kyuss

Damn Tui,
I hope you didn't.
I gotta feeling you'll be fine.
I'd get tested tho.


found this on the net:

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OxyContinuously

Hey T ;-)

First off, you certainly may not have it at all...but definitely get tested, just so ya' know either way...

and second: absolutely nothing to feel stupid about, as a matter of fact, the clowns that did your BF's test and told him he was right as rain, should be feeling stupid.

And third, Hep is quite treatable, these days. I know there's no cure and I've read all the "media hype" as I like to call it, but the most important thing is to know either way. i look at it like this: if you know, you can be proactive, and do what you need to to make sure it doesn't get worse, and things like that, and chances are, you'll have just as nice, and productive a life as u would if you were negative. THink of it as kinda like a diabetes for the liver, you know? I mean, diabetic people (like my uncle Richie) that have to take insulin every day, just adapt to that, and they are fine. Similar with Hep-- just know what it's all about, know your options, and be informed about it: that's the best u can do, you know what i mean?

But, judging from ur posts, you seem to have a very level-headed and intelligent way of dealing with anything that comes ur way, so I personally think Hep (if you even have it, that is) will be nothing more than a bump in the road for ya ;-)

good luck anyway
take care

later T

Oxy

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jayemp420

wow thats terrible... my thoughts nad prayers will be with you guys... thats horrible man tell your boyfriend to stay strong

chopstix

Hey Tui, really sorry to read this. I remember very vividly being told I was HCV+ and feeling completely devastated over it, I was absolutely floored. This was awhile ago and they didn't know much about it and couldn't tell me much aside that I needed to stop doing drugs; but they also said that there was a good chance that no matter how I lived my life, I may never show symptoms. This was in 94, I think I was (initially) exposed around 89-90 but I can't be sure; truth is I've probably had direct contact with it several times.

Sometime around 97, I was tested again. I don't remember why or where because I was a complete mess at that point, but good 'ol mom remembers that test though and swears it was negative (un-detectable viral load). By 97 I had been shooting dope off and on (mostly on) for 8 or 9 years and had lived with an HCV+ girl for a year, we never used any sort of protection and we were pretty active.

So about two years ago I decided to get my liver checked out (not remembering the negative test in 97) and it came up undetectable again. So at the point of my last test I had over 10 years of IV drug use, two of those years homeless and strung out on the streets (meaning $X fucking knows how many hcv+ people I had shared cottons and cookers with) and had since been living with a different girl for about 7 years who is positive and we never use any protection.

Since the last negative test, I'm pretty careful about not using her toothbrush or razors but after this many years (approx 15 since first exposure) and two negative tests, I don't worry about it too much. Although I'm generally pretty healthy I do drink quite a bit, so I figure an undetectable viral load after 15 years is a pretty damn good sign.

You didn't mention the (suspected) nature of your exposure but I can say that HCV transmission through sex is considered to be pretty rare, they're not sure why but it just doesn't seem to cross that barrier very well. It is true that females are generally at more risk than males but most doctors and clinics generally don't test for HCV in STD panels unless specifically requested, because it's generally not considered an STD. There are many, many couples out there where one partner is +, they don't use protection, and the other partner never contracts it. I have read stuff that claims a significant risk of sexual transmission but the majority seem to think the risk is low. Not that protection isn't a good idea but I found it interesting that hetero ST just isn't considered a common route of infection, although there are a few who dispute that.

As far as my case goes, I think I'm one of the "lucky" ones who's immune system beats it on their own, last figure I heard was ~15% seem to do that. I do plan to get tested a couple more times though, just to be certain..

I know this is kinda long but I figured I'd share my experience and what I've learned about it. I think someone mentioned Interferon, I talked to a Doctor recently and was told the success statistics are getting pretty good with the treatment and side effects are getting better and easier to deal with. If you can kick Methadone, I'm sure you can handle Interferon treatment. The younger you are and the lower your viral load at the time of treatment seems to have a significant impact on the results; basically if it turns out that you test +, get tested again (can't hurt to double check) and consider the treatment asap.

Hope that helps, *hang in there* and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.. And not that you shouldn't be careful or get checked out soon, but there really is a good chance that it will have little to no impact on your life. HTH

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tui

thanks everyone for your responses-

i guess after a few years of neg tests you start to feel bulletproof.

chopstix, that's amazing news about your hepC. so good. as you said, i think it's pretty hard to catch via sex. i'm not so worried about sex, i've had long term partners in the past with it, used no protection and been fine.
but my bf and i have been using together, and on sat night i was all out of fits, and i can't remember (drunk) but i think i may've used his- maybe not, cos i remember looking at his dirty fit and hating myself- threw it away- still full- and stormed out. i was having a tantrum because i'd been trying with my own gear for an hour and it kept clogging before i could get my shot away. usually i'd be wayyy more careful than i have been- but thinking he was hep neg made me relax.

t

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Z-man

Tui, allow me to say some possibly reassuring (and possibly controversial) words: being Hep C positive is not necessarily that big a deal. Hell, I've been C positive for something like 20 years, and you know what? I haven't worried about it one bit that entire time. And as long as my liver functions remain normal I will NEVER worry about it. The numbers fluctuate with the latest research but I think it's safe to say that a large percentage of those who have been exposed to Hep C will never get sick from it. Never. No liver problems, no cancer, ever. The drug companies would have you believe otherwise, because they want to sell you hideously expensive and physically draining interferon therapy. I advise you not to listen to Big Pharma. Listen to your body instead, if it feels healthy and your liver function is normal, there isn't really anything to worry about. Honestly, I really believe Hep C has been oversold as a dangerous disease. Yes, it will cause major problems for a small percentage of those exposed to it, but only for a small percentage! It is not even close to a death sentence. The odds are good that it may never effect you in any way. Don't let it get you down.

OhJoy

Sucks to hear that tui, sorry girl. But I've read some positive posts here and hopefully you will be fine. Don't fret yet.

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is_today_monday

Don't convince yourself at this stage that you have it. A few months ago, I had exposure to Hep C via shared needles (first time I shared in my life). For the next three months, I was convinced that it would come back positive. Had my PCR test done at three months, and it was negative. I was in total shot. I was certain that the fact the virus had access to my blood stream meant I would definitely get it. The doctor told me that it's not apparently as infectious as people often assume. That's not to say that we shouldn't be careful though. I still have to go back in another three months, just to be certain.

Try not to count your chickens before they hatch though, but at the same time, be realistic, since you know there is a risk. Acknowledge that there is a possibility, but try not to centre all your worries on it just yet.

Take care of yourself. You have a lot of support in these boards. Also, treatments are getting better all the time, and have a good success rate at clearing infections these days.

flipside

Tui..you could have an "ultrasensitive PCR " done now. Exposure in and of itself could cause a false positive...initially You need the PCR to confirm if indeed or not you are +.

Please e-mail me. it's in my profile.
I know you are in a difererent country..but between Candy, Nick and I we should be able to help you figure out your next move

Please, Be Gentle with yourself..

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CrankySailor

tui,

chopstix is right. Sexual transmission of HCV is pretty rare as long as blood and openings in skin/mucousa are not involved. HCV hangs in blood, not semen.

You absolutely should get tested... if we're talking only sexual (not blood) contact, checking for anti-HCV antibodies every two months for six months is probably sufficient. If blood was involved, you might want to ask your doc about it. New HCV infections (acute) are very easily treated with very short interferon protocols - much easier to treat before the infection gets entrenched and "chronic." If you do seroconvert (positive antibody test) or you are positive on a PCR, you should really think about 6-8 weeks on weekly pegylated interferon. If you nip it now, it'll save you the chance of not being able to nip it later and/or going through up to 12 months of interferon and ribavarin.

and no, you definitely aren't stupid here. it happens to the most careful of us.

and your b/f should also deal with it. the older you get, the less the likelihood of clearing the infection with or w/o treatment.

Good luck!

p.s. and flipside's advice is good. you can false positive. either way the pcr is the definitive test to tell if you are positive -- it is, however, not definitive is telling you are negative as it only detects down to a certain level of virons in blood.

and to be clear: Hep-B is very easy to transmit via sex - in fact, it's the common route of transmission. good news is there is a vaccine for B, which everyone should get.

Cranky

nick

Unless you've shared works(in which case you may have bigger problems) there is only a small (6% at tops)chanc of catching Hep C.

Get the test and know for sure.

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Alcohol is the WORST thing for Hepatatic liver

Black_Pony

Your right about the sex part, my parents were married 25 years and my Dad had hep c the whole time and my Mom never got it. They never shared works though. Even if you have, that doesn't necessarily mean you have it.

Also, like everyone else said it IS quite treatable. Of all the things you can get these days, I'd take Hep C any day if I had to choose one.

Keep ya head up,

BP

PS. My uncle has it too (ex-junky) and is too scared to start treatment. Someone got him all psyched out that interferon is going to cripple him. I told him that isn't the case for everyone, but he wont listen. I'll keep working on him though.

Saint

I feel for you Tui. I had a similar experience: found out that a friend of mine had Hep C so I was convinced I had it too. This was about 10 years ago. I started IV-ing in the early eighties - just before the AIDS-era and hepatitis C wasn't even known yet. So shared needles were still quite common. I didn't share much, maybe once or twice, but I DID share spoons and/or cottons occasionally which is just as dangerous in case of Hep C.
Anyway, I did the bloodtest and had to wait 6 weeks for the results. I was nervous as hell (but quit drinking immediately). And when I came back after those 6 horrible weeks they had somehow managed to screw up the testresults; they'd lost them! Motherfuckers. So I had to do a second test.

The results were that I tested positive for antibodies so I thought I was definitely fucked then.
The next step was checking if I had actual active virus in my blood. Another test and 6 weeks went by before the BIG appointment..

When I came back for the results my doc's first words were: ''sit down and relax, you're fine, no hepatitis C, no active viruses were found in your blood''. I remember I broke down and cried and then laughed at the same time. The doc explained that I had beat the virus on my own - like Chopsticks did. I still don't understand how that's possible since I probably got it about 10 years before that and I had been IV-ing H and drinking beer all those years..

The only way to be absolutely sure whether you have it or not is to take the test that looks for the active virus in your body This is an expensive test so that's the reason why they will often do the 'antibodies'-test first. Plus there is no need to do any further testing if the first test comes out negative anyway.
And I am very damn lucky to be one of those 15%.

But please: don't worry too much, things have changed over the past 20 years. Treatment has improved a lot and most people stay perfectly healthy for decades before it starts to afect their liver - if ever (when you've had treatment).
Also: if you didn't share any needles, spoons etc. you probably don't have it at all. Like Chopstix said: chances of getting Hep C from unsafe sex are very small. So please try to think positive. Even if you do have it, it's still not the end of the world. I know a lot of people who've had Hepatitis C for years now, some of them are still using opiates (don't do coke though!), others are working and have a perfectly normal life.

I remember having read an article about some new revolutionary treatment for Hep C when I was in Spain. Maybe someone else has more details about this?
I sincerely hope you'll be alright and I wish you and your BF all the best. You'll pull through this and so will your BF. Good luck to both of you!