Awaiting test results, experiencing symptoms. Symptoms in the first year?/Little known routes of transmission
jrc said
Aug 22, 2012
Hi,
My name is Jeremy , I too know what its like to be young and have hcv. I too was overwhelmed with my diagnosis at the time. Since then i have devoted the last year to beating this disease and the good news is I WON!!I have achieved SVR and you can too.Iv drug use was a hard thing for me aswell and breaking the cycle wasnt easy but honestly now it feels great, I have no desire to use drugs period! Anything you have questions on feel free to pm me!
Jeremy
Iris Dragonfly said
Aug 22, 2012
hi Angel, Love your ferret!, ...when you get your test results, ask for a copy. Get copies of all tests for your own records and if you have to see different doctors, you have this vital info right there. You thus far have no results, so I would recommend you not panic.
Not only is HCV rampant...I believe it is more prevalent than HIV. There are many other things that may have similar symptoms, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, other viruses...And like Alan said, it is possible that you could clear it on your own, If it is indeed at the acute phase, your body is going to need a large amount of rest for many months along with healthy food. I also found every day that I did not partake in some drug, was a day I was feeling better, ...physically, and mentally. Incredibly hard, because the pain I had in my legs was sometimes unbearable, now I have all kinds of nerve pain esp. in my elbow. I have yet to do treatment, and have been HCV positive for 38 years. I know how hard waiting is, my health care is also through the public system, and very slow.
I wish you well, and greetings! Iris
missycat said
Aug 21, 2012
Hi im kaz, i just read that you fear the treatment more than the virus, bless you...you really shouldnt. I finished treatment a year ago (and this site really helped me through everything!) I found if i was feeling ill it wasnt so bad because i knew exactly why i felt that way,&if the treatment made me feel ill it was also killing the virus. which it did for me :)))
You have to remember with this site that it is often the only place we can let off steam with people that understand & in turn that means that we write down all the bad things, all the worrys and concerns,because in our real lifes with our familys we dont want to upset them so we dont open up to them.it doesnt mean things are bad all the time.
I really found myself doing the treatment,,, i lost my husband to this virus and im so proud i got rid of it....Not that i really think about the treatment much now...so it cant be that awful ;)))))
take it easy
xxx
-- Edited by missycat on Tuesday 21st of August 2012 09:39:47 PM
whirlwind said
Aug 21, 2012
Thankfully, I've never been able to stand alcohol. From what I understand, even extreme moderation is unacceptable for those with hep c. I'll have no problem with that. But other things to avoid I need to learn more about.
whirlwind said
Aug 21, 2012
Thanks :) The strange thing is, I'm not too worried. The symptoms I'm having are somewhat undeniable and I know I had to have been exposed to the virus when I shared with my ex a month ago, but I have a feeling we both contracted it long before then, around Feb. He hadn't been using needles since March either, and no way did he test + a week after catching it. I suspect that the test in rehab was a test for antibodies, and I hadn't produced them yet. Today I got the full Hep panel, so it will test for the actual pathogen. But if I have it, which I think I probably do [as I'm typing this I keep pausing because my elbows are throbbing], I'm not going to freak out. Although reading through this forum has enlightened me to the fact that Hep C has a lot of effects which alter day to day life, I grew up with my mom having HIV. It wasn't a death sentence, she's had it for 23 years, but I feared that she was going to die any day for like 12 years straight until I realized that was ridiculous.
I fear the treatment more than the disease almost, from what I've read!
Phil G said
Aug 21, 2012
Waiting on test results is never fun, whether its the initial diagnosis, during treatment, or anytime after that. Seems like I'm always waiting for the next test or the results from the last, and I don't like it. The test for antibodies is usually the first test they do, and my understanding is that it can take six months after exposure for the antibodies to show up. My wife is being retested after being negative more than 6 months ago. I don't like her tests, either. In the end though, it doesn't really matter when or how. Hang in there. Worrying doesn't change a thing. Believe me, I've tried. I am a long term chronic and ignored the indicators for a long time. That didn't solve the problem either. Good luck.
news said
Aug 21, 2012
I am fairly sure that all of the members on this forum are chronic hepatitis patients, or former patients. The treatments we are doing are designed to get the virus to an undetectable level for a long period of time. It takes about 6 months at least, and often runs to 9 months or almost a year. For most of us, we have had the disease for many years, several decades. Most of us had no symptoms at all until liver damage or an accidental discovery in a blood test brought the virus to our attention. Some of us have liver damage, some do not. But I don't think the delay in getting and discussing your labs will be a major issue, except that the wait can be unbearable. The thing for you to do now is begin immediately to make life changes. No more drug abuse. If you drink alcohol, stop. Turn yourself into goody two shoes. This will help with your treatment if indeed you have to treat. I still say you may be in the acute stage of the disease, with a slim chance of your body beating the virus on its own. This would be great. Anyway, please hang out here with us, and read the posts. It is never too early to begin learning about the options. Alan
whirlwind said
Aug 21, 2012
Thanks so much for the response.
I am kind of upset that the health dept. will take weeks to give me my results, because if I'm at the tail end of the 6month window period [where they say the meds have the highest chance of clearing the virus] I can't afford those 4 weeks. Or would it make much difference?
The weird thing is, since I was tested in March and was negative, I know that if I do have HCV, it's only been half a year or so and yet I'm already having symptoms. For you and others here, was that your experience?
news said
Aug 21, 2012
I don't know a whole lot about this, so take this with a grain of salt. What you are experiencing may be the acute stage of hepatitis. They say this comes first, and a lot of people kick it. They recover just fine. But if they don't, it becomes chronic, like what I had, and it lasts until you treat. But don't panic. Just wait till you see your test results. The doctor will be able to tell you precisely what is going on. Good luck and chin up. Please keep us posted as the details come out. Alan
whirlwind said
Aug 21, 2012
November of last year I finally crossed the line into IV drug use after 9 years of opioid depencence. I didn't share needles until February, with my then-boyfriend. That's also when I began injecting pills I bought from a dealer as opposed to pills I was prescribed, fresh from the pharmacy. By late March I was in rehab and was tested for Hep C, I tested negative [for antibodies at least]. He and I never shared outside each other but looking back we did go to a "shooting gallery" several times and use spoons from that house. The spoons had been washed like regular dishes, at best. At any rate, then I got tested in March it couldn't have been more than 3 weeks after the last time I possibly exposed myself to the disease.
I relapsed a month ago and when I did, I shared needles with him. Less than a week later, he went in for a physical and, noticing his track marks, the doctor performed a test for Hep C. He tested positive and was diagnosed and is undergoing treatment. Today I got tested, I'm awaiting my results.
For the past few weeks I have been feeling very strange. My appetite is dodgy, I have 0 energy it seems, my urine is inexplicably darker and stronger smelling no matter if I drink a lot of fluids or not. I notice I am cold more easily than I ever usually am. But most disturbingly, for the past week or so I've been experiencing pretty intense joint pain all over my body at once. My toes, ankles, knees, back, shoulders, albows, wrists, and especially my hands and fingers are throbbing. I'm 26 with no history or experience with painful joints whatsoever. It feels like the bones in my joints are just rubbing together, bone to bone. They get stiff and lock up. The onset was not gradual, it seemed to just hit me all at once one day. I didn't know what it could be until I read that Hep C causes joint pain in some people the other day.
My question is two-fold:
1) Does anyone know if the virus could be passed by injecting pills handled by infect IV drug users? I know I didn't wash my hands after I would shoot up and get blood on my fingers, I'd just wipe them. If someone is doing that, for instance, my dealer, and also handling pills he sells, could that pass the disease, since I promptly dissolved them and injected them as soon as I got them?
2) Did anyone in here have joint pain in the first year?
Hi,
My name is Jeremy , I too know what its like to be young and have hcv. I too was overwhelmed with my diagnosis at the time. Since then i have devoted the last year to beating this disease and the good news is I WON!!I have achieved SVR and you can too.Iv drug use was a hard thing for me aswell and breaking the cycle wasnt easy but honestly now it feels great, I have no desire to use drugs period! Anything you have questions on feel free to pm me!
Jeremy
hi Angel, Love your ferret!, ...when you get your test results, ask for a copy. Get copies of all tests for your own records and if you have to see different doctors, you have this vital info right there. You thus far have no results, so I would recommend you not panic.
Not only is HCV rampant...I believe it is more prevalent than HIV. There are many other things that may have similar symptoms, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, other viruses...And like Alan said, it is possible that you could clear it on your own, If it is indeed at the acute phase, your body is going to need a large amount of rest for many months along with healthy food. I also found every day that I did not partake in some drug, was a day I was feeling better, ...physically, and mentally. Incredibly hard, because the pain I had in my legs was sometimes unbearable, now I have all kinds of nerve pain esp. in my elbow. I have yet to do treatment, and have been HCV positive for 38 years. I know how hard waiting is, my health care is also through the public system, and very slow.
I wish you well, and greetings! Iris
Hi im kaz, i just read that you fear the treatment more than the virus, bless you...you really shouldnt. I finished treatment a year ago (and this site really helped me through everything!) I found if i was feeling ill it wasnt so bad because i knew exactly why i felt that way,&if the treatment made me feel ill it was also killing the virus. which it did for me :)))
You have to remember with this site that it is often the only place we can let off steam with people that understand & in turn that means that we write down all the bad things, all the worrys and concerns,because in our real lifes with our familys we dont want to upset them so we dont open up to them.it doesnt mean things are bad all the time.
I really found myself doing the treatment,,, i lost my husband to this virus and im so proud i got rid of it
....Not that i really think about the treatment much now...so it cant be that awful ;)))))
take it easy
xxx
-- Edited by missycat on Tuesday 21st of August 2012 09:39:47 PM
Thankfully, I've never been able to stand alcohol. From what I understand, even extreme moderation is unacceptable for those with hep c. I'll have no problem with that. But other things to avoid I need to learn more about.
Thanks :) The strange thing is, I'm not too worried. The symptoms I'm having are somewhat undeniable and I know I had to have been exposed to the virus when I shared with my ex a month ago, but I have a feeling we both contracted it long before then, around Feb. He hadn't been using needles since March either, and no way did he test + a week after catching it. I suspect that the test in rehab was a test for antibodies, and I hadn't produced them yet. Today I got the full Hep panel, so it will test for the actual pathogen. But if I have it, which I think I probably do [as I'm typing this I keep pausing because my elbows are throbbing], I'm not going to freak out. Although reading through this forum has enlightened me to the fact that Hep C has a lot of effects which alter day to day life, I grew up with my mom having HIV. It wasn't a death sentence, she's had it for 23 years, but I feared that she was going to die any day for like 12 years straight until I realized that was ridiculous.
I fear the treatment more than the disease almost, from what I've read!
Waiting on test results is never fun, whether its the initial diagnosis, during treatment, or anytime after that. Seems like I'm always waiting for the next test or the results from the last, and I don't like it. The test for antibodies is usually the first test they do, and my understanding is that it can take six months after exposure for the antibodies to show up. My wife is being retested after being negative more than 6 months ago. I don't like her tests, either. In the end though, it doesn't really matter when or how. Hang in there. Worrying doesn't change a thing. Believe me, I've tried. I am a long term chronic and ignored the indicators for a long time. That didn't solve the problem either. Good luck.
Thanks so much for the response.
I am kind of upset that the health dept. will take weeks to give me my results, because if I'm at the tail end of the 6month window period [where they say the meds have the highest chance of clearing the virus] I can't afford those 4 weeks. Or would it make much difference?
The weird thing is, since I was tested in March and was negative, I know that if I do have HCV, it's only been half a year or so and yet I'm already having symptoms. For you and others here, was that your experience?
November of last year I finally crossed the line into IV drug use after 9 years of opioid depencence. I didn't share needles until February, with my then-boyfriend. That's also when I began injecting pills I bought from a dealer as opposed to pills I was prescribed, fresh from the pharmacy. By late March I was in rehab and was tested for Hep C, I tested negative [for antibodies at least]. He and I never shared outside each other but looking back we did go to a "shooting gallery" several times and use spoons from that house. The spoons had been washed like regular dishes, at best. At any rate, then I got tested in March it couldn't have been more than 3 weeks after the last time I possibly exposed myself to the disease.
I relapsed a month ago and when I did, I shared needles with him. Less than a week later, he went in for a physical and, noticing his track marks, the doctor performed a test for Hep C. He tested positive and was diagnosed and is undergoing treatment. Today I got tested, I'm awaiting my results.
For the past few weeks I have been feeling very strange. My appetite is dodgy, I have 0 energy it seems, my urine is inexplicably darker and stronger smelling no matter if I drink a lot of fluids or not. I notice I am cold more easily than I ever usually am. But most disturbingly, for the past week or so I've been experiencing pretty intense joint pain all over my body at once. My toes, ankles, knees, back, shoulders, albows, wrists, and especially my hands and fingers are throbbing. I'm 26 with no history or experience with painful joints whatsoever. It feels like the bones in my joints are just rubbing together, bone to bone. They get stiff and lock up. The onset was not gradual, it seemed to just hit me all at once one day. I didn't know what it could be until I read that Hep C causes joint pain in some people the other day.
My question is two-fold:
1) Does anyone know if the virus could be passed by injecting pills handled by infect IV drug users? I know I didn't wash my hands after I would shoot up and get blood on my fingers, I'd just wipe them. If someone is doing that, for instance, my dealer, and also handling pills he sells, could that pass the disease, since I promptly dissolved them and injected them as soon as I got them?
2) Did anyone in here have joint pain in the first year?
Thanks, any input is appreciated.