• HEALTH & RECOVERY
    Welcome Guest
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules Thread Directory 1 Thread Directory 2
    Mindfulness Links Addiction & Mind
    Sober Living Partner Program (SLiPP)
  • H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist | cdin | Lil'LinaptkSix

Hepatitis C

Status
Not open for further replies.
Emily

Emily

Bluelighter
Joined
Sep 22, 2000
Messages
531
I found out I contracted Hep C from sharing needles when I was 19. I'm now 23.


Anyone know of any good websites with in-depth hepatitis C information, or anyone else have personal experience? The whole thing still confuses me. Even my doctor can't make it clear or not. I guess I may be looking for an answer only time will tell me but I'd like to read some information on it so I'll be a little more educated.
 
^i dont know much about hep C - ive had hep B from sharing IV equipment, which woke me up really before i caught the nasty one, thank god
however i know many ppl at NA, plus a close friend, hav hep C
my close friend is having interferon treatment - apparently this is brutal, can b compared to chemotherapy, but can actually cure u of the disease
try googling 'interferon' and see wat u find
sorry i cant b of more help to u
 
I've had it for 22 years. It is not a death sentence. virulence varies with individuals.

good website www.hepatitis-central.com all the info and a discussion board

good luck and don't jump into 'treatment' until you thoroughly check it out.
 
much love to you, im pretty much in a similar situation ~ im 23 and just heard i have hep c. sharing needles for fucks sake. im down but yea, theres a way up.

i was told about the interferon/ribovirin(?) treatment and i havent got a clue what to do now.
 
My advice is to search treatment quick even though it might seem you can live with it in the long run its quite a serious problem.


My ex had hepatitis c and she was always very tired also it got her some bad eczema.

She was heading for cirhossis and she was only 33 !

even though the treatment is no cake walk (you get very tired and it can last up to 12 months with a 50% chance of curing it) in the long run it will pay off.
 
I definetly do notice fatigue. Like when I wake up in the morning my body just doesnt even want to walk to the bathroom.
 
^ I get that too. It seems to be a cardinal symptom.

The only way you can tell what shape your liver is in is to have a biopsy. I've had 2. The first was in the early 90's and it was like a medievel torture ritual. Thankfully they have improved immensely, to the point that I felt absolutely no discomfort.

Read the info on the link above. Get a referral to a gastroenterologist or a hepatologist. Ask them to do a biopsy. They can grade the severity of liver tissue damage this way. Then you can make a decision about treatment. i suggest you THOUGHLY reseach that before you go on. Especially interesting is the amount of people who flip the fuck out on interferon. I've seen it up close and personal. Check the percentage of people who drop out or have dose reductions due to psychiatric and neuropsychophysiological reasons.

I'm lucky that I have mild disease (so far) and I am waiting until they come up with something better. That is why you need to know where you stand.
 
I was 28 when I contracted mine. i know because I had symptoms of hepatitis. I those days there was no test for hep c. They tested me for hep B, told me I didn't have hepatitis, the symptoms went away so i just went cruising alone as ever for a few more years. I got clean for a spell and that was in 1991. Then they had the test developed and I found out I have hepC.

But like I said, I've had it for 22 years and have had some rough periods. I don't know if it was the dope or hepc. When I was younger it didn't bother me too much. Easpecially when I was clean. I've had a lot of sleep problems. But you need to learn to cope with it.
 
I just know I have a lot of fatigue and aching even though I've been clean for 9 months
 
I just found out i had hep c too im 23 . I have been feeling sick all the time too . Even when Im clean . I started talking vicodin for the pain in my stomach and back everyday ( instead of heroin like I used too ). Iim just hoping its not going to stay like this. I think will still have a great life regardless , I just have to stay positive , i wont let it bring me down.
 
This will probably get more responses in Healthy Living.

Hep C is NOT a death sentence. My grandfather contracted it 20 years ago and he's almost 70 and in great shape!

TDS -------------> Healthy Living
 
I was a guinea pig for the interferon/robo treatment, took it for 18 months and was sick sick sick, but it's much easier to take these days, from what I hear. Back then, one of the listed side effects was suicide! Treatment sucks today but not as bad, and even what I went through was better than a liver transplant or death! Really look into it before starting treatment, tho'. I was very sick and rather yellow, but I know people who have had the diagnosis for years with no treatment, no symptoms besides a positive blood test. Good luck and be glad it is hep c not AIDS, which also isn't the death sentence it was once upon a time.
 
This site has heaps of great info -> Hepatitis C Council of New South Wales

Also, I think it's worth knowing the course of hep c. I got this from here -> Hepatitis Australia

Research has shown that if 100 people are infected with hepatitis C, about 25 of those will clear the virus completely within two to six months of infection, but will continue to have hepatitis C antibodies in their bodies.

About 75 of the 100 people who do not clear the virus will develop ongoing (or chronic) infection and are at risk of developing cirrhosis of the liver. Of the 75 people who develop chronic hepatitis, about 20 people will not experience any noticeable illness or symptoms. However, they can still transmit the virus to others.

After an average of 15 years, between 40 and 60 of the 75 people with chronic hepatitis C will experience some symptoms and develop some liver damage.

After 20 years, between five and ten people with liver damage will develop cirrhosis. Between two and five of these people will experience liver failure or develop a form of liver cancer known as hepatocellular carcinoma.

Duration of infection is the most likely determinant of the risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Other factors which affect the progression of liver disease include:

* age when first infected;
* male gender;
* alcohol use;
* co-infection with hepatitis B virus and/or HIV; and
* obesity

There is no evidence to confirm whether genotype influences disease progression.
Click to expand...
 
Interestingly, the alleged antiviral properties of Iboga alkaloids are beginning to be investigated:

http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?IA=WO2008039179&wo=2008039179&DISPLAY=DESC

An excerpt:

In accordance with the present invention it has been surprisingly discovered that iboga alkaloids are effective in treating hepatitis C symptoms, including liver swelling, increased ALT, AST and GGT levels and to reduce HCV RNA viral counts.

The present invention thus provides methods of treating somatic complaints, reducing liver enzyme values and reducing viral load of susceptible hepatitis C in animals by administering to a subject a therapeutically effective dose of iboga alkaloids comprising one or more of ibogaine, ibogamine, tabernanthine, their nontoxic salts and/or the converted principal metabolite noribogaine in a dose and time sufficient to accomplish those effects. The present invention further provides for the administration of effective doses of the prodrug ibogaine, converted to noribogaine and producing plasma levels of ibogaine and/or noribogaine sufficient to reduce somatic complaints, liver enzyme levels and viral RNA in patients.

The present invention also provides effective doses and dose regimens of the prodrug ibogaine, its salts and therapeutic metabolites.

The present invention further provides for the administration of effective doses and dose regimens to be provided in single or multiple doses on a single day or over a period of days in therapeutically effective doses between 0.1 mg/kg and 25 mg/kg of the prodrug ibogaine, converted to noribogaine and producing plasma levels of ibogaine and/or noribogaine sufficient to reduce somatic complaints, liver enzyme levels and viral RNA in patients having chronic hepatitis C.
 
Have info and maybe treatment

Hi All,
Glad to see there is reasonable discussion around Hep C. I am a Hep C treatment nurse in Toronto. We are tryin g to get treatment to IV drug users who have traditionally been denied treatment because...well, because they use drugs.
I have 1 question: Are people getting PCR or RNA testing? This is a second test done after the screening test. The screening test check for antibodies. That is it checks your bodies response to Hep C. The problem being that 1 in 5 people clear it on their own. They will have a positive screen even though they have no virus intheir system
The second test checks for the virus itself.
In my practice we are finding a lot of people who have been "living with Hep C" for years (22 in one case), but have no virus. Most MD's don't know this stuff.
I am eager to chat with folks and can answer all your questions if you want.
Finally, if you are in Toronto and want treatment let me know!
ZenRN:D
 
i was diagnosed when iwas 19 with hep c from sharing needles. it sucked. i was sick for weeks. i wasnt even able to smoke weed. in fact i got better after i was able to smoke. after a while the intial sickness went away but i have never felt 100% again. i had a few more tests done and the said i was in th erare 10-15 percent who clear the virus out there system. im 21 now and sstill have stomach problems and severe heartburn. right now nothing seems to work for my stomach pain. i think it is scarred from throwing up so much.
 
Hi all,

I contracted hepatitis C about thirty years ago. I remember that my buddies who I was shooting dope with both got really ill; turned yellow and everything. I didn't have any symptoms. We made the joke that I was just a carrier, but immune to the disease. One of my friends died about ten years ago from liver cancer; I lost track of the other guy. Obviously, I'm not dead.

Definitely get all of the tests before starting treatment, including a liver biopsy. I've had two courses of treatment for Hep C. In fact, I am currently part of a long-running clinical trial for Hep C. I was given pegylated interferon and ribavirin for six months and then randomized to the control group (no meds). I have the most resistant strain of Hep C (genome type 1, I think), and I did not clear the virus during either course of treatment.

My liver enzymes are nearly within the normal range, and even though I have mild cirrhosis of my liver (which may have been caused by years of alcohol abuse, too), I am in excellent health. So, Hep C is definitely not an automatic death sentence. In fact, my twin sister also has the disease and has not been treated, and she is in good shape, too.

The state of the art in treatment for Hep C is still pegylated interferon and ribavirin for a period of six months. About 70% of the people who take this treatment are cured. That is, two years after treatment, there is no sign of the virus. But the treatment itself is hell. You do not want to do this unless you have to.

For me, the treatment was much worse than the disease. I have never had any symptoms from the Hep C (as far as I can tell), but suffered a lot during the treatment. I was tired, felt like I was coming down with the flu and was very depressed. It was really psychologically hard to do the injections of interferon, knowing that they would make me sick.

If you have only had the disease for a few years and your liver is in good shape, I would wait a few years to take the treatment (especially if you have genome type 1). I've been told that there aren't any new treatments coming up (in the US) right now, but that may change in a year or two. Whoever does come up with a sure cure is going to make a lot of money!

Of course, I'm not a doctor and you should consider that before you take my advice. For sure, make sure that you have good medical insurance and a liberal sick time policy where you work before you take the cure. The treatment is expensive and you will feel bad pretty much all of the time for at least six months.

Anyway, good luck to you. A lot of people have Hep C and also have great lives (like me!), so don't despair.

Bob
 
Anyone else got hep C?

I'm not sure where exactly this goes so for the mods, feel free to move it wherever. So I just found out that my hep c has gotten worse. 6 months ago my viral load was at 700,000. I just went back to the hospital to see how everything was a few weeks ago and found out my viral load is now 1.5 million. My doctors treat me like a junkie and won't really tell me the truth on how bad it is. They just keep suggesting I get treatment(interferon). I'm only 23, but I've been pretty worried about it. I would think that with the statistics being something like 50% of IV drug users have hep c, there would be some people on here on bluelight who have hep c. For those who do, how is your liver doing and have you gotten treatment yet? Is my viral load being 1.5 million that that bad or is it something where I can afford to wait a few more years before getting treatment. I heard the treatment for hep c is pretty shitty and its basically like chemotherapy in terms of how sick you get. Most people I hear who have hep c, only end up getting treatment for it when they are older, and thats if they even have to get it. I also have the worst type there is which is type 1A. From what the doctor told me, most people who get hep c from needles, get type 1A. So yeah, not sure if this is the place for this post, but I'm pretty worried about this shit so any info would really help. Thanks in advance.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top