You have to stay positive about all of this. We try and understand your difficulties. None of them are easy. Keep moving forward...
I have witnessed my own improvements and those of many others here on the forum. It happens most of the time. Nobody promises everything will magically go away, but how great would it be to feel 50% better? 75%? If you're like me, I'm taking those numbers when offered! SVR is a very worthwhile goal.
LamontCranston said
May 20, 2017
Thanks for all the wisdom...it will be interesting to see what improves once the virus is Outta Here. My experience with my other chronic condition, MS, has been mostly trying to convince my doctors that Not Everything is MS related. It's an easy excuse for them to toss out when they are baffled, like when I started exhibiting signs of Something Else about 18 months back. Biggest tip off was going from having a pretty regularly "Loose Caboose" to having chronic constipation, and bizarre gastro stuff. (Loud abdominal gurgling sounds, gas after eating, loss of appetite and Whatever.
I will be disappointed if those things don't improve after treatment. It will mean there is yet another thing to sort out.
beertastic said
May 20, 2017
With hep c you can expect almost any health disaster and watch it come to pass. You can also hope for improvements and see them happen too. I can relate with what Canuck said about getting a HCV antibody positive report . Although my health isn't getting any better yet I feel more at ease knowing its hep c as compared to when I, likewise the doctors had no clue what was making me sick. .
-- Edited by beertastic on Saturday 20th of May 2017 01:45:28 PM
Canuck said
May 20, 2017
Lamont,
I'd like to share that I blame EVERYTHING on HCV! Being a bad cook, burnt rice pots, counting on my fingers, being late for everything, feeling lazy, not knowing what day it is, facial tics, temper tantrums, buck teeth, bad hair. I PREFER to blame HCV for everything! That's my mainstay and I'm stickin to it.
But hey, I AM sincerely glad to glean differences in your before and after comparisons, or perhaps more accurately, some of your before and "current" comparisons, sounds as though some things have improved! Small blessings. I too, am hoping, very much, that after you are cured you will be finding more corrections, all to the good!
I have one for ya ... "those inklings" (that somethinghas to be very wrong), but I can't quite figure it out (not knowing that I actually had HCV see) things ... I had many of those moments, on my own, many, many times over the many, many decades I packed HCV ... it was highlighted when trying to ascertain things with docs, it resulted in being offered anti-depressants on three separate occasions ... sigh.
Little did I know, being offered antidepressants "could be" a sign of HCV!, (but, being offered a HCV antibody test, turned out far, far better, for me)! C.
Tig said
May 18, 2017
To be honest, you sorta answered your own question on symptoms. There are always other possible negative issues. I found that some things that were irritating and infrequent enough to not relate it to my disease, went away or improved markedly.
Here's a link with some information, I have others if you need additional resources. This covers it well. Don't forget the search function above. Things are happening fast, always check the dates of your information. Drug efficacy has improved light years in 5 years...
I have a somewhat complicated medley of medical issues, including MS, a neurological thing that eats the insulation on your central nervous system, and slightly high blood pressure, which is easily controlled with a diuretic and something else called Lisinopril.
I am guessing that I have had HepC for decades, possibly acquired in Mexico or WhoKnows, by ItcouldaBeenALotOfThings .
About 2.5 years ago, though, I began to develop a medley of symptoms, they are as follows:
1. Extreme fatigue ( this can be MS, too) ---mostly gone, for now
2. Brain fog----mostly gone, for now
3. Moderate to Severe Dizziness and unusually low BP, like 90 /50, even after I tried stopping my BP meds---totally gone now
4. Really bloodshot eyes, dull-looking , not jaundiced but nearly ---much better, almost normal
5. Chronic constipation ----still have it
6 Urinary retention (hard to pee) --- peeing freely now
7. Frequent low grade fever, like up to 101F but generally 99-100F ----- no fever at all now
8. Back pain (lower back) ( An MRI revealed a badly herniated disk and extrusion at L1-L2) So the back pain was explained. Ok, at the time I thought that might have caused the constipation as well, somehow, by interfering with the nerve root that runs my lower GI. (I know, but there was no other apparent reason) ---no pain at all
9. Rapid unintended weight loss, I went from a solidly porky 198lbs to 145 in about 3 months. My appetite was not good, and nearly every thing I ate caused me to feel queasy, and meals caused major farting, like ridiculous.--- My weight has gone back up with good appetite, but still get gas after eating.
10. Some bruising under skin, like red splotches, even from vigorous scratching. Also do get itching attacks, but not all the time.
So that is that. I feel generally OK now, though, not 100% But pretty good considering where I was. PhysTherapy almost immediately and completely cleared up my back pain issues.
The constipation, however, hasn't completely resolved, so about I am constipated about 70% of the time. I have been drinking a LOT of water, and maintaining a high-fiber diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, but I still need help (Milk of Magnesia or stool softener at least 2-3 days a week) -- as noted above, the gas continues to be an issue
OK....So...
Way back in the 80's I contracted HepA, and though there are similarities, the severity symptoms of the HepA infection were much more obvious.
Anyway...
This is a long way of asking "What are the symptoms of HepC?" As much as I have read, there is not much in the way of information of how people feel or what they might get in the way of symptoms.
Like anything, no one will have exactly the same ones, but aside from your Blood Test, what were the signs that something was wrong?
Here are the ones listed on various medical websites, and I suppose I can check a few of those, but the ones listed are pretty common for people who aren't HepC infected.
You have to stay positive about all of this. We try and understand your difficulties. None of them are easy. Keep moving forward...
I have witnessed my own improvements and those of many others here on the forum. It happens most of the time. Nobody promises everything will magically go away, but how great would it be to feel 50% better? 75%? If you're like me, I'm taking those numbers when offered! SVR is a very worthwhile goal.
I will be disappointed if those things don't improve after treatment. It will mean there is yet another thing to sort out.
With hep c you can expect almost any health disaster and watch it come to pass. You can also hope for improvements and see them happen too. I can relate with what Canuck said about getting a HCV antibody positive report . Although my health isn't getting any better yet I feel more at ease knowing its hep c as compared to when I, likewise the doctors had no clue what was making me sick. .
-- Edited by beertastic on Saturday 20th of May 2017 01:45:28 PM
Lamont,
I'd like to share that I blame EVERYTHING on HCV! Being a bad cook, burnt rice pots, counting on my fingers, being late for everything, feeling lazy, not knowing what day it is, facial tics, temper tantrums, buck teeth, bad hair. I PREFER to blame HCV for everything! That's my mainstay and I'm stickin to it.
But hey, I AM sincerely glad to glean differences in your before and after comparisons, or perhaps more accurately, some of your before and "current" comparisons, sounds as though some things have improved! Small blessings. I too, am hoping, very much, that after you are cured you will be finding more corrections, all to the good!
I have one for ya ... "those inklings" (that something has to be very wrong), but I can't quite figure it out (not knowing that I actually had HCV see) things ... I had many of those moments, on my own, many, many times over the many, many decades I packed HCV ... it was highlighted when trying to ascertain things with docs, it resulted in being offered anti-depressants on three separate occasions ... sigh.
Little did I know, being offered antidepressants "could be" a sign of HCV!, (but, being offered a HCV antibody test, turned out far, far better, for me)!
C.
To be honest, you sorta answered your own question on symptoms. There are always other possible negative issues. I found that some things that were irritating and infrequent enough to not relate it to my disease, went away or improved markedly.
Here's a link with some information, I have others if you need additional resources. This covers it well. Don't forget the search function above. Things are happening fast, always check the dates of your information. Drug efficacy has improved light years in 5 years...
HepC Info
I have a somewhat complicated medley of medical issues, including MS, a neurological thing that eats the insulation on your central nervous system, and slightly high blood pressure, which is easily controlled with a diuretic and something else called Lisinopril.
I am guessing that I have had HepC for decades, possibly acquired in Mexico or WhoKnows, by ItcouldaBeenALotOfThings .
About 2.5 years ago, though, I began to develop a medley of symptoms, they are as follows:
1. Extreme fatigue ( this can be MS, too) ---mostly gone, for now
2. Brain fog----mostly gone, for now
3. Moderate to Severe Dizziness and unusually low BP, like 90 /50, even after I tried stopping my BP meds---totally gone now
4. Really bloodshot eyes, dull-looking , not jaundiced but nearly ---much better, almost normal
5. Chronic constipation ----still have it
6 Urinary retention (hard to pee) --- peeing freely now
7. Frequent low grade fever, like up to 101F but generally 99-100F ----- no fever at all now
8. Back pain (lower back) ( An MRI revealed a badly herniated disk and extrusion at L1-L2) So the back pain was explained. Ok, at the time I thought that might have caused the constipation as well, somehow, by interfering with the nerve root that runs my lower GI. (I know, but there was no other apparent reason) ---no pain at all
9. Rapid unintended weight loss, I went from a solidly porky 198lbs to 145 in about 3 months. My appetite was not good, and nearly every thing I ate caused me to feel queasy, and meals caused major farting, like ridiculous.--- My weight has gone back up with good appetite, but still get gas after eating.
10. Some bruising under skin, like red splotches, even from vigorous scratching. Also do get itching attacks, but not all the time.
So that is that. I feel generally OK now, though, not 100% But pretty good considering where I was. PhysTherapy almost immediately and completely cleared up my back pain issues.
The constipation, however, hasn't completely resolved, so about I am constipated about 70% of the time. I have been drinking a LOT of water, and maintaining a high-fiber diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, but I still need help (Milk of Magnesia or stool softener at least 2-3 days a week) -- as noted above, the gas continues to be an issue
OK....So...
Way back in the 80's I contracted HepA, and though there are similarities, the severity symptoms of the HepA infection were much more obvious.
Anyway...
This is a long way of asking "What are the symptoms of HepC?" As much as I have read, there is not much in the way of information of how people feel or what they might get in the way of symptoms.
Like anything, no one will have exactly the same ones, but aside from your Blood Test, what were the signs that something was wrong?
Here are the ones listed on various medical websites, and I suppose I can check a few of those, but the ones listed are pretty common for people who aren't HepC infected.
-- Edited by LamontCranston on Thursday 18th of May 2017 06:26:02 PM
-- Edited by LamontCranston on Thursday 18th of May 2017 06:28:09 PM