Mike, you can do this. There is a whole new life out there for you and I am here to tell you, Life is Beautiful!
I never thought I would put Heroine behind me. I always felt it would be with me on my dying day.
That was some 30 years ago now and the trip from then to now has been wonderful and not something I deserved.
We will remain here for you Mike, and you CAN do this. Of this I am certain.
JimmyK
Logan21 said
May 23, 2016
I really hope thats the case.. About jan-feb i started getting real tired but just blamed it on withdrawls... Ive been clean before from longer and harder use and have never felt like this... If i do come back negitive for some reason something is wrong with me n ill just go from there i guess.... Ill hopfully be able to report back in the next day or 2 with some results.. I think i found a clinic online i can just walk into to get the tests... Again appreciate the advice... Been a huge weight off my shoulders
JimmyK said
May 23, 2016
He was doing so good right up to the end.
LOL.
JimmyK said
May 23, 2016
Hi again Mike.
If you are two weeks clean I am not at all surprised you are exhausted. That kind of goes with the territory.
Have you taken an RNA Quantitative test to detect Viral Load? If all you have tested for is the Antibody that does not mean you have HepC.
I can see from the sideline Tig just posted here so I want to read his and make sure I am not repeating things he may have said.
JimmyK
-- Edited by JimmyK on Monday 23rd of May 2016 08:39:34 PM
Tig said
May 23, 2016
Logan,
Your first step is behind you, getting on the sobriety train. We refer to a railroad vernacular around here a lot! The next thing you need to do is find a doctor willing to help you. If your GP has an attitude already, find another one. That's absurd on her part. You need some blood work and depending on those results, you either are or aren't infected. First things first. It's no big deal, don't let the process overwhelm you. Get the right tests, the RNA quantitative test and your liver function tests. Straight forward and will be easy to accomplish.
When you know what you're dealing with, we can discuss the next step in the process. There are so many options now, don't get lost in them. You're not going to go through this alone. We are here around the clock and will help you all the way to the end. Relax and be confident that you will succeed at everything you have undertaken. You've got a lot on your plate, take one bite at a time! Just watch out for Jimmy, he's got quite an appetite!!!
Logan21 said
May 23, 2016
Also i was tested about 13 months ago and had nothing
Logan21 said
May 23, 2016
I appreciate all the input and i forgot to mention i am clean for two weeks or so and doing the meetings and what not... I tried calling a bunch of places only for the last call telling me to call back to the first place i called.. Im 30 now but the last time i saw a dr was probably for a high school sports physical so i really dont even kno where to start.. I tried calling a hepotolgist and was told i need to get orders for blood from a family dr and as soon as she found out i got my anti body test in rehab she got a real attitude with me... I do how ever have insurance that i picked up to take care of rehab thank god but it runs out in sept i believe so i need to get the ball rolling... Again i appreciate the input as i havent been able to bring myself to tell anyone only knowing a few days myself
wendyo said
May 23, 2016
hi Mike,
I too was an ivdu and am 1A. I hope you will get further tests and get some treatment started as this is progressive, just like addiction is. Nothing to fool with. Be glad to chat privately about recovery if you so desire.
wendy
Pablito said
May 23, 2016
Hi Mike
Sorry to hear your troubles and tiredness. Just a thought: have you got acute hepatitis? From reading your comments it sounds like a fairly recent event with the needle switch thing (what a dick this guy sounds, by the way, but as Jimmy points out, none of us are angels when using).
The reason I suggest this is that, generally speaking, the fatigue from HCV comes a few years down the line. I've had HCV for 19-20 years and it's only in the last 2 that I've left tired. And, like you, I can trace my infection to a specific incident I got involved with with an Egyptian user: it was the only timed I shared and, lo and behold, I have genotype 4 (common in Egypt). I digress, the point being that I can remember my acute hepatitis C phase when I was exhausted for about a month, but then that past and I was fine for years.
That all said, if the thing that was 53-63 was your AST of ALT (LFTs) then acute hep C is unlikely, and it's more likely chronic C (once that is your RNA levels are checked, like Tig says.)
Either way, you need to get treatment. Which has great success rates and much of your energy will come back afterwards.
In terms of dealing with it, my technique - which is probably not the best one - was to block it all out and pretend like I didn't have HCV. I just cracked on with life and tried to not let it restrict me. I raised my head above the psychological parapet once in a while when new treatments came around (once for God awful interferon and ribavirin, and more recently for the new direct acting antivirals). It's only now that I'm being treated with the new drugs and my viral load is dropping that I realise how much denial I was in and how awful I felt.
Just try and be gentle to yourself. Rest when needed. But also make sure you keep up some physical activity even if it is a small walk a day. Eat well. Don't drink alcohol at all.
But if you are still in that active phase of using or in early recovery the most important thing is to find a way to get sober, be that through a support group of your choice or through an addiction service. My experience was that the first 6 months or a year was awful and I felt worse than when i was using, but then it got better and easier with time. But it's almost impossible to do on your own, or in a place where you still associating with people who use.
Anyway, I hope it all gets better for you. Both HCV and addiction are beatable...you just gotta fight and bit and persevere at them both.
Pablo
JimmyK said
May 23, 2016
Hi Mike,
Well let's face it. dope fiends are not boy scouts. LOL I am just about 30 years clean now and I spent a good deal of time in the old days lifting weights and playing cards on the yard.
Assuming a Geno 1a means you are in the main boat we share. Very common and easy to treat.
We will of course want to see all the results. Geno Type, RNA Viral Load. ALT, AST, Platelets, Hemoglobin, RBC, WBC, etc.
Not sure what would be 53-63 and considered normal for a liver. Maybe ALT in that 63 would be the high end of normal. Need that clarified.
Based on the extreme exhaustion and assuming the RNA Quantitative comes back as detected I would ask for a FibroScan or at least a FibroSure test be done to determine an F level which is a measurement of Fibrosis.
I understand it can at times be easy to look at the short term. I remember when I was using it was often a simple matter of getting through just today, I will start tomorrow. I can't count the number of times I said that back then.
I do not mean to alarm you but extreme exhaustion could be signs of liver failure. This is nothing to play with brother, this is nothing to put off and I am not saying that from the voice of someone who read about it, I lived it.
I have an old YA #, a N# and an A # all with the State of California. One more and I would have caught the "****" which based on my age is nothing more than an LWOP.
I do thank God for where I am today, and if I can help you, I will as will the rest of the good folks here. You got to want it brother, you got to want it.
JimmyK
Logan21 said
May 23, 2016
So yes it was from ivdu and ome pos switched his old for my new and thats where im at... The kid has geno 1a so im guesing id be the same.. Im in the process of getting it all tested but the time line for when i started feeling like this all falls into place.. I believe whatever they tested was 53 or 63 and was told it was normal for my liver... Today im tired but have energy yesterday and saturday..i had to badicly pull myself up the stairs...i just got some much going on the next couple weeks finally getting over the addiction...
JimmyK said
May 23, 2016
Logan21 wrote:
I feel like there is no way i can work like this. Im having a hard time right now mostly with sobriety atleast when i was using i could carry on with daily tasks... Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Hi Mike and welcome.
Generally when folks mix the terms "sobriety" and "using", I tend to assume Heroin. If that is the case I would agree daily tasks seem to be easier when "fixed".
The key words are "seem to be". It is like wearing a mask which is an outward appearance that does not reflect reality.
Life is painful sometimes and sometimes it is simply great. We need all aspects of life to be able to say we have lived.
If your crutch is Heroin I know exactly what you are talking about and it takes time to learn to walk, painlessly, without it. It is like a magnet that continually draws you back with an offer of "better" that is simply that oasis in a desert that offers false hope that in your mind is real, but it is not.
In this battle you need to put one foot in front of the other in order to walk. First step is put down the needle that opened the door to the Dragon to begin with. Choose life with all it has to offer including pain sometimes.
I may be making a wild assumption here. Perhaps Heroin is not your problem. Forgive me if that is the case, but if you could better identify what has caused you to be so exhausted we may be able to better.
You are among friends here who do not judge and have in fact walked the road you are walking.
Welcome
JimmyK
Cinnamon Girl said
May 23, 2016
Hi and welcome, Mike!
I really feel for you feeling so exhausted all the time, and I must say that I was the same situation for several years before I did my Tx (treatment) and got rid of Hep C. Since then my energy levels have improved more that I would have thought possible.
Having said that, your fatigue isn`t necessarily caused by Hep C, it could related to something else entirely, so don`t jump to conclusions at this stage. Many people get no obvious symptoms at all from HCV and the diagnosis comes as a complete surprise.
As Tig said, you need to have further tests to find out whether you actually have a currently active infection or not, and you can take it from there.
Best of luck!
Loopy Lisa said
May 23, 2016
I've lived a few years with fatigue. At one point I was totally exhausted and had a lot of pain. Cutting a long story short, I ended up with a temporary paralysis and ended up on a rehabilitation course. Apart from not having my actual real diagnoses found until years later, it did help me a lot. It seems illogical, but I went everyday to move more. I built up my weak muscles because my answer to everything was to rest. I cut out a lot of bad foods, OK, I still eat them sometimes, but not like before, and lost some weight. Now I sport frequently, my muscles are good and pain is more gut related when I am not careful about my foods and drinks. I still feel tired often, but instead of becoming a slave to it, I have a powernap if needed and carry on. It helps to get into bed at a good time, wake up after a good 8 hrs and drink plenty of water. Even if it is not Hep related, it is good to look after yourself.
I hope you cleared the virus and only have the antibodies x
Sydhanrahan said
May 23, 2016
Hi Mike,
Tig's recommendation in the only way to go. You can't fight something unless you know what it is.
you need to know firstly if you have Hep C, secondly what genome type you have and thirdly how much, if any damage, as been done to your liver. The liver is a remarkable organ and can regenerate in the early stages of the disease. If you are eligible for treatment using the new DAA's then you should go for it as soon as possible.
good luck.
Syd
Tig said
May 22, 2016
Hey Mike,
I'm sorry you're feeling so exhausted. If you do have chronic Hepatitis C, that may explain some of it. You didn't mention what you found out though. Did you have any additional testing done? You need to have a RNA viral load test completed and a liver panel. If you can provide that, we could give you a better informed opinion.
Living with the fatigue is difficult, but getting started with treatment and successfully beating it, if you have it, you'll notice improvements in many areas. Get in touch with your doctor, get tested and get treated. It's the best recommendation I can give you.
Logan21 said
May 22, 2016
So heres my story.. I tested positive for the antibody a couple weeks ago and i kno you say i may not have it but now i finally have my anwser to why im so tired(i know when and where i got it)... It was about a year ago and now i finaly have the anwser to to why im so tired... From the time i wake up untill about 3-4 pm i feel like i havent slept in weeks.. Im talking like its a chore to walk up and down the stairs. If i drink a cofee ill be ok for like 30 minutes then its back to being exhausted. Later in the day i still feel worn down but i can still function. My question is how are you all dealing with this? I feel like there is no way i can work like this. Im having a hard time right now mostly with sobriety atleast when i was using i could carry on with daily tasks... Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Mike, you can do this. There is a whole new life out there for you and I am here to tell you, Life is Beautiful!
I never thought I would put Heroine behind me. I always felt it would be with me on my dying day.
That was some 30 years ago now and the trip from then to now has been wonderful and not something I deserved.
We will remain here for you Mike, and you CAN do this. Of this I am certain.
JimmyK
He was doing so good right up to the end.
LOL.
Hi again Mike.
If you are two weeks clean I am not at all surprised you are exhausted. That kind of goes with the territory.
Have you taken an RNA Quantitative test to detect Viral Load? If all you have tested for is the Antibody that does not mean you have HepC.
I can see from the sideline Tig just posted here so I want to read his and make sure I am not repeating things he may have said.
JimmyK
-- Edited by JimmyK on Monday 23rd of May 2016 08:39:34 PM
Logan,
Your first step is behind you, getting on the sobriety train. We refer to a railroad vernacular around here a lot! The next thing you need to do is find a doctor willing to help you. If your GP has an attitude already, find another one. That's absurd on her part. You need some blood work and depending on those results, you either are or aren't infected. First things first. It's no big deal, don't let the process overwhelm you. Get the right tests, the RNA quantitative test and your liver function tests. Straight forward and will be easy to accomplish.
When you know what you're dealing with, we can discuss the next step in the process. There are so many options now, don't get lost in them. You're not going to go through this alone. We are here around the clock and will help you all the way to the end. Relax and be confident that you will succeed at everything you have undertaken. You've got a lot on your plate, take one bite at a time! Just watch out for Jimmy, he's got quite an appetite!!!
hi Mike,
I too was an ivdu and am 1A. I hope you will get further tests and get some treatment started as this is progressive, just like addiction is. Nothing to fool with. Be glad to chat privately about recovery if you so desire.
wendy
Sorry to hear your troubles and tiredness. Just a thought: have you got acute hepatitis? From reading your comments it sounds like a fairly recent event with the needle switch thing (what a dick this guy sounds, by the way, but as Jimmy points out, none of us are angels when using).
The reason I suggest this is that, generally speaking, the fatigue from HCV comes a few years down the line. I've had HCV for 19-20 years and it's only in the last 2 that I've left tired. And, like you, I can trace my infection to a specific incident I got involved with with an Egyptian user: it was the only timed I shared and, lo and behold, I have genotype 4 (common in Egypt). I digress, the point being that I can remember my acute hepatitis C phase when I was exhausted for about a month, but then that past and I was fine for years.
That all said, if the thing that was 53-63 was your AST of ALT (LFTs) then acute hep C is unlikely, and it's more likely chronic C (once that is your RNA levels are checked, like Tig says.)
Either way, you need to get treatment. Which has great success rates and much of your energy will come back afterwards.
In terms of dealing with it, my technique - which is probably not the best one - was to block it all out and pretend like I didn't have HCV. I just cracked on with life and tried to not let it restrict me. I raised my head above the psychological parapet once in a while when new treatments came around (once for God awful interferon and ribavirin, and more recently for the new direct acting antivirals). It's only now that I'm being treated with the new drugs and my viral load is dropping that I realise how much denial I was in and how awful I felt.
Just try and be gentle to yourself. Rest when needed. But also make sure you keep up some physical activity even if it is a small walk a day. Eat well. Don't drink alcohol at all.
But if you are still in that active phase of using or in early recovery the most important thing is to find a way to get sober, be that through a support group of your choice or through an addiction service. My experience was that the first 6 months or a year was awful and I felt worse than when i was using, but then it got better and easier with time. But it's almost impossible to do on your own, or in a place where you still associating with people who use.
Anyway, I hope it all gets better for you. Both HCV and addiction are beatable...you just gotta fight and bit and persevere at them both.
Pablo
Hi Mike,
Well let's face it. dope fiends are not boy scouts. LOL I am just about 30 years clean now and I spent a good deal of time in the old days lifting weights and playing cards on the yard.
Assuming a Geno 1a means you are in the main boat we share. Very common and easy to treat.
We will of course want to see all the results. Geno Type, RNA Viral Load. ALT, AST, Platelets, Hemoglobin, RBC, WBC, etc.
Not sure what would be 53-63 and considered normal for a liver. Maybe ALT in that 63 would be the high end of normal. Need that clarified.
Based on the extreme exhaustion and assuming the RNA Quantitative comes back as detected I would ask for a FibroScan or at least a FibroSure test be done to determine an F level which is a measurement of Fibrosis.
I understand it can at times be easy to look at the short term. I remember when I was using it was often a simple matter of getting through just today, I will start tomorrow. I can't count the number of times I said that back then.
I do not mean to alarm you but extreme exhaustion could be signs of liver failure. This is nothing to play with brother, this is nothing to put off and I am not saying that from the voice of someone who read about it, I lived it.
I have an old YA #, a N# and an A # all with the State of California. One more and I would have caught the "****" which based on my age is nothing more than an LWOP.
I do thank God for where I am today, and if I can help you, I will as will the rest of the good folks here. You got to want it brother, you got to want it.
JimmyK
Hi Mike and welcome.
Generally when folks mix the terms "sobriety" and "using", I tend to assume Heroin. If that is the case I would agree daily tasks seem to be easier when "fixed".
The key words are "seem to be". It is like wearing a mask which is an outward appearance that does not reflect reality.
Life is painful sometimes and sometimes it is simply great. We need all aspects of life to be able to say we have lived.
If your crutch is Heroin I know exactly what you are talking about and it takes time to learn to walk, painlessly, without it. It is like a magnet that continually draws you back with an offer of "better" that is simply that oasis in a desert that offers false hope that in your mind is real, but it is not.
In this battle you need to put one foot in front of the other in order to walk. First step is put down the needle that opened the door to the Dragon to begin with. Choose life with all it has to offer including pain sometimes.
I may be making a wild assumption here. Perhaps Heroin is not your problem. Forgive me if that is the case, but if you could better identify what has caused you to be so exhausted we may be able to better.
You are among friends here who do not judge and have in fact walked the road you are walking.
Welcome
JimmyK
Hi and welcome, Mike!
I really feel for you feeling so exhausted all the time, and I must say that I was the same situation for several years before I did my Tx (treatment) and got rid of Hep C. Since then my energy levels have improved more that I would have thought possible.
Having said that, your fatigue isn`t necessarily caused by Hep C, it could related to something else entirely, so don`t jump to conclusions at this stage. Many people get no obvious symptoms at all from HCV and the diagnosis comes as a complete surprise.
As Tig said, you need to have further tests to find out whether you actually have a currently active infection or not, and you can take it from there.
Best of luck!
I've lived a few years with fatigue. At one point I was totally exhausted and had a lot of pain. Cutting a long story short, I ended up with a temporary paralysis and ended up on a rehabilitation course. Apart from not having my actual real diagnoses found until years later, it did help me a lot. It seems illogical, but I went everyday to move more. I built up my weak muscles because my answer to everything was to rest. I cut out a lot of bad foods, OK, I still eat them sometimes, but not like before, and lost some weight. Now I sport frequently, my muscles are good and pain is more gut related when I am not careful about my foods and drinks. I still feel tired often, but instead of becoming a slave to it, I have a powernap if needed and carry on. It helps to get into bed at a good time, wake up after a good 8 hrs and drink plenty of water. Even if it is not Hep related, it is good to look after yourself.
I hope you cleared the virus and only have the antibodies x
Hi Mike,
Tig's recommendation in the only way to go. You can't fight something unless you know what it is.
you need to know firstly if you have Hep C, secondly what genome type you have and thirdly how much, if any damage, as been done to your liver. The liver is a remarkable organ and can regenerate in the early stages of the disease. If you are eligible for treatment using the new DAA's then you should go for it as soon as possible.
good luck.
Syd
Hey Mike,
I'm sorry you're feeling so exhausted. If you do have chronic Hepatitis C, that may explain some of it. You didn't mention what you found out though. Did you have any additional testing done? You need to have a RNA viral load test completed and a liver panel. If you can provide that, we could give you a better informed opinion.
Living with the fatigue is difficult, but getting started with treatment and successfully beating it, if you have it, you'll notice improvements in many areas. Get in touch with your doctor, get tested and get treated. It's the best recommendation I can give you.