Bump

At 8 yrs clean I was diagnosed with Hep. I thought it was a death sentence. That first insane thought was f it lets go get hi. Then I laughed and realized thats what got me here in the first place. Now 12 yrs later Im on my 3rd treatment and stressing about my upcoming 12 wk labs since I was detectable at 4 wks . I go to AA & NA meetings. I love recovery. Our addiction wants us sick & alone. For many years I tried to quit on my own. Nothing worked till I went to meetings. Like others have said Please get the support. You have enough on your plate. Later Rick

Hi JoAnneh 

Long time no see  Nice picture Very classy, It's nice yo see you around. Take care

BillS

Hello,

Also glad you found your way here. I've found there is nothing better than being around people you can identify with. The Hep c was my secret for like 6-7 years. It changed my life to learn that I was not alone and would make it through this. 

I'll just add a little about addiction  The Drug addition will only get worse it's like a casino they always win. So Why put yourself through this anymore? It's the same for that, Don't struggle with it alone You don't have to do it alone. If you can get in rehab maybe give it a shot, At least get some kind of support group NA AA? There are some really nice people in recovery ( they-er a-lot like you )   A therapist specializing in addiction. I was infected 30 years ago just experimenting with heroin I refused to stop drinking till I couldn't take the symptoms.  I stopped drinking because of liver symptoms, Not because I just wanted to clean. And I got the same response from doctors Stop drinking and or drugs or no treatment.  So good luck There are quite a few people here can relate to this part of living with Hep C.  You'll be surprised how strong you can be You already took steps in right direction posting here You'll get plenty of good advice.

BillS

There is nothing stupid about you. What's stupid is the misery of addiction.

I volunteer at a homeless clinic and we just lost one of patients last week at the tender age of 47.

I know it's tough to get clean but it sure beats your other choice.

My baby brother is in rehab right now and every day is tough for him. He's determined, at least he has that going for him. It sounds like you are too, just keep putting one sober foot after another and before you know it you'll be looking at your beautiful happy new life. 

Be well and keep healing,

Rudi

" 2-3 months ago - so dumb. Ahhh. Since then I've detoxed off heroin 3 times cold turkey on my own. My body is ravaged from withdrawal. Dr says everything is elevated and I could have some symptoms"

You did the right thing moving. Stay clean and keep those Doctor appointments. Your hep c can be treated. Your addiction is another and IMO a far more urgent matter. If you think your body was ravaged by detoxing 3 times in 2-3 months just imagine what its like after 2-3 years. Stay close to home and get some support.  Kill that dragon and that monkey before he grows into King Kong!!!

Best wishes.

A warm welcome to you, O! you have come to a supportive and friendly place! 

I look forward to hearing more about your appointment coming up soon! 

Thanks for the welcome. Conquering my addiction is priority for so many obvious reasons, including doctors not taking my desire to get well seriously and not willing to discuss timelines for treatment until I've been clean and truly want to stay clean. No doctor is going to believe me after only one week clean.

I do have an appointment with a new specialist this week. This will be my fourth Hep C appointment yet the first one I'm going to when I won't be high so I'm afraid what I going to hear. I have to try and stay calm because like any addict, I just want to a pill to cure me immediately.

I believe I got infected in the early 80s. I felt like I had the flu for a whopping 6 months! I went to the emergency room several times and they just kept saying, "you've got some type of virus and it will pass in a few weeks". I knew something was really wrong, but I did not know what it was. Then almost suddenly I woke up and felt good again and was symptom free for about 15 years before the real sickness started coming upon me.

Hi there and welcome to the forum, I`m glad  you found us!

Yes, it`s certainly possible to experience symptoms of Hep C so soon after being infected, in fact the first 6 months are considered to be the `acute` phase.  After that if you`re still infected it`s called a `chronic` infection.   The antibodies can become detectable within the first 6 or 7 weeks after infection but can take up to 6 months to show up in the blood.. 

I`m glad you`re doing the best you can to beat your addiction, there are certainly a number of us here will relate to that.  It`s impossible to say whether the symptoms and pain you`re getting are because of an acute Hep C infection or not, but certainly going through heroin withdrawal can be a nightmare, especially if you`re doing it on your own.

I wish you all the best of luck with beating this, and really hope you can get some professional medical help to get off the heroin and stay off it.  It really will be so worth it, you`ll be able to get treated for Hep C, clear the virus and move forward to a new healthy life. 

You have your family round you for support and you do have a future life ahead of you. 

Please do your best to look after yourself, good luck! 

It's been about 6 weeks since I was diagnosed with genotype 1a. Transmission through IV drug use probably 2-3 months ago - so dumb. Ahhh. Since then I've detoxed off heroin 3 times cold turkey on my own. My body is ravaged from withdrawal. Dr says everything is elevated and I could have some symptoms. So vague. I just moved cross country to be with family and am clean one week now. I know some of what I'm feeling is not opiate withdrawal--I been down that road before. Is it really possible to have symptoms already? Lower back and hip pain. Everyday, I pass out cold at 1:30. Occasional numbness down my right side. Vision issues. Bloated like a whale.