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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Hepatitis / March 2005a couple of questions from a newbie
Hey everyone, im new to this group as I am new the world of Hep C.I recently found out that( Wednesday to be exact) I have been exposed to the virus and now my AST's and ALT's are a bit high. While they are not astronomically high they were high enough to warrant a second test specifically for hepatitis.My levels are 6-8 times higher than normal. I found this out becuase I am taking a daily dose of Suboxone for my opiate addiction and the Dr wanted to see how things were going with my liver after 7 months on the med. I have already had several people tell me not to get to freaked out about it and i seem to be ok so far but I still haven't gotten the whole story yet as I am waiting for my referral to the specialist. While I wait,not so patiently :) I thought i'd stop in here and ask a few questions from some people in the know! My biggest problem right now seems to be my obsession with trying to pinpoint exactly when and where I could have been exposed to it. While I realize it's pointless now I still seem to have the need to know..is this common? Any suggestions on how to handle it better? Or better yet how to let it go! Second question: On that subject( and I'll never ask on here AGAIN!!) would it be possible to have contracted this from a dirty tattoo artist? I had one tat done in 2002 and one done back in the mid 90's. Is that too long ago and along those lines when one does contract Hep C is there any type of typical timeline from contraction to detection? In other words how far back should I be thinking when trying to figure where this came from? Would my exposeure had to have been in the last 1-3 years or could it have been from an incident as long as 7-9 years ago? I want to know for two reasons: one because i am obsessing about it and two because I would like to inform certain parties that they may want to see their Dr.- or should I not care in this case? - I want to do whats right and be responsible about this. Now that I have accepted the fact that I have contracted Hep C I am obviously taking the necessary steps to try and get and stay healthy. Now,I realize this isn't typically a life threatening illness but I am curious at this stage in the game what I have to look forward to? If it matters, my Suboxone Dr is pretty convinced that this is cronic Hep C. but we don't know for sure. So,other than setting up the appointment to see a liver specialist( i'm seeing some big shot from the Lahey Clinic in Boston..supposed to be a real top gun in the liver biz...who knows?) is there any other steps I can begin to take that will help work towards a more healthy me as it pertains to my Liver and Hep C? I have already made a concious decision to quit drinking. Although I haven't been a big drinker since my 20's (im 39 now) I do have an occasional beer or three with the guys once in a while! Anyways I have decided to just stop drinking all together. Other than that Im not sure what else I could do. I know I will get these answers in a few weeks when I see this specialist and that I may be jumping the gun but I am impatient and just a wee bit stressed out about it so I thought i'd pick a brain or two here.I appreciate you reading my long winded post and thank you in advance for any suggestions or advice you can give. Thanks again, Ricky shopperick98 @t yahoo dot com I quote the immortal Socrates who said " I drank WHAT!?!" > My biggest problem right now seems to be my obsession with trying to > pinpoint exactly when and where I could have been exposed to it. While [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > would it be possible to have contracted this from a dirty tattoo > artist? I had one tat done in 2002 and one done back in the mid 90's. Hi Shopperick welcome, You can get HCV from a tattoo needle if it is not cleaned properly. HCV needs to be a blood to blood contact in order to be transmitted. This could come from a tatto needle or sharing a razor or toothbrush. I. V. drug use or an accidental prick from a contaminated needle could give it to you also..... Yes the disease could be in your body for a much longer time than the mid 90's, I was infected 22 years ago and found out during an annual physical last year that i have it. > Now that I have accepted the fact that I have contracted Hep C I am > obviously taking the necessary steps to try and get and stay healthy. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > just stop drinking all together. Other than that Im not sure what else > I could do. I have found that eating a whole foods diet really has helped get me feeling better. I've had bouts of depression and Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). These are both subtle indicators that something may be wrong with your liver. The depression and IBS have greatly subsided since starting a whole foods diet. I have recently started treatment and hope that my prep work has given me some tools to try to get through this. Good luck to you.....and all of us! >> My biggest problem right now seems to be my obsession with trying to >> pinpoint exactly when and where I could have been exposed to it. [quoted text clipped - 54 lines] > > Good luck to you.....and all of us! Hi "shop"....You'll probably never find out where ya got it, I got mine somewheres between 1969 and 1983, can almost pinpoint it to the exact era, either Psychodelic or disco, just a bit of punk at the end....I always think I've accepted this damn nusiance, but I always do some thing stupid that reminds me I forgot. Hell when I got tested there wasn't even treatment yet....talk about the fear of death!...The Lahey clinic is a fine, mighty fine joint. My best friend just got out of there 2 Fridays ago from a liver transplant. He developed cancer on the liver ontop of the hep c he had for 30 years....We are looking forward to a great summer, him now in better health than me. Most of all, KEEP POSITIVE! I been disabled from it for 6 years now and i ain't gettin no transplant cause they won't give em to me when I'm 90....I had planned to make it to 110, but, ya know how things go...hep c and all.....All my runnin partners died of aids in the late 80's, I look at that and am honored to have a cheap a.s virus thats makes me ramble on and on and on.....Peace Brother, and don't give up on nothin. Eat at Burger king and drink plenty of milkshakes, ya only come around here once, and this ain't batting practice.... Bobby, the Ragman, freezing up here in Burlington....-19 > >> My biggest problem right now seems to be my obsession with trying to > >> pinpoint exactly when and where I could have been exposed to it. [quoted text clipped - 73 lines] > once, and this ain't batting practice.... > Bobby, the Ragman, freezing up here in Burlington....-19 Thanks for the advice guys! I appreciate it.Yea Bobby I know all about the power of positive thinking .Im doing ok i guess considering it just came up this week.Nothings really wrong physically speaking...i feel pretty good so it's tough beuse im more worried about the unknown..the "what if's" While I can appreciate the advice of the first poster I much more prefer yours about life and batting practice.I suppose i'll do my best to continue to live like that. By the way....is that Burlington VT? Although I am not there anymore I lived for many years in Rutland and Mom and Pop still call Rutland home...I miss VT!! Anyways..Burlington VT is a fun town! Take care and stay warm..thanks again for the advice Rick...freezing down here in Nashua...5 degrees (but a wind chill of -8..and a foot of snow on the way!) Hey Man, I think the best thing you have done already is to stop drinking. I would take ginkgo and garlic and a good multivitamin. Stay away from high fat food and exercise would be good to. You will have to wait and see if treatment is right for you, I am sure it is. I beat thing a couple of years ago finally with PegInterferon and Ribavirin. It really depends on the genotype on how well you will do with treatment. Good luck! Chez (Solo) >> >> My biggest problem right now seems to be my obsession with trying > to [quoted text clipped - 127 lines] > Rick...freezing down here in Nashua...5 degrees (but a wind chill of > -8..and a foot of snow on the way!) >My biggest problem right now seems to be my obsession with trying to >pinpoint exactly when and where I could have been exposed to it. While >I realize it's pointless now I still seem to have the need to know..is >this common? Any suggestions on how to handle it better? Or better yet >how to let it go! Can't help you there - I know exactly how I got it (needle sharing 35 years ago). >Second question: On that subject( and I'll never ask on here AGAIN!!) >would it be possible to have contracted this from a dirty tattoo >artist? I had one tat done in 2002 and one done back in the mid 90's. Very possible, but didn't you say something about opiate addiction? >Is that too long ago and along those lines when one does contract Hep C >is there any type of typical timeline from contraction to detection? In >other words how far back should I be thinking when trying to figure >where this came from? Would my exposeure had to have been in the last >1-3 years or could it have been from an incident as long as 7-9 years >ago? It could have been 39 years ago. If you have chronic hep, you normally have it for life unless you treat. Since it's not one of the routine tests, it can often escape detection for decades. > I want to know for two reasons: one because i am obsessing about >it and two because I would like to inform certain parties that they may >want to see their Dr.- or should I not care in this case? - I want to >do whats right and be responsible about this. If those certain people could have had blood-to-blood contact with you (sharing drug paraphernalia including cocaine straws, sharing toothbrushes, "rough" sex), then yes, it would be responsible to let them know. If it was just casual contact or "vanilla" sex without a chance of exchanging blood, then you don't really have to. >[...] is there any other steps I can begin to take that will help work >towards a more healthy me as it pertains to my Liver and Hep C? I have [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >just stop drinking all together. Other than that Im not sure what else >I could do. You've already done the most important step, giving up alcohol. Other than that, there's really not much you can do. Diet has very little influence unless your liver is already heavily damaged. Stay away from supplements (except milk thistle, but even that is a no-no during treatment) unless cleared with your liver doc. Don't believe the ads for liver tonics and hep cures on the internet. Exercise is good, but excessive exercise (marathons, for example) can actually damage the liver. Everything in moderation - and some docs even allow the occasional drink. The usual advice about eating your fruits&veggies applies, but whether it will hurt your liver if you don't - nobody really knows. Thomas  SignatureTo reach me, complete my last name in the address. > Can't help you there - I know exactly how I got it (needle sharing 35 > years ago). Hell, that was only ten years after you gave up alcohol and started reading all those hepatitis books at age 16. > Very possible, but didn't you say something about opiate addiction? Didn't you say something about giving up alcohol at age 16 and reading hepatitis books ten years *before* you started sharing needles? > If those certain people could have had blood-to-blood contact with you > (sharing drug paraphernalia including cocaine straws, sharing > toothbrushes, "rough" sex), then yes, it would be responsible to let > them know. If it was just casual contact or "vanilla" sex without a > chance of exchanging blood, then you don't really have to. Hey, I see you know all the buzz-words Thomas. > You've already done the most important step, giving up alcohol. Other > than that, there's really not much you can do. Diet has very little > influence unless your liver is already heavily damaged. You don't see anything contradictory about that statement then? What a buffoon you are pretty red shirt boy. So *neat and tidy* > My biggest problem right now seems to be my obsession with trying to > pinpoint exactly when and where I could have been exposed to it. While > I realize it's pointless now I still seem to have the need to know..is > this common? Any suggestions on how to handle it better? Or better yet > how to let it go! > Second question: On that subject( and I'll never ask on here AGAIN!!) > would it be possible to have contracted this from a dirty tattoo [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > want to see their Dr.- or should I not care in this case? - I want to > do whats right and be responsible about this. Sorry to have to welcome you to the club...but welcome. That was good advice you got, not to get freaked out. As for when you got it...unless you have acute Hep C it's almost impossible to know for sure. Hep is transmitted blood to blood. There are all kinds of different statistics floating around out there but the most reliable information I have is that shared needles is the most common followed by blood transfusions pre-1980 something... (whenever your area starting testing their blood supply for the disease). Health care workers were/are also at risk from accidental needle pricks while working with an infected patient. Yes, you can get if from a tattoo artist. If he used the needle on an infected patient and then used it on you. It doesn't take a large amount of infected blood to carry the virus and while it won't live outside the body indefinitely it doesn't have to be immediate contact. Theoritically you can also get it from shared razors or tooth brushes (if you both have problems with bleeding gums)... basically any contact where blood could have been exchanged but I know a lot of people who have recently found out they have HCV while their long term partners do not. Also, the exposure could have been anytime in the past 39 years for you. Many people never exhibit symptoms and the disease doesn't have a shelf life. Elevated ALT/AST is one of the flags to test for it but you can have Hep C and not have elevated liver enzymes...and visa - versa. To figure out how you got it you would have to go back to the last time you were tested for it and then look at every time you got blood in the hospital pre testing or shared a needle etc.. etc.. Basically every time you were at risk. I got blood after an accident in 1978. Since I am afraid of needles and never engaged in that type of recreation...I can guess it was the transfusion. ...but technically I could have gotten it from borrowing a friends razor or from getting poked while getting a manicure. You won't ever "KNOW" for sure but you can make an educated guess. > Now that I have accepted the fact that I have contracted Hep C I am > obviously taking the necessary steps to try and get and stay healthy. [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > two here.I appreciate you reading my long winded post and thank you in > advance for any suggestions or advice you can give. Milk Thistle is really good for your liver and doesn't have a toxicity issue so you can take that at least until you start treatment. Most won't take it during treatment for concern it could interfere with the meds. Definitely quit drinking and just be aware of anything you eat or drink that is considered a little hard on the liver. All the normal things they tell you to do to be healthy apply...especially the drink lots of water part. You have a ways to go. Your specialist will probably recommend a biopsy or test to determine what condition your liver is in. Don't worry about cirrhosis or any kind of damage until then. Even after all those years of partying and drinking I didn't have any damage to speak of so you just never know. Keep asking questions but remember everyone's experience is going to be different from yours. Good luck! AG What's the right way to take Milk Thistle? Some brands say to take it WITH food, others say to take it BEFORE a meal... All comments appreciated :) > What's the right way to take Milk Thistle? Some brands say to take it > WITH food, others say to take it BEFORE a meal... > All comments appreciated :) Take it exactly as the label says to, no more no less. I take it with my first cup of coffee in the morning. Bobby On 24 Jan 2005 19:25:21 -0800, "John G." <macgyver88@yahoo.com>, in message ID <1106621055.271612.275380@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com>, in the newsgroup alt.support.hepatitis-c wrote: >What's the right way to take Milk Thistle? Some brands say to take it >WITH food, others say to take it BEFORE a meal... >All comments appreciated :) I take it with a pinch of salt :-) SignaturePaul Use the reply by email facility in your newsreader to send email > What's the right way to take Milk Thistle? Some brands say to take it > WITH food, others say to take it BEFORE a meal... > All comments appreciated :) It depends on what the brand is "binding" it with. Do whatever the manufacturer recommends. I buy mine at a health food store so it doesn't matter if I take it with a meal or not. Milk thistle does not have a toxicity level and by itself it is absorbed naturally and isn't hard on the stomach. Unfortunately most of us can't get it "by itself" :-) I know a lot of people think herbs are all smoke and mirrors and don't help but I swear by them...at least some of them :-) They can interfere with some medications so if your taking anything prescribed by a doctor be sure to clear it through them. AG [...] > My biggest problem right now seems to be my obsession with trying to > pinpoint exactly when and where I could have been exposed to it. While > I realize it's pointless now I still seem to have the need to know..is > this common? Any suggestions on how to handle it better? Or better yet > how to let it go! I think it's a really common reaction. I think it only makes sense if you think it's a recent infection because if it is, there is someone who is spreading and probably doesn't know they have it. That was my case, and by figuring it out the person I got it from was able to get to a doctor and is now on treatment. My guess is that if it remains a mystery as to how you got it, there's no way for you to know that you're not going to get it again or that you're not going to spread it to someone else. There's also the control issue - having HVC can make you feel helpless and the more you know the more control you feel. For me, the more I knew about what I could do to treat it the more in control I felt. > Second question: On that subject( and I'll never ask on here AGAIN!!) > would it be possible to have contracted this from a dirty tattoo [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > want to see their Dr.- or should I not care in this case? - I want to > do whats right and be responsible about this. It can easily be spread by unsanitized tattoo needles. Unless you just got exposed within the last couple of months, there's really no way to know how long ago it happened - 1 year or 20 years. It doesn't seem to be spread easily through casual contact or most sexual activities. It seems to need to go from one person's bloodstream to another's, but it can also be (if you're unlucky) a very small amount of blood - like sharing a razor. [....] > Anyways I have decided to > just stop drinking all together. Other than that Im not sure what else > I could do. Some people believe that taking Milk Thistle helps protect your liver. In most cases there's no danger in taking it except of you're taking other medications that it can interact with. There are lists online of what could potentially cause problems. > appreciate you reading my long winded post and thank you in > advance for any suggestions or advice you can give. Most people go through what you're going through. It does get better as you know what your status is. G >Hey everyone, > [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] >shopperick98 @t yahoo dot com >I quote the immortal Socrates who said " I drank WHAT!?!" Hey Rick Sorry to see you in this newsgroup. I remember you were worried about hepC. It sounds like your doctor's concerns were well founded, unfortunately. I've just started posting here myself. Wish we were meeting up under better circumstances. - Ritual I suppose for many many here the two groups go hand in hand at some point or another....yea it's pretty disheartening so far. As I said ,at this point i'm still in the dark about alot of details so before I succumb to the myths and rumors I sould pester some people who know what their talking about. For what it's worth your posts in the other group have been helpful and informative so lately when my Dr talks about certain facts I know what he's talking about alot of the time..so thanks for your info as well ! The one down side so far is that between my mom and your descriptions of the interferon treatment and subesquent pain and discomfort I am not looking forward to that treatment should it be necessary. Mom is on a daily shot for MS. She was recently diagnosed after a long time with abdominal pain and a perplexed group of MD's. I guess,except for the pain itself the drug is working ok for her so it's a small sacrifice. You know what I am really worried about? The idea of having to stop the Suboxone.It has done so well for me over the last 7 months and I would really really like to continue it. According to my bupe Dr and your posts bupe and interferon can be a bad mix...plus I guess there is the possibility that the suboxone is doing damage as well from what I understand. This is whats occupying my worried mind the most these days. ,,I don't have many options where the addiction is concerned and I am not ready to go it alone after only 6-7 months clean! Oh well,we'll see what happens. Thanks for the post Rit and while I am equally sorry to meet up with you here It is nice to see a familiar sig who knows not only about hep but the other stuff too! Take Care. Rick Whats so funny 'bout Peace, Love and Understanding? [...] > For what it's worth your posts in the other group have been helpful and > informative so lately when my Dr talks about certain facts I know what > he's talking about alot of the time..so thanks for your info as well ! Anyone who looks for medical advice in a usenet newsgroup gets exactly what they pay for. What it's great for, though, is people talking about their experiences which help other people in learning enough to be able to talk to and undertand their doctor(s). Also hearing from other people about the wide range of reactions to tx you can expect. > The one down side so far is that between my mom and your descriptions > of the interferon treatment and subesquent pain and discomfort I am not > looking forward to that treatment should it be necessary. Everyone has different reactions. Some people have an easy time of it, and there's no less reason to expect an easy time than a difficult one. That said, in no case is it something that someone looks forward too, except the part about it being over and having worked :) Gordo >I suppose for many many here the two groups go hand in hand at some >point or another....yea it's pretty disheartening so far. As I said ,at [quoted text clipped - 29 lines] > >Whats so funny 'bout Peace, Love and Understanding? Well... don't get me wrong... the side effects suck at times but they could be FAR worse. You will not know how interferon is going to affect you until you start taking it. It effects different people differently. I would put up with FAR worse if it meant knocking the virus out of my system. As far as the bupe goes... I have never heard from anyone abuot it being a bad mix with interferon. The main problem I see with it is that f.cking Naloxone that they put in with it. The naloxone can cause liver damage and my doc has requested copies of the blood work I get done to make sure my liver is okay. It really pisses me off that I'm forced to take a drug that could be damaging my liver. But as far as the bupe itself.... I havn't heard of any issues. There are lots of people who are on both bupe and interferon. Yeah... don't let any horror stories get to you. It's livable. It's all a crap shoot. Certain percentage of this and certain percentage of that etc etc. Definitely don't shy away from interferon therapy because of preconceived notions of how it is going to be. Best of luck to you. I just did shot #13 today so I'm just past the halfway point. Once you know your genotype you'll be better equipped as to what to do. - Rit > >I suppose for many many here the two groups go hand in hand at some > >point or another....yea it's pretty disheartening so far. As I said ,at [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] > the bupe itself.... I havn't heard of any issues. There are lots of > people who are on both bupe and interferon. See this is exactly why Im asking questions.My mom didn't make it out to be THAT bad either( she said the same-painful but tolerable) but I thought I recalled a "horror story" you told on ADH a while back about the two being a bad mix...I guess I was wrong. > Yeah... don't let any horror stories get to you. It's livable. It's > all a crap shoot. Certain percentage of this and certain percentage of [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > halfway point. Once you know your genotype you'll be better equipped > as to what to do. I just went back today for another blood letting session.It's funny how i could stick myself like a pin cushion with no problems but a trained profesional doing it almost makes me pass out!! Anyways,this test being done is going to take at least a week before I get results back. I think they called it a Hep C tighter somthing ( maybe thats spelled wrong) with a bunch of other names in there too.According to the phlembot,it's a more specific test...but thats all the info I got! This is the main problem for me right now... the lack of communication between my Dr's and me.I feel like im in the f.cking dark! The bupe Dr drops this on me and then sends me for a referral and my Dr doesn't even have the courtesy to call me himself when he gets the results.His message is "he needs to get a ***** test and once we get the results, tell him he can either see me or we'll refer him out to the specialist...whichever he prefers" Thats all I know.I don't even know the details of why they took more blood today!! I hate not understanding things!! One of my biggest "problems" is that I worry about EVERYTHING until I understand it!!! I think the term is Hypochondria.I get a pain in my abdomen..it's kidney failure.If a headache is more painful than usual..it's a tumor! I tend to always expect the worst.Someday I should probably work on changing that way of thinking..maybe my stress level will go down! Thanks for clearing up my misconceptions Rit.Im glad things are going ok for you. Are you still on the Suboxone? send me an email addy if you don't mind. I have a couple of questions on that subject as well. Best wishes to you, my friend.Take care, Rick > - Rit I haven't red all the replies to your post but I gotta tell you I don't know when or how but it is from some time pree 1980. It can be a long time. According to my dr. you can get it from the obvious needles surgery transfusion exct. but also major dental work. Teeth cleanings that cause blood,manicures are a problem. This is a life threatening illness. It will kill more Americans in the next two years than HIV and Brest cancer combined.but there is hope especially if you don't wait two long Zoe > Hey everyone, > [quoted text clipped - 60 lines] > shopperick98 @t yahoo dot com > I quote the immortal Socrates who said " I drank WHAT!?!" |
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