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Blood Test Questions

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opi8

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Joined
May 21, 2010
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As an IV user, I want to get tested for any blood-borne viruses, primarily Hep C.

Do I have to be specific with what I want to be tested for? For example, most importantly I want to be tested for Hep C. Do I need to ask for Hep B, Liver Function, Other Thing, Another Doohickey, Etc. or can I simply ask my doctor to test me for "everything", or maybe everything that is common for those who inject their drugs?

This is probably a question for my GP, but I'm just an anxious wreck when I speak to doctors and forget everything I mean to ask them before I get in and speak to them.
 
Just go to a GP and say 'hey I shoot up drugs, can you test me for Hep C, HIV, liver function and anything else that seems relevant.'

Doctors are big on testing IV drug users because they assume we're all disease riddled homeless criminals, so you shouldn't have a problem.
 
^ This. Once he knows that you are at risk for these blood borne pathogens, he will know which ones you should be tested for.

I've been studying retroviruses lately, I find them very interesting and I read with interest how there are a few million people in the world infected with something called Human T-lymphotropic Virus-I (HTLV-I). It was the first human retrovirus discovered (by Robert Gallo, who was also controversially involved in the search for, and discovery of, HIV). You probably wouldn't know if you were infected with it, and it has a long latency period similar to HIV but can cause certain types of leukemia and has an immunosuppressant effect similar to HIV as well.

It's commonly transmitted among those sharing needles, but it is hardly ever tested for as it is considered not worthwhile looking for, and it is believed there are probably less people infected with this then with HIV. There are probably more of these types of viruses out there as well, that we don't know about yet, that are involved in cancer or other diseases and are transmitted through sharing needles, unsafe sex or mother-to-child. That's part of the reason it's a good idea not to share needles; there is a lot out there you can get. It's believed that a whole heap of the human genome is actually composed of 'junk' information that was contributed by retroviruses long, long ago.
 
opi8 said:
As an IV user, I want to get tested for any blood-borne viruses, primarily Hep C.

This is probably a question for my GP, but I'm just an anxious wreck when I speak to doctors and forget everything I mean to ask them before I get in and speak to them.
Click to expand...

I recently though I had Hep C (not from IV transmission). I had all the symptoms i.e. extreme fatigue, inflamed liver etc etc. Except for the yellow shit, and jaundice. Turned out it was glandular fever.

that said it took forever to find a doctor who was willing to do the blood test. Go to a CBD doctor. They're happy for a wham bam thank you madam type consultation. All of my family GP's basically said nada to doing the blood test stating quite rightly that i had a viral infection that was that.

Went to a city GP and said that I was sick of not knowing and explained that I knew three people who had had either hep b or C.

pretty much within seconds he had the form out and within 2 days I knew what I had. also told the GP i was a user for good measure. by god that GP was shocked. As if I was the first ever guy in a suit to admit to mainlining smack to him
 
^ That's pretty poor of the doctor to not give you a blood test for Hep C, especially if you have reason to believe you were at risk of being exposed... was the doctor aware that you were at risk of exposure?

My doctor gave me a blood test for Hep C to test if I had maybe been infected after I accidentally used my father's razor a few times (he has Hep C).
 
chugs said:
that said it took forever to find a doctor who was willing to do the blood test. Go to a CBD doctor. They're happy for a wham bam thank you madam type consultation. All of my family GP's basically said nada to doing the blood test stating quite rightly that i had a viral infection that was that.
Click to expand...

I'm really surprised you had trouble getting the blood test because IME the doc usually asks me if I want one every time I go in, and they can be quite forceful even when I explain I haven't had any exposure since the last test. Even though I don't IV I guess they see drug user and assume I'm lying, and this:

Crankinit said:
Doctors are big on testing IV drug users because they assume we're all disease riddled homeless criminals
Click to expand...

But I agree you should just mention you're an IV user and would like to be tested for blood borne diseases.
 
Even though I don't IV I guess they see drug user and assume I'm lying, and this:
Click to expand...

This one used to piss me off big time. Way back before I'd even touched on opiate or seen a needle, I had a doctor who'd constantly nag me to get tested for shit. At the time I was into the rave scene, where pretty much nobody IV's, had never even seen it done, etc. But he refused to believe me, then started going on about how I might have pricked myself on a dirty needle at a club or some shit :|

Because, you know, night clubs always have dirty fits lying around on the couches and it's really easy to smuggle an IV kit into music festivals...

So many doctors are so fucking clueless about the drug scene, which would be fine except they think that a few years of med school and some technical knowledge means more than someone who's lived in the scene for years. Rote knowledge from text books is great when treating an acute OD or whatever, but it doesn't mean shit when it comes to actually understanding drug users and the culture in general.
 
hmmmmmmmmmm...

I thought we are all scrungy dirty needle sharing hepC loving ravers that loves doing drugs and listen to TECHNO?????


or is that just me?
:(
 
The grotty state of bongs I have seen in many ravers lounge rooms at 4am means it isn't that silly to be honest. Anything where you are sharing spit and blood is a high risk.
 
opi8 said:
As an IV user, I want to get tested for any blood-borne viruses, primarily Hep C.

Do I have to be specific with what I want to be tested for? For example, most importantly I want to be tested for Hep C. Do I need to ask for Hep B, Liver Function, Other Thing, Another Doohickey, Etc. or can I simply ask my doctor to test me for "everything", or maybe everything that is common for those who inject their drugs?

This is probably a question for my GP, but I'm just an anxious wreck when I speak to doctors and forget everything I mean to ask them before I get in and speak to them.
Click to expand...

well hepatitis can be transferred through sex right? just tell your doctor that your a pimp n have alot of sex with dif people or somthin.....i need to go get myself checked comming back from thailand.have been sick as fuck for close to 2 weeks now :sus:
 
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Busty St Clare said:
The grotty state of bongs I have seen in many ravers lounge rooms at 4am means it isn't that silly to be honest. Anything where you are sharing spit and blood is a high risk.
Click to expand...

Sharing a bong is no riskier than sharing a drink. You make it sound like people slobber all over the thing and leave it drenched in drool.
 
The risk of contracting Hep C via sex is really low (less than 3% ). Next time you sit down and have a bong with a mate, ask him if his gums bleed when he flosses or brushes his teeth. Also I wouldn't share even a spliff with someone with cracked or bleeding lips (pretty common when you are doofing for three days). Any amount of blood in your saliva is a risk. There are plenty of Hep C patients out there who are not IV users and have no idea how they contracted it. Plenty more don't even know they have it, it can remain symptom free for years.

Sharing straws (or rolled up $50 note ) is also a high risk practice. Irritation of the highly vascular nasal region causes micro bleeding and also an increase in mucous production that both can transmit viruses. HIV is a lot more difficult to transmit, I would be more concerned with Hep C.
 
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