Hep C

[lovelyavacado]

so i was curious, and there aren't a ton of places that i can comfortably discuss the scary things that have happened to me because of my irresponsible drug use...

i managed to get HCV, i'm about 100% positive who i got it from, but that doesn't help one bit.

i was wondering about you other IV drug users, have any of you gotten hep c, and how has it effected you? are you receiving treatment, or have you in the past?

 

[dokomo]

I'm so sorry to hear that this has happened to you

I'm going to move this over to Healthy Living, I think you'll get better responses there.

 

[lovelyavacado]

okie doke..

i suppose i put it here because i associate getting hep c through drug use with needles, and i associate needles with OD.

 

[MemphisX3]

so i was curious, and there aren't a ton of places that i can comfortably discuss the scary things that have happened to me because of my irresponsible drug use...

i managed to get HCV, i'm about 100% positive who i got it from, but that doesn't help one bit.

i was wondering about you other IV drug users, have any of you gotten hep c, and how has it effected you? are you receiving treatment, or have you in the past?

I learned I had Hep-C after I got a blood test done for my back surgery. In the back of my head I was almost positive I had it but didn't want to face it. My liver readings were completely normal and my doctor didn't really stress me seeking a specialist. I'm still not ready to face it tbqh. Only about 4 people irl know I have it. I'm cetrtainly not ready for the social stigma aspect of it, that's for sure. You need to start doing things alot different my friend. You are now a walking disease, and what I mean by that is you need be extremely careful about alot of things. DO NOT let anyone use your toothbrush, DO NOT let anyone use a razor after you. If you get a scratch, BE EXTRA CAREFUL if you bleed. ALSO THE WORST THING YOU CAN DO IS DRINK ALCOHOL. I know this and I still do it but I think it's obvious my lifestyle hasn't exactly been concentrating on my health.

I know it's a tough pill to swallow but it is no longer a death sentence. While I have probably had it for 2-3 years I still have yet to feel extreme physical effects. You will also get a call from your local Health Department and you will need to register with them. It's extremely embarassing but it happens.

How long do you think you have had it?

My doctor said that if it is a prgressive strain then I will need to go thru interfuron treatment, which to my understanding is almost like chemo-therapy. I am certainly not ready for that. He also mentioned that if you go thru Interfuron early enough in the disease (1-5 after getting hep-C) there is a greate chance that it will destroy the disease altogether.

It's a shitty thing to think about, I know, and even shittier when you know you got it from some douchebag who was just that, A DOUCHEBAG. If you have any questions or just need to talk you can PM me.

 

[dokomo]

I don't have Hepatitis C personally, but I do know a little about its treatment.

The good news is, a lot of people respond well to treatment and lifestyle changes that can keep the infection under control. Its important to faithfully take medication and see your doctor so that he can chart your progress and give you a prognosis based on your own response and factors such as the specific genotype of the virus that you have.

Common medications are ribavirin and interferon, both of which are antiviral drugs that interefere with the hepatitis C virus and slow down its progression.

You've probably been told this, but you shouldn't drink alcohol at all for the sake of your liver. A general healthy lifestyle, including enough sleep and a decent diet will help you as well. Supporting the health of your liver is the most important thing right now.

I don't know if you are still addicted to drugs, but if you are, I would strongly encourage you to get into a treatment program and leave them behind for your own sake.

 

[lovelyavacado]

actually, i am addicted to drugs again. i found out i had hep c when i was in a methadone maintenance program when they did the blood tests and i finally got my results. i'm pretty sure ive had it for about 2-3 years.

i know this is bad, but im unemployed, dont have any type of insurance, and columbus doesnt have any good sort of clinic services, they kind of hate heroin addicts here...

soooo, long story short, i dont have a doctor.

i have almost identical feelings, memphis, about facing the seriousness of the stigma of the disease. almost no one in my "regular person life" knows that i have it, but i make sure to tell anyone who i'm using with that i'm positive for it. i dont wanna be that jerk who accidentally infects their friends. especially since thats what happened to me,

i know i should go see a doctor and get tested, and maybe even try out treatment, but i know that almost all the cases of HCV in america are strain 1, and thats the one that responds the worst to the treatment that makes you weak and nauseated... i dunno. for someone who's relapsed, it just isnt my first priority. i know i should take better care of myself, but i havnt yet... pretty much the opposite so far. i need to kick the dope again, and then maybe i'll grow the damn balls to go to a doctor for this..

 

[MemphisX3]

actually, i am addicted to drugs again. i found out i had hep c when i was in a methadone maintenance program when they did the blood tests and i finally got my results. i'm pretty sure ive had it for about 2-3 years.

i know this is bad, but im unemployed, dont have any type of insurance, and columbus doesnt have any good sort of clinic services, they kind of hate heroin addicts here...

soooo, long story short, i dont have a doctor.

i have almost identical feelings, memphis, about facing the seriousness of the stigma of the disease. almost no one in my "regular person life" knows that i have it, but i make sure to tell anyone who i'm using with that i'm positive for it. i dont wanna be that jerk who accidentally infects their friends. especially since thats what happened to me,

i know i should go see a doctor and get tested, and maybe even try out treatment, but i know that almost all the cases of HCV in america are strain 1, and thats the one that responds the worst to the treatment that makes you weak and nauseated... i dunno. for someone who's relapsed, it just isnt my first priority. i know i should take better care of myself, but i havnt yet... pretty much the opposite so far. i need to kick the dope again, and then maybe i'll grow the damn balls to go to a doctor for this..

i know exactly how you feel. im not even sure what strain mine is. like i said before my liver functions and enzymes are completely normal. im praying i have the strain that stay dormant but i know i will have to see a specialist to make sure.

its going to take some courage to go thru it all and maybe you should research free clinics in your area. atleast find out what your live funtions and enzyme count is...

 

[lovelyavacado]

i know i should, and i know i'm probably not going to until i'm clean again... bleh. my priorities are shit when i'm stuck on dope. i make bad decisions even when i know theyre bad, but being desperate changes your priorities. there are only two free clinics here, really, and they both suck for hep c.

but yeah, it's scary.

one of the worst parts for me is that when i started using i said to myself, "if i ever get something, i have to make myself stop."

and here i am, relapsed, knowing that i caught hep c...
it's just disappointing, i cant even keep my own promises to myself.. bleh. drug addiction sucks, as we all know.

dope really screws me over. hep c+ AND a needle stuck in my arm probably forever. gotta love it.

 

[Katapult]

one of my closest friends got diagnosed with it a few years ago, thing is me and my other friends never did any drug that involves injections, but well we kinda shared everything else like drinks, bongs, things to sniff through, even shavers after long party nights.

turned out that he had it probably over 10 years and got it from an operation in russia when he was quite little. however, he has a dorment (is that the right word) kind. its there but not active, also his liver stats and stuff are fine and Nobody of us friends got infected, also not his girlfriend. thing was that we were the first ones he talked to cause he was concerned that he infected all his friends.
considering all this we have been quite lucky!

I am really sorry for you that you dont live somewhere where you can just go to a doc and get help.

 

[lovelyavacado]

yeah, ohio keeps arresting the people who try putting up needle exchanges. god forbid we try and keep disease down. youve gotta have a prescription to buy new rigs at a pharmacy at most of the bigger ones. its ridiculous.

 

[PureLife]

I was infected with HVC about three years ago. Went on combination drug treatment. InterferonXRibosphere. Was on it for . . . . 50 weeks and then went into remission. I pretty much live a normal life with HepC. I have never infected anyone through sex, seeing that its really not possible to infect unless you have some open wound on your genitals. But still, be cautious with your sexual partners to some extent. Good luck.


Edit: Go to a doctor and get tested

 

[dokomo]

actually, i am addicted to drugs again. i found out i had hep c when i was in a methadone maintenance program when they did the blood tests and i finally got my results. i'm pretty sure ive had it for about 2-3 years.

i know this is bad, but im unemployed, dont have any type of insurance, and columbus doesnt have any good sort of clinic services, they kind of hate heroin addicts here...

soooo, long story short, i dont have a doctor.

i have almost identical feelings, memphis, about facing the seriousness of the stigma of the disease. almost no one in my "regular person life" knows that i have it, but i make sure to tell anyone who i'm using with that i'm positive for it. i dont wanna be that jerk who accidentally infects their friends. especially since thats what happened to me,

i know i should go see a doctor and get tested, and maybe even try out treatment, but i know that almost all the cases of HCV in america are strain 1, and thats the one that responds the worst to the treatment that makes you weak and nauseated... i dunno. for someone who's relapsed, it just isnt my first priority. i know i should take better care of myself, but i havnt yet... pretty much the opposite so far. i need to kick the dope again, and then maybe i'll grow the damn balls to go to a doctor for this..

I don't know about their quality, but there is more than one place in columbus to be seen by a doctor for free, which I have listed here:

NSFW:

Clinic at Faith Mission
315 E. Long Street
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614.224.6617

Columbus Free Clinic
2231 N. High St.
Columbus, Ohio 43212
614.404.8417

Helping Hands Health & Wellness Center
1421 Morse Road
Columbus, Ohio 43229
614.262.5094

Columbus Medical Association Physicians Free Clinic/Voluntary Care Network
240 Parsons Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43215
614.240.7430

Vineyard Free Health Clinics
6000 Cooper Road
Westerville, Ohio 43081
171 E. 5th Avenue (Wednesday)
Columbus, Ohio 43201
614.259.5428

Xenos Free Clinics
40 N. Chicago Avenue (Tuesday)
Columbus, Ohio 43222
1934 N. Fourth Street (Monday)
Columbus, Ohio 43201
614.823.6510 x840

The reaction that you and memphis have described is common when someone gets that kind of news--its essentially a type of denial. Avoiding dealing with it until its causing problems so bad in your life that you can't avoid it. The bad part is, by that time your options have narrowed.

Right now you're dealing with a world of unknowns--the condition of your illness, what strain it is, etc. Its easy to assume the worst when you don't have the actual facts in front of you, so my sincerest advice is to get these facts!!

Check out the free clinics I listed above. In addition to testing and prescribing the medication, they can hook you up with patient assistance programs for the companies that make interferon and ribavirin if needed. I'd also suggest getting back into a methadone or suboxone program.

Just take things a day at a time, and focus on making steps to positively improve your life. The resources are out there, you just have to seek them out!

 

[PriestTheyCalledHim]

I'm sorry to hear that you have hep C. I have friends that got it from IV drug use and I know others who got it from having sex either from rimming or unprotected anal sex.

Go see a doctor and find out if you can get on treatment as not everyone can.

 

[Dr Pepper]

I caught it late august this year, accidentally used this douches' rig . Long story and if you wanted to read about it you can check my thread: http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=520460

Im genotype 1a or 1b, forgot which. Its the bad one though.
My liver enzymes were wayyyy high, like AST ALT over 1000. Began treatment about 3 months after the day im confident i contracted it, so in november.
I do my 7th injection this wednesday. Treating with pegasys 180mcg/week and ribivarin 800mg per day.
Viral load was like 1.3 millon copies/ml pretreatment.
After 4 weeks i had a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to check viral levels, and they were UNDETECTABLE. So thats really good news and it gives me a good prognosis. I really hope i can beat this thing.
Going to be treating for 24 weeks total.
Note that i am treating the disease in the "acute" phase, which gives me a better chance than chronic (6 months +)

But theres lots of hope for anybody with the virus.. Read into telaprevir, increases cure rates from around 50% to something like 80%. And it should be approved this year. The disease is beatable and although treatment sucks, HCV is a nasty virus and you dont want to pass it on to anybody.

It sucks and ive had to make excuses to some friends and bullshit about why i cant drink and stuff. I say im on antibiotics or other bullshit.. some other people i have came clean to and confided in.

Well good luck to you all and ill check back and answer any questions i can!
edit: check http://hcvadvocate.blogspot.com/ it has updates frequently on hcv news and stuff

 

[PureLife]

I caught it late august this year, accidentally used this douches' rig . Long story and if you wanted to read about it you can check my thread: http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?t=520460

Im genotype 1a or 1b, forgot which. Its the bad one though.
My liver enzymes were wayyyy high, like AST ALT over 1000. Began treatment about 3 months after the day im confident i contracted it, so in november.
I do my 7th injection this wednesday. Treating with pegasys 180mcg/week and ribivarin 800mg per day.
Viral load was like 1.3 millon copies/ml pretreatment.
After 4 weeks i had a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to check viral levels, and they were UNDETECTABLE. So thats really good news and it gives me a good prognosis. I really hope i can beat this thing.
Going to be treating for 24 weeks total.
Note that i am treating the disease in the "acute" phase, which gives me a better chance than chronic (6 months +)

But theres lots of hope for anybody with the virus.. Read into telaprevir, increases cure rates from around 50% to something like 80%. And it should be approved this year. The disease is beatable and although treatment sucks, HCV is a nasty virus and you dont want to pass it on to anybody.

It sucks and ive had to make excuses to some friends and bullshit about why i cant drink and stuff. I say im on antibiotics or other bullshit.. some other people i have came clean to and confided in.

Well good luck to you all and ill check back and answer any questions i can!
edit: check http://hcvadvocate.blogspot.com/ it has updates frequently on hcv news and stuff

I'm curious as to why you would start treatment only three months into finding out you had hepatitis? I started treatment probably. . . a year into finding out I had it. But the wait was largely due to an unhealthy lifestyle ( drug us). I'm also in remission from treatment, was basically on the same dose for each drug your on. Drink lots of water ha.

 

[Dr Pepper]

I'm curious as to why you would start treatment only three months into finding out you had hepatitis? I started treatment probably. . . a year into finding out I had it. But the wait was largely due to an unhealthy lifestyle ( drug us). I'm also in remission from treatment, was basically on the same dose for each drug your on. Drink lots of water ha.

Acute hepatitis C is easier to beat than chronic.
Also, i didnt want my liver to sustain damage and i wanted to hopefully be done with this disease as soon as possible.

 

[PureLife]

Acute hepatitis C is easier to beat than chronic.
Also, i didnt want my liver to sustain damage and i wanted to hopefully be done with this disease as soon as possible.

Well its good to hear you take care of yourself well. I just completed 52 weeks of therapy about a month ago. Everyone reacts differently to Interferon therapies obviously, but my reaction was manageable.

 

[MemphisX3]

everyone i know that has gone thru interferon treatments says it is complete hell. they tell me that its like having the flu x 100, that it leaves you extremely tired, nauseous, and just makes you feel shitty.


i know i have to confront the problem with a vengence sooner or later, as another poster said, im pretty much in denial. there have been SOOOOOOOOOOOOO many things going on in my life that i simply dont have the physical (had 12 vertebrae fused 8 months ago) emotional (i will spare you those details) or mental strength to confront it right now.

 

[Dr Pepper]

Its not too bad so far for me. Did my 7th injection today, so 1/4 of the way through. If you haven't caught the disease in the acute phase (1st 6 months of infection) i would advise waiting until the new drugs come out later this year. Purelife, the new drugs also increase response rate SIGNIFICANTLY in people who previously relapsed so i'd look into it if you were up for another round of TX to kill the hep.

 

[droogz]

can hep c be past on through sex?Or is it only through blood.

Also there is a supplement out there what alot of bodybuilders take to protect there liver when there on the juice,its called Liv52 maybe it could help some of you guys.