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HEP C testing

D

DoctorMolecule

Bluelighter
Joined
Feb 23, 2012
Messages
732
I'm getting tested from possible exposure last march 3rd, share your experiences if you feel comfortable
All aspects open, maybe a Hep C mega thread mods?
 
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Testing is always scary, but it is AWESOME to hear you are going to get it done!

Where are you having it done? Many family physicians don't really know what they're doing with this kind of thing. For a number of reasons actually, it is best to get it done at a harm reduction based clinic like those associated with needle exchanges.

At the end of the day, treatment for this condition has progressed very far since the days of just having Interferon. No matter how you cut it, having HCV is nothing like a death sentence, not at all. Especially if you are able to start living a healthier lifestyle and go a bit easier on your liver generally, you will live to a ripe old, normal, healthy stinking age ;)

I myself have HCV, but I am one of those lucky ones who didn't need to receive medical treatment and, as long as I continue to forgo drinking myself to death or otherwise beating my liver up too badly, I should continue to stay in remission for the rest of my days. The count is low enough to be undetectable. I just make sure to get it checked regularly. Well, that and not continue to share gear (needles, pipes, cottons, cookers, anything that comes in contact with bodily fluids/blood) - it is possible to get infected with a different genotype even after your body has rejected a particular one, so it's a pretty good motivation to keep sober even then.

p.s. Make sure you get tested for HIV too. Specifically request it. There is NEVER a reason not to. <3
 
Sorry if this is hijacking, bit i guess it might help the OP.

How can you be in remission from hepatitis? Is the virus still there? Why doesn't it matter anymore when in remission? Can you get rid of it completely?

I've been wondering this for a while after things I've read on here.
 
What do you mean by remission from hep? Are you talking about when a person tests positive to the hep c virus and then a few years later test negative to the hep c virus but the said person as had no treatment for hepatitis? I know it is technically possible for a person to clear the hepatitis C naturally.

I had Hepatitis C interferon treatment back in 2008 at a liver Clinic with a Specialist Doctor and i know even though i have cleared the Hep C virus my blood tests still come back positive for Hepatitis C but the viral load test is way lower compared to before i did the interferon treatment. Not too mention my liver function tests are now within a healthy range. Before my treatment my liver function tests were off the charts as i was a daily drinker of beer and if i had not gotten the interferon treatment when i did i would more than likely be either dead now or dying slowly from cirrhosis of the liver.

As toothpaste-dog says Hepatitis C isn't the death sentence it once was and the treatment options available now really are remarkable.
 
Boku_ said:
What do you mean by remission from hep? Are you talking about when a person tests positive to the hep c virus and then a few years later test negative to the hep c virus but the said person as had no treatment for hepatitis? I know it is technically possible for a person to clear the hepatitis C naturally.
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Precisely.

My viral load was really moderately high when I first found out about it (I had been taking a lot of Vicodin around that time, back when they still had the 5mg hydrocodone/500mg APAP formulation here in the US), but then I started taking better care of myself health wise. I got lucky and monitored it ever six months. Two years later it was undetectable.

I still get tested though. As long as I'm around any kind of syringes or pipes, I'll be getting tested. It isn't a worry, just a part of the physical I get done each year. Preventative healthcare is really important if you want to have a fun, healthy life.

The best part is that, at least in states where it is available, testing is essentially free through needle exchanges.

Go out and learn about what your local harm reduction network offers IRL! Needle exchanges can be pretty awesome places with lots of opportunities. Involving yourself to save your life - and if not your own, someone else's <3
 
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DoctorMolecule said:
I'm getting tested from possible exposure last march 3rd, share your experiences if you feel comfortable
Click to expand...

I received a positive test result for Hepititas C in 2006 and at the time I didn't know what to think. I was a functioning Alcohol that drank daily and it was only the fact i was on medication like Lithium for mental illness that i even got tested in the first place as when on lithium you need to do liver function tests and as you would think my liver function tests were off the charts due to having Hepatitis C and drinking 4-6 glasses of beer a day. Anyway being the reckless person i am that doesn't have the intelligence to manage consequential thinking i continued to drink beer daily but the one good thing my Doctor done for me was put my name down on the waiting list for a liver Doctor specialist at my local hospital.

After waiting about 6-8 months i finally got a letter with an appointment from the liver Clinic at my local hospital and thankfully after many blood tests and appointments with the liver specialist i was told my Hepatitis C strain was treatable with the interferon method of treatment. I will always remember the lady who was the liver specialist telling me " your lucky we can get rid of it"

It took about 12 months from the first time i was tested for hep C till the time i was ready to start my 6 month interferon treatment and while i had a agreement with the Doctor treating me i would only consume one beer a day to keep my liver functions down being the dumbass i was i drank a fair bit more than one standard drink a day.

As for the side affects from the interferon it was hell on earth! okay not that bad but the once weekly injection in the stomach would make you feel nauseous and as sick as a dog with a upset stomach and loss of appetite. The best way to describe the side affects from interferon treatment is that you feel like you have a bad dose of the flu with similar symptoms like when you become run down with a cold. You know shivering with a runny nose and feeling run down with a cold aching fragile sore body.

Before i started the treatment the doctor told me about the flu like side affects but it would be worth persevering with the interferon treatment because the success rate for clearing the hep C virus with this treatment was quite good. And in the end after the 6 months of treatment things came good and my doctor's attempt to clear the hepatitis virus was a success.

All in all it was a two year period from when i first got diagnosed with Hep C till when i had finished the treatment and waiting 6 months after the treatment to get the all clear as there are many hurdles to over come with interferon treatment. First you need to have blood tests to establishe if the strain of hep you have is treatable. Then the liver specialist needs to get the ok from your local doctor that it's ok for you to withstand the harsh side affects from the treatment. As well as Flu like side affects there are possible psychological side affects like depression or anxiety from interferon. Then you need to have a blood test every month while having the treatment. Then finally after the treatment has stopped you need to test 6 months after completion if the treatment was a success or not and the viral load is down and your liver function tests have returned to a healthy level.

DoctorMolecule if you require treatment for hep c i would do it over the spring-summer months. i don't know what the newer treatments are like and maybe the side affects for the latest treatments are not as harsh on the body as the interferon i did but it was pure luck for me that it worked out i did the treatment over the spring-summer months.

I will say i was quite lucky to clear the virus when i did because i was told back in 2008 before i started treatment that 2/3 of Hepatitis C infections can be treated with interferon and of those cases that can be treated there is a 80 percent success rate of getting rid of the virus after treatment. I heard now the latest treatments can treat 95 percent of hep C cases and they now have a 98 percent success rate of getting rid of the virus after treatment.

Overall i am just lucky to live in a Country like Australia that has universal health care and i really should thank the team of Doctors and case managers at Melbourne Health as well as the Doctors and staff at the Royal Melbourne Hospital liver clinic who's devotion to providing me with proper health care was priceless.
 
Boku_ said:
As toothpaste-dog says Hepatitis C isn't the death sentence it once was and the treatment options available now really are remarkable.
Click to expand...

That's right, there's a treatment and you can do it over again if you don't get it cleared off of your system. The side effects can be tricky to deal with for longer periods of time, but treatable in most cases as far as I know.

As from the year 2000, treatments involved interferon, injected once a week for almost one year plus huge doses of Ribavirin. And, depending on what subtype you have or used to have chances of early success can be even more interesting.

Some treatments are expensive and the side effects can be pretty annoying for sometime. I guess that the most important thing is that you stay totally off alcohol and drugs so to avoid fibrosis and liver problems. It's much more difficult to get 'cured' if you aren't sober. But back to the issue here, yes one can have a totally normal life. It takes too many years for the virus to kill someone who haven't been treated, but again we never know for how long you have had the virus and how you liver biopsy results show.
 
toothpastedog said:
Precisely.

My viral load was really moderately high when I first found out about it (I had been taking a lot of Vicodin around that time, back when they still had the 5mg hydrocodone/500mg APAP formulation here in the US), but then I started taking better care of myself health wise. I got lucky and monitored it ever six months. Two years later it was undetectable.

I still get tested though. As long as I'm around any kind of syringes or pipes, I'll be getting tested. It isn't a worry, just a part of the physical I get done each year. Preventative healthcare is really important if you want to have a fun, healthy life.


<3
Click to expand...

Exactly. Prevention is the best cure. Seeing as i like to drink beer regularly I aim to have two days a week that are alcohol free (Doctors orders) I also try to have a blood test every 3 to 6 months to measure my liver function and make sure everything is in order. My Doctor preforms a whole host of blood test for me every 6 months ranging from STD/HIV tests to kidney disease and type two diabetes tests as well as checking my viral load to make sure the hepatitis C hasn't returned.
 
That is a fantastic standard Boku_! Thank you for letting us use you as an example of what to do in terms of taking care of yourself. A positive example, I dare say :)
 
The only problem I see with doing exams every 3 or 6 months if you have beaten your condition is that it could make life a bit neurotic. This is of course my point of view only. I have been through phases like this and it was making me so worrisome that on the next exam something could be different. If you have a healthy way of life and are not exposed to getting it back perhaps it's best to let it go. Or do exams not as often. It's so stressing and most of the times there's only a variation of levels.
 
I'm getting he c tested on the 28th. Scary.
 
Congratulations cj! AH! I am SO proud of you :D <3 That is an awesome step, a sign you are really on the right track to getting healthy(/ier).

Just keep in mind that, while it is definitely scary, it is so much better to catch the thing before the viral load gets too high. Plus, if you do have it and the viral load hasn't gotten too high, there is a good chance you can prevent it from increasing by simply refraining from stressing your organs (like your liver, etc) with excessive/certain types of drug use and stress.
 
Erikmen said:
That's right, there's a treatment and you can do it over again if you don't get it cleared off of your system. The side effects can be tricky to deal with for longer periods of time, but treatable in most cases as far as I know.

As from the year 2000, treatments involved interferon, injected once a week for almost one year plus huge doses of Ribavirin. And, depending on what subtype you have or used to have chances of early success can be even more interesting.

Some treatments are expensive and the side effects can be pretty annoying for sometime. I guess that the most important thing is that you stay totally off alcohol and drugs so to avoid fibrosis and liver problems. It's much more difficult to get 'cured' if you aren't sober. But back to the issue here, yes one can have a totally normal life. It takes too many years for the virus to kill someone who haven't been treated, but again we never know for how long you have had the virus and how you liver biopsy results show.
Click to expand...
Since 2013 better treatments are available. I'm just gonna listen to some good HR advice and continue to not drink
 
Erikmen said:
That's right, there's a treatment and you can do it over again if you don't get it cleared off of your system. The side effects can be tricky to deal with for longer periods of time, but treatable in most cases as far as I know.

As from the year 2000, treatments involved interferon, injected once a week for almost one year plus huge doses of Ribavirin. And, depending on what subtype you have or used to have chances of early success can be even more interesting.

Some treatments are expensive and the side effects can be pretty annoying for sometime. I guess that the most important thing is that you stay totally off alcohol and drugs so to avoid fibrosis and liver problems. It's much more difficult to get 'cured' if you aren't sober. But back to the issue here, yes one can have a totally normal life. It takes too many years for the virus to kill someone who haven't been treated, but again we never know for how long you have had the virus and how you liver biopsy results show.
Click to expand...
toothpastedog said:
Along with getting tested, that sounds like a great plan of action!
Click to expand...
toothpastedog said:
Oh nice one! I take it you came back negative? I'm glad to hear that :)
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Got to wait another 5 days.
HIV negative, so the big worry is lifted
 
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