Hi there,

I was just diagnosed with Hep C antibodies yesterday and I need to find out more information in order to fight this. I have heard and read through a few threads that this can be cured. If anyone can share that would be great.

Some questions:
-What is "genotypes" 1,2,3 and how do I know which one I have?
-I see that some people are choosing not to be treated. What are the advantages/disadvantages for treatment?
-What type of treatments are available?
-Dumb question, but hey I have to know. My appointment with the specialist isn't until next month, but can I still go for facials et al without risking anyone's health?
-I am a smoker and obviously I will be quitting. Is there a time line from being smoke free and beginning treatment?
-Should I refrain from coffee too? Is there any type of foods/beverages I should stay away from?
-Will Milk Thistle help?
-Is it okay to continue taking Zinc, a multi vitamin, fish oil and iodine?


For the record, I am also battling hypothyroidism. Will this treatment conflict with the progress I have made on my thyroid treatment? Are they related?

Thanks so much

All your questions are good ones!

First of all it is absolutely necessary to avoid alcohol.

When you see your specialist he will order further tests, among them will be the genotype. Some types have a higher rate of successful treatment than others.

A person must come in contact with your blood to have a chance of contacting the Hep C virus such as through a cut or open sore. If you get manicures, you might want to provide your own tools. If an instrument should cut you, it is difficult to remove every trace of the virus. For the most part you should be able to continue with your normal activities such as getting a facial.

I take milk thistle along with other things. Most people believe it to be helpful.

From my understanding, treatment consists of getting chemo therapy for several months. The genotype will usually dictate the length. Some will be able to tolerate the treatment and side effects, other cannot. After all tests are done, your doctor will give you the information to help you decide whether treatment is appropriate for you. My doctor will not treat unless a psychriatrist is involved every step of the way.

You might want to check out your local library for any books on the subject. Some are good, some are not, but are usually worthwhile. I just couldn't wait so many weeks to see the specialist without getting more information. Also, searching the internet will be useful.

There's several here with a lot more information and resources, and am sure they will be around before much longer.

alice

Chemo???? Oh my, I don't like the sounds of that. That hasn't come up yet in any research I have done. Has anyone here with Hep C had Chemo or maybe that is just liver cancer????

I have heard about the "pill mixture??/shots???" treatment. Has anyone had success with those? Are they really debilitating? I read that Pamela ANderson was treating her Hep C through a naturopath because she felt the treatments available would make her sicker. Is this the case??

Hi Spinny,

Chemo is a general term in this case. Hep c is treated with interferon (the shots you've heard about), usually in form called pegylated, and almost always in combination with ribavarin (the pills).

It is a tough treatment for many (although some folks experience few side effects),and for genotype 1 it lasts 48 weeks (for type 2, and usually for 3, it is over at 24 weeks). For type 1, the odds of extinguishing the virus are only roughly fifty fifty. For 2's, the odds are better--80% or better chance of sustaind viral response (undetectable viral count after treatment. This may or may not mean the liver starts to recover, as this also varies by individual. It does indeed make some people sick. It can lead to thyroid and other autoimmune issues. Still, for many people there are few negative effects, and they report feeling better either soon after starting, or after tx is long over.

For those who do not have such positive reactions, the chief side effects of concern seem to be depression, exhaustion, and flu symptoms. These can get very serious, or can blow over after a few weeks.

It is such a mixed picture that no one can predict with confidence what any one person's experience will be. That is why so many of us have not yet decided to dive into the treatment thing. Hep c is ssssllllllooooowwww acting in most of us, so we can afford to watch and wait a bit. For the majority of hep c "sufferers" there are no symptoms at all, no serious or at least no fast moving liver damage, no nuttin'. For a meaningful fraction of us, perhaps 20 or 25%, fibrosis moves more rapidly, and/or there may be true symptoms of varying severity.

About your supplements. There is nothing wrong with a multivitamin as long as it has NO iron, and very low vitamin A, or preferably only beta carotene. The liver is helped by small doses of vit a, but large doses accumulate in the stellate cells, and can aggravate inflammation. Zinc is fine, in fact, zinc supplements have been linked, in a couple of studies now, to better tx outcomes for hep c. I have no idea about iodine. Most multvit/mineral tablets have a bit. Is there a reason you are taking extra?

yes you must stop smoking right now. sorry. But no, coffee and tea do not seem to bother the liver. There is even some evidence that they may promote liver health. So we got a by on that one.

Read up, here and elsewhere. Find a gastroeneterologist or hepatologist who is easy to talk to, and formulate all the questions you can. Threre is much to learn and to ponder with this thing. Nothing is cut and dried.

sean

Hi Sean,

The iodine is to help my hypothyroidism. I take a drop of Lugol's everyday. I also have an appointment with a heptologist but not until Apr 9. I found Milk Thistle and Vitamin E as well as a Licorice type tea meant for Liver Health that I picked up at the health food store. It seems like a long wait before my appointment and quite honestly, I am a little stressed and still dealing with the shock.

The treatment, does it cause massive hair loss or anything like that as a side efect? I thought I read something about that somewhere. Is there a chance I can get rid of this just through healthy habits? Or is treatment the only way to completely clear it.

Thanks

Hi spinnybrunette

I to had hypothyroidism. My Hep Doc had me get that taking care of first. He felt the hypothyroidism might have been the reason for some of my sides the last time I did Tx and had to get off Tx early. Might be something you want to ask your doc about. I had my thyroid radiated with radioactive iodine. Just drink it and the thyroids gone. :)

Hi spinnybrunette

I to had hypothyroidism. My Hep Doc had me get that taking care of first. He felt the hypothyroidism might have been the reason for some of my sides the last time I did Tx and had to get off Tx early. Might be something you want to ask your doc about. I had my thyroid radiated with radioactive iodine. Just drink it and the thyroids gone. :)

Wow, did you have Hypothyroidism before Tx or was it caused by Tx? I seem to have found a med for thyroid that makes me feel a lot better, I think it is the right dose maybe. So I guess I should focus on that first. I find most doctors tend to lack knowledge of thyroid disorders.

Also, with Hep, I tested positive for Hep C antibodies. Is there a chance that further tests may show hope of it being undetectable? I think I read something about building enough immunity to fight it off. ANy thoughts on this?

Wow, did you have Hypothyroidism before Tx or was it caused by Tx? I seem to have found a med for thyroid that makes me feel a lot better, I think it is the right dose maybe. So I guess I should focus on that first. I find most doctors tend to lack knowledge of thyroid disorders.

Also, with Hep, I tested positive for Hep C antibodies. Is there a chance that further tests may show hope of it being undetectable? I think I read something about building enough immunity to fight it off. ANy thoughts on this?

For a fraction of people infected with hep c, perhaps 15 or 20 percent, we are not at all sure, they contract the virus, develop antibodies, and recover. Their immune systems defeat the virus, they have not more hep. Although they will always test positive for the antibodies (as far as we know), a fruther test, called the PCR/RNA or just the PCR, can test for living, replicating viruses. If it shows not virus--"undetectable," then yes the person has recovered.

This PCR test is the one that can tell whether you now have live virus (you are still infected), what genotype, and so on. This is the test you will get with the hepatologist, I am sure.

Not to worry about it until then. This is not a raging disease. Even if you have it, you are in no immediate danger. In fact, you might be in no "danger" at all. This is the case for most of us.


sean

Well my doctor ran some more tests and said it is detectable. Also my ALT is 179 and AST is 96, both very high from what I gather. Funny, I feel more symptomatic from my thyroid problem that this (weight gain, brain fog, dry hair) I still won't know what genotype etc until I see the specialist in April.

Thanks for all your answers and for keeping me sane.
Guess I have a lot of decisions that lay ahead