symptoms you mentioned need to be addressed and adjusted. Whether this is all related to your HCV, I cannot say.
I hope one of the more experienced members can provide symptomatic relief as I simply do not have the expertise. You are in the right place and encourage you to read posts as well as post frequently as I am certain you will learn a lot and it will allay lots of your anxiety.♫
Do you remember what yr ALT/AST level was last time you got tested? Mine was usually around 75/100 but gradually climbed, thru 20 yrs, always elevated (many people with Hep C have normal enzymes) but this year, I was 400/500. My other warning symptom was, I had hot flashes all the time, which came when anything irritated me, and on heat-wave days, I would quickly develope heat-stroke. Also, my pee smelled like ammonia, and the socks started hurting my ankles and leaving marks. It was almost like I felt uncomfortable in my own skin~ I would get another biopsy, I had had an ultra-sound, which read my liver was normal, but when I finally got thenerve to get the biopsy, my liver had stage 2 fibrosis, so I chose
to seek treatment, because my blood work didn't look good at all, I had low plateletes, all of the sudden, they had always been normal before, and that is a bad sign, that the liver is going toward cirrhosis, so I am on week 7 and ahalf of treatment.
Your biopsy very likely could tell you that your liver is fine, and the thirsty and other sides might be diabetes symptoms, or thyroid...it's like you have to be a detective, my own doctor never put my heat symptoms with Hep C, she prescribed some heart medicine, for the heat=stroke, which I never took! I feel much better now!
to seek treatment, because my blood work didn't look good at all, I had low plateletes, all of the sudden, they had always been normal before, and that is a bad sign, that the liver is going toward cirrhosis, so I am on week 7 and ahalf of treatment.
Your biopsy very likely could tell you that your liver is fine, and the thirsty and other sides might be diabetes symptoms, or thyroid...it's like you have to be a detective, my own doctor never put my heat symptoms with Hep C, she prescribed some heart medicine, for the heat=stroke, which I never took! I feel much better now!
Your symtoms are more than likely from your DM. When your blood sugar is out of wack it can effect you mood. Hep c can cause fatique and that can cause irritability. I would talk with the doctors about diet and meds for DM and get your BS stable... excercise ...get plenty of rest. Follow up with the hep c. Godspeed
I have an appt with the G.I. next week , the hep spec. could not get me in for several months. my urine has a very nasty smell and almost seems like I can smell it through the pours of my skin, just so tired all the time I feel like I could sleep my life away but Im too tired to go to bed...... Thanks for the response from everyone who posted , amazingly fast, at least now I dont feel so alone ...... and on another note trolls make a wonderful salad... lol..
I do not know really anything such as what type just hep c , the first round all went so quick, and I really did not pay attention like I should have, all i heard was nothing to worry about at this time and off I went back to what I called a normal life.............such an idiot that I am........I hope that i will be given a second chance to learn and do things right, not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed. I am so glad I found this site, first chance to really talk about this...thanks for listening.....you know what i mean.
I imagine once you get tight control of your diabetes you’ll feel much better. An A1c result of 10.0 correlates to a finger-stick average of roughly 240 mg/dL; are you doing routine self testing as well? Ask your primary care doctor for a referral to a diabetes management class; they have educating RN/nutritionists that can help set up a meal and exercise plan with you.
I imagine the doctor went over this with you previously, but here it is again: watch carbs, including things like potatoes, pasta, white bread, white rice as well as sweets. Try to minimally get 50 minutes of brisk walking or equivalent exercise daily, and finally be compliant with insulin/anti-diabetes oral meds. It generally takes at least two, and usually all three of three of these measures to achieve tight BG control.
Check with the doctor; I heard trolls have a high glycemic index! Good luck and take care-
--Bill
I imagine the doctor went over this with you previously, but here it is again: watch carbs, including things like potatoes, pasta, white bread, white rice as well as sweets. Try to minimally get 50 minutes of brisk walking or equivalent exercise daily, and finally be compliant with insulin/anti-diabetes oral meds. It generally takes at least two, and usually all three of three of these measures to achieve tight BG control.
Check with the doctor; I heard trolls have a high glycemic index! Good luck and take care-
--Bill
Called gasto spec waiting for them to call back, trying to get blood test you mentioned earlier so I will have at office visit, as far as diet and exercise, yes and no , everything seemed good not that long ago and whallop it got me. I am aware for the most part of what to eat and what not to eat but that does not mean that i took it seriously... it is never to late... this has been a real wake up call for me. I am overweight six foot three , three hundred pounds, until recently . i have dropped fifteen pounds, but I have not tried it just happened in less then two weeks, jenny craig would be proud... i assume that is from the constant urination-water loss .
I knew i should have laid off the gummy trolls but they taste so good.
P.S. if youre still listening next week will let you know outcome of visit
I knew i should have laid off the gummy trolls but they taste so good.
P.S. if youre still listening next week will let you know outcome of visit
For some reason, people with Hep C tend to get diabetes after they catch Hep C. Do you know which condition came first? I caught Hep C about 23 yrs ago, at the same time as my ex-boyfriend. I had no symptoms for the first 20 yrs, but I remember, I ran into that Ex, about 17 yrs ago, and I noted he had lost ALOT of weight, but had this big, hard, belly. He had gone form beiing his usual weight of 160, down to 140! Around 12 yrs ago, he called me, to accuse me of giving him Hep C ( I told him it was the other way around, lol) and that he had found out he had Diabetes,and Hep C, and had been treated for Hep C successfully!
Then, two yrs ago I ran into him at the Beach, and he was still diabetic, but Hep C free! He asked me why I was still running around with the Hep C virus, and got me to thinking. I had put off treatment, to have 2 more kids.
Like I said before, about two yrs ago, I started smelling pissy, and my sweat no longer smelled and felt good, it felt sticky- and after my biopsy, foundout I DID have stage 2 fibrosis, and I'm getting treated. But diabetes also makes yr pee stink, so it's a tough call. Losing weight suddenly is definitely a symptom to get checked out right away, so I am glad you are seeing the gastro, getting the blood tests lined up. I kept waiting for the "fatigue" symptom to come around, so I put off getting treated for that reason, becuz I had energy. But it was the blood test that let me know I was in trouble, and the biopsy. Hep C symptoms are not always common, until cirrhosis sets in, and much more chance of cure, to catch it in stage 2 or 3, rather then 4. But hopefully your liver is still fine, only one out of 4 Heppers go on to have cirrhosis.
Then, two yrs ago I ran into him at the Beach, and he was still diabetic, but Hep C free! He asked me why I was still running around with the Hep C virus, and got me to thinking. I had put off treatment, to have 2 more kids.
Like I said before, about two yrs ago, I started smelling pissy, and my sweat no longer smelled and felt good, it felt sticky- and after my biopsy, foundout I DID have stage 2 fibrosis, and I'm getting treated. But diabetes also makes yr pee stink, so it's a tough call. Losing weight suddenly is definitely a symptom to get checked out right away, so I am glad you are seeing the gastro, getting the blood tests lined up. I kept waiting for the "fatigue" symptom to come around, so I put off getting treated for that reason, becuz I had energy. But it was the blood test that let me know I was in trouble, and the biopsy. Hep C symptoms are not always common, until cirrhosis sets in, and much more chance of cure, to catch it in stage 2 or 3, rather then 4. But hopefully your liver is still fine, only one out of 4 Heppers go on to have cirrhosis.
How did your ex get fixed ? and also what an *** for treating you like that. i got hep c from a blood transfusion in 1983, and did not know i had it until four years ago... and i am only assuming that is when i got it , i had gotten a letter from the hosp where the transfusion took place that said i could be at risk. and it looks like i won the lottery, that is also when i was told i had diebetes
(sorry about my misspelling). at the time I was very sick , tired, puking all the time, and my legs feel like they just bubble with spasms and pain. I also had bad high blood pressure, I lost weight and the high blood pressure went away although i was on meds for quite some time (80mg micardis), i was diagnosed with diabetic nueropothy, but dont think i was showing any signs of hep c , of course i was too ashamed to ask, then when i did tell someone he said "isnt that like aids".. my problem i put this off never really got informed and now that everythng seems to be going to crap I dont really know what to do or what to expect, so thank you so much for responding to me, this is the first time I have ever talked about this to someone besides a small town dr. ............I hope your treatment goes well for you , anything else anyone can tell me please let me know, i am having a harder time reading as my eyes dont work as well anymore either...but i can read this monitor...
(sorry about my misspelling). at the time I was very sick , tired, puking all the time, and my legs feel like they just bubble with spasms and pain. I also had bad high blood pressure, I lost weight and the high blood pressure went away although i was on meds for quite some time (80mg micardis), i was diagnosed with diabetic nueropothy, but dont think i was showing any signs of hep c , of course i was too ashamed to ask, then when i did tell someone he said "isnt that like aids".. my problem i put this off never really got informed and now that everythng seems to be going to crap I dont really know what to do or what to expect, so thank you so much for responding to me, this is the first time I have ever talked about this to someone besides a small town dr. ............I hope your treatment goes well for you , anything else anyone can tell me please let me know, i am having a harder time reading as my eyes dont work as well anymore either...but i can read this monitor...
Hey, how are you this week? My Ex got his Hep C cured, all those years ago, with just the standard Interferon/Ribavirin treatment, because that is all they had, back then.
I had just noticed, his Hep C and diabetes came on, at the same time, and noted the connection. His diabetes did get better after he got rid of the Hep C virus, but he said, when he eats 'Lil Debbie" cakes (they are like Hostess twinkies, etc) then he has to take the shots again...sigh.
I am assuming I caught the Hep C virus from him, the one time I tried injecting cocaine with him, which isn't even a drug I ever liked, I was just being an dare-devil, young and feeling invincible. I am pretty sure I caught it from him, because I had never used I.V. drugs before that, and he had. And I hadn't ever had a blood transfusion...I actually refused to be given one, after I hemmoraged, during the birth of my first son, in 1983.
It's unfortunate that the blood supply wasn't made safe, until 1985. I'm wishing you much luck with your battle against this virus~
I had just noticed, his Hep C and diabetes came on, at the same time, and noted the connection. His diabetes did get better after he got rid of the Hep C virus, but he said, when he eats 'Lil Debbie" cakes (they are like Hostess twinkies, etc) then he has to take the shots again...sigh.
I am assuming I caught the Hep C virus from him, the one time I tried injecting cocaine with him, which isn't even a drug I ever liked, I was just being an dare-devil, young and feeling invincible. I am pretty sure I caught it from him, because I had never used I.V. drugs before that, and he had. And I hadn't ever had a blood transfusion...I actually refused to be given one, after I hemmoraged, during the birth of my first son, in 1983.
It's unfortunate that the blood supply wasn't made safe, until 1985. I'm wishing you much luck with your battle against this virus~
1960-1970’s
Scientists developed blood tests to identify hepatitis B (1963) and hepatitis A (1973), but many of the blood samples taken for post-transfusion illness tested negative for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Given that the mode of transmission (blood transfusion) was the same, scientists classified the unidentified cases as non-A, non-B hepatitis. It is now believed that
approximately 90-95% of cases previously classified as non-A, non-B (NA/NB) were actually hepatitis C.
1980-1990’s
In the 1980’s, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control (headed up by Daniel W. Bradley) and Chiron (Michael Houghton) identified the virus in 1989. In 1990, blood banks began screening blood donors for
hepatitis C, but it wasn’t until 1992 that a blood test was perfected that effectively eliminated HCV from the blood transfusion supply. Now, there is less than one per two million transfused units of blood estimated to
be tainted with hepatitis C. Prior to the screening of the blood supply for hepatitis C, approximately 300,000 Americans contracted hepatitis C through blood transfusions or blood products.
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Brief_History_HCV_10.pdf
Scientists developed blood tests to identify hepatitis B (1963) and hepatitis A (1973), but many of the blood samples taken for post-transfusion illness tested negative for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Given that the mode of transmission (blood transfusion) was the same, scientists classified the unidentified cases as non-A, non-B hepatitis. It is now believed that
approximately 90-95% of cases previously classified as non-A, non-B (NA/NB) were actually hepatitis C.
1980-1990’s
In the 1980’s, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control (headed up by Daniel W. Bradley) and Chiron (Michael Houghton) identified the virus in 1989. In 1990, blood banks began screening blood donors for
hepatitis C, but it wasn’t until 1992 that a blood test was perfected that effectively eliminated HCV from the blood transfusion supply. Now, there is less than one per two million transfused units of blood estimated to
be tainted with hepatitis C. Prior to the screening of the blood supply for hepatitis C, approximately 300,000 Americans contracted hepatitis C through blood transfusions or blood products.
http://www.hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets_pdf/Brief_History_HCV_10.pdf
Thanks for the correction, Guy. It's very unfortunate that so many people caught the virus this way, all the way up until 1992. More Public Awareness and education needs to be done about this disease, so thank you for contributing so much valuable imfo~
How are you doing? Have u see. Dr yet? If your in a small town with no g.I specialist you trust if a bigger town is close enough try finding a hepatoligist Omg spelled that wrong anyway try to find one in a different city if it would.make u feel for comfortable. Also for sure make sure your diabieties is under control that causes way more of the aymptons u described. And we aren't Dr or anything but we are here for you keep your head up and keep us informed.
well I have seen gastro and my geno type is a1 my load count is nine million three hundred and sixty thousand, my agl levels have gone down and now i am of insulin for the diabetes and actos. I am starting to feel a little better but my blood sugar is still at 265 in morn and i am to increase it by two every three days until i get it to 130......
I will be starting treatment for the hep c , just waiting for the nurse to set it up, I hope u guys have not forgot about me, sorry it took a little while to post back but comp. went down......go figure..
I have found that with a little salt and pepper trolls are quite tasty !!!
I will be starting treatment for the hep c , just waiting for the nurse to set it up, I hope u guys have not forgot about me, sorry it took a little while to post back but comp. went down......go figure..
I have found that with a little salt and pepper trolls are quite tasty !!!
Nice to hear back from you, I am still in the working it out phase, although now that i have started to inject insulin (real hard to mentally get around), I think I am feeling better, but thanks for looking out........my comp. was down for a little while so I could not get back as fast as i wanted to but i am so grateful to everyone for there help and support .........Trolleater
Hi I am glad you are getting your Dm under control and you are talking to doc about treatment for hepc. Good luck. take care of your health
Got some bad news today, the ultrasound found an 8mm mass in liver. I have appt for a blood test to check for cancer and an mri to get a better look, I also have appt at end of week with the hep c nurse, the one that does the treatment, to go over all of this, dont really know what is going to happen and feeling very scared, and to be honest except for this site I feel alone...
WIll follow up once I have more info.... brighter side blood sugar was down to 205 this morning although i have had to up the insulin every three days...
WIll follow up once I have more info.... brighter side blood sugar was down to 205 this morning although i have had to up the insulin every three days...
OMG! I am so sorry to hear this. Does this mean all the things you were feeling before were symptoms? Is there such a thing as a benign mass on the liver? What kind of mass? When will you know? I am sorry I should have Googled all this before asking but seriously this is a response for the amazing Hector or Bill or Will. Maybe even Pooh. You seriously hang in there since you are not alone.
Sorry for any error since I am on my rinky-dink cell phone. I hope there are more posts offering insight and support when I get home.
This is really an amazing turn of events given the start of your post and all the subsequent comments. It is obvious none of us were expecting this so I can imagine how incredibly overwhelmed you must be right now. I know this won't be easy but try not to freak and imagine the worst or let your imagination take over. You really need more information right now. Stay strong and keep in touch as often as you can.
Sorry for any error since I am on my rinky-dink cell phone. I hope there are more posts offering insight and support when I get home.
This is really an amazing turn of events given the start of your post and all the subsequent comments. It is obvious none of us were expecting this so I can imagine how incredibly overwhelmed you must be right now. I know this won't be easy but try not to freak and imagine the worst or let your imagination take over. You really need more information right now. Stay strong and keep in touch as often as you can.
Oh Trolleater, I am sorry to hear this. Of course you will have to wait till you get your results back to determine what is actually is, but we do have a member who has Liver Cancer, Hector, he is very knowledgable about the whole subject and has great advice to offer. Hopefully he will pop in, but if not, you may want to private message him.
actually I am still feeling very poor, extremely tired all the time, did manage to get a little work out in this morning (lifting weights, cardiocycle,), also got lawn mowed, running out of vacation time at work and I have a physically and mentally draining job, not real sure how I will handle the added stress, but I see other people here have coped so I am sure I will figure it out, probably be easier If I was a lottery winner but Im just one of the declining middle class, so of course the added strain of paying all the bills wont help any but, it is what it is..... any suggestions for handling the stress of all this *preferably without medications)... what do others do in this situation ?
Do not know for sure it is cancer, so trying to be positive .....not easy...
Do not know for sure it is cancer, so trying to be positive .....not easy...
I'm SO sorry to hear of this unexpected development, and so sorry that you are still feeling so crummy too, but the good news is that you are still making an effort to remain positive. Good for you! Hang in there — we will all be rooting for you in this battle, and sending all our best wishes and hopes.
After reading my last post I hope no one thought that i meant financially I am not in that kind of a bind, I was tired at end of night and did not mean for it to sound that way. The question I was asking for is when your in this situation (being sick all the time), what things do you find relieve in???
Once again I am sorry if anyone thought I meant financially, I sure we all have that burden...
If you take a troll and dip it in chocolate they are great for valentines day
jut be sure to use non sweet chocolate (trolls are sweet on their own)
Once again I am sorry if anyone thought I meant financially, I sure we all have that burden...
If you take a troll and dip it in chocolate they are great for valentines day
jut be sure to use non sweet chocolate (trolls are sweet on their own)
I didn't get that impression from you. Not anymore than the majority of us who struggle in these financially difficult time. Even if you had meant that you were in a bind, I don't think anyone would think any less of you. I certainly wouldn't.
What I picked up was a lot of concern for your health situation and a desire to be supportive of you during this period.
Take good care.
What I picked up was a lot of concern for your health situation and a desire to be supportive of you during this period.
Take good care.
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Hopefully you’re connecting with either a GI or hepatologist next week. If you haven’t had a liver biopsy for four years, they might recommend another to see if fibrosis (scarring) has progressed. They’ll also probably order blood tests; CBC, compressive metabolic panel, etc. In fact, you might want to call their office today and see if they want to order labs in advance of your appointment next week; that way you could go over these with the doctor.
With liver enzymes elevated like that it’s likely you have some activity going on, but it’s hard to draw any conclusions based on those results. The other tests mentioned above might offer more diagnostic data.
Do you know what genotype, or strain of HCV you have? There have been advances in HCV management over the past few years; there are adjunctive drugs added to the original interferon/ribavirin that are make treatment more effective for select genotypes.
Good luck, and let us know how the appointment goes. Keep eating those nasty trolls-
--Bill