I was with my ex when he got his biopsy. All I remember is this very very long needle with a jagged edge. They stuck it in his side and even though they numbed him, he was in terrible pain. He was squirming, moaning, and It was just awful. I remember saying to myself that I would choose death over that! Now I just found out that i have tested positive for the hepc antibody and they are testing for the virus itself. If I have it I am going to have to have a biopsy I'm sure. I want to tell them the only way I will do it is if they put me out.... fat chance i'm sure. Or at least a local. I am a big baby when it comes to pain. I'm scared and would like to please know peoples honest experiences. Please do not sugar coat it, tell me the truth, even if it is terrible. I need to know what i am in for. thanks lisa

My friend's mom said it was really not that bad. How do you think you contracted the virus?

I was with my ex when he got his biopsy. All I remember is this very very long needle with a jagged edge. They stuck it in his side and even though they numbed him, he was in terrible pain. He was squirming, moaning, and It was just awful. I remember saying to myself that I would choose death over that! Now I just found out that i have tested positive for the hepc antibody and they are testing for the virus itself. If I have it I am going to have to have a biopsy I'm sure. I want to tell them the only way I will do it is if they put me out.... fat chance i'm sure. Or at least a local. I am a big baby when it comes to pain. I'm scared and would like to please know peoples honest experiences. Please do not sugar coat it, tell me the truth, even if it is terrible. I need to know what i am in for. thanks lisa


Many, if not most, radiologists will agree to give you fentanyl and versed if you have anxiety about a biopsy.

Personally, I have had four biopsies and never had a problem like your boyfriend with any of them.

Nevertheless, if you do need one, insist on the versed and fentanyl.

I hope this helps,

thanbey

I think I got it from my ex. I was with him for six years and we have a child together. Do you think my child is at risk?? Should he be tested?? He is 8 yrs old and now I'm wondering if there is a chance he could have it. what is fentenal?? I know versed ( I know spelling is off) is like a valume to calm me down. I am more worried about the pain. I want pain stuff when they do it. I hope and pray my boy never has to go through this.

hi blurayne, i am also a mother i have 5 kids. i was nervous to the point of throwing up when i found out. my husband has it to. We found out when he applied for life insurance and it showed up in the blood test and we were turned down. it blew us away. then i went to my doctor and was tested and i tested positive. he went for his biopsy and it was very painful he complained for a week or more. so i backed out completely seeing him go through it. well then they said we will give you painkillers if you do it. usually they only give a local with a needle dumb the spot and do it. that is what they did to my husband. they never told us there was an option to have painkillers to. well i had it done it was a peice of cake. i was doing laundry that night.
they gave me valium then they gave me morphine in my arm then they did the biopsy. i never felt a thing a thing afterwards i slept some of the morphine off and went home. honest it was nothing. ask your doctor for painkillers they never told us we could have it. my husband had the biopsy from hell. and mine was nothing. i really hope this helps. i also had all 5 of my children checked the results come back in like 3 to 4 days and they all were negative and i have them from 20 to 4 and the older ones had shared razors with there father and stuff so i was ver worried and i knew i had caught it befor i had delivered 4 of them. please try to calm down and get the test done. hopefully you will be releived. i do not know what fentenal is sorry. i hope this helps kimberly

I think I got it from my ex. I was with him for six years and we have a child together. Do you think my child is at risk?? Should he be tested?? He is 8 yrs old and now I'm wondering if there is a chance he could have it. what is fentenal?? I know versed ( I know spelling is off) is like a valume to calm me down. I am more worried about the pain. I want pain stuff when they do it. I hope and pray my boy never has to go through this.


Fentanyl is an analgesic that is more powerful than morphine. In combination with versed, you will feel nothing and remember nothing.

thanbey

I am pregnant right now and have hep C. The doctors have told me that there is like a 5% chance I can pass it on to the fetus. I would have your son tested.

I also had the biopsy from hell...I'm no piker when it comes to pain but I swear I would NEVER have another biopsy. The second the needle entered into my liver it turned into stone. I was in such agony that they gave me something afterward that made me pass out for a time and when I awoke it was still so bad I couldn't stay still and I kept making the bells and buzzers go off from all the squirming. This lasted for about two to three hours. The funny thing about it is once the pain stopped, it stopped for good. Only mild soreness. I'm checking into having the fibrospect test done next time. I'm seeing my gastro doc next month. He's not the original one so I'm going to inform him of what happened to me the first time if he suggests another biopsy any time soon. My original doc who was very good by the way stated in the paperwork that I had mild pain from the biopsy. I'd like to see what he thinks is complete tortureous agony.

Diann

I also had the biopsy from hell...I'm no piker when it comes to pain but I swear I would NEVER have another biopsy. The second the needle entered into my liver it turned into stone. I was in such agony that they gave me something afterward that made me pass out for a time and when I awoke it was still so bad I couldn't stay still and I kept making the bells and buzzers go off from all the squirming. This lasted for about two to three hours. The funny thing about it is once the pain stopped, it stopped for good. Only mild soreness. I'm checking into having the fibrospect test done next time. I'm seeing my gastro doc next month. He's not the original one so I'm going to inform him of what happened to me the first time if he suggests another biopsy any time soon. My original doc who was very good by the way stated in the paperwork that I had mild pain from the biopsy. I'd like to see what he thinks is complete tortureous agony. Ask for drugs!!!!!!

Diann

My first biopsy was definitely pure torture-the idiot who was doing it seemed to enjoy my pain and yelling and just kept digging and digging with the needle right between my ribs. he hit some nerves and I came off the table-i couldn't stop crying for six hours-i should have sued him. he too wrote "normal biospy no complications" on his form. They refused to give me anything for pain or anxiety before or after. I just had my 2nd B. I got a great radiologist this time-he only performs CT guided needle biopsy and talked me through every minute. No pain from actual biopsy, but had right shoulder and side pain afterward-they gave me med- i was sore for 2 days, but i had my own pain meds to get me through. I felt I was used as a guinea pig my 1st biopsy-i made freakin sure this time around would be different! I told everyone i knew how inept the first doc was who nearly killed me, with no apologies. I wish everyone the best who has to go through this stuff- Speak up for your selves-its your right. Ladybug

First of all make sure you have taken a blood test checking your Hep-C viral load. If it is not abnormally high, there is no reason to go through a biopsy. I have been HIV and Hep-C positive for 22 years and am cared for by one of the best virologists in the country.
We keep track of liver enzymes and protect the liver from any unnecessary medications or OTC that can do harm to the liver and have yet to require a liver biopsy.

The one thing I can tell al of you out there is learn everything you can about whatever disease that may be affecting your lives. Learn to ask questions. Remember Doctors are only people not Gods. Demand explanations until you understand what that Doctor is attempting to do or what a test to be performed is actually needed.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many excellent Doctors out there but you have to take control of your illness and be your own best advocate.

Sincerely,
DRMARK (nickname, I’m actually retired PA)

First of all make sure you have taken a blood test checking your Hep-C viral load. If it is not abnormally high, there is no reason to go through a biopsy. I have been HIV and Hep-C positive for 22 years and am cared for by one of the best virologists in the country.
We keep track of liver enzymes and protect the liver from any unnecessary medications or OTC that can do harm to the liver and have yet to require a liver biopsy.

The one thing I can tell al of you out there is learn everything you can about whatever disease that may be affecting your lives. Learn to ask questions. Remember Doctors are only people not Gods. Demand explanations until you understand what that Doctor is attempting to do or what a test to be performed is actually needed.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many excellent Doctors out there but you have to take control of your illness and be your own best advocate.

Sincerely,
DRMARK (nickname, I’m actually retired PA)

I am not a doctor and I don't play one on the internet. I have, however, attended many postgraduate courses in hepatology and attended the AASLD for several years running.

I absolutely disagree that a biopsy is not required. It doesn't impress me that a doctor (even the best) does not think it generally necessary, no matter who that doctor is. In my opinion, that is not good medicine.

In individual cases, personal physicians may defer a biopsy or have other means by which they RECOMMEND you proceed. However, a biospy is the gold standard for determining the condition of your liver at a point in time and not only gives you information upon which to determine whether you wish to treat, but also measures whether the treatment did anything for you.

Viral load and liver disease severity have NEVER been shown in studies to be related to one another. A viral load and a biopsy are completely unrelated issues. Those who do not achieve an SVR may experience an improvement in liver condition but, may also see an increase in progression beyone the first year after treatment has been discontinued. How would you know if this is occurring if a biopsy were not done?


Now, for someone who is co-infected with HIV, the recommendations may be different. Wisdom has been to treat that patient aggressively. I would still encourage any patient to have a biopsy.

I couldn't agree with Mark more on the point of being your own advocate. There is always new information and, as always, the source of that information needs to be looked at critically. Marketing and science are distinctly different sources, but they often look alike.

thanbey

www.hcop.org (copy and paste into your browser)

I agree that a biopsy is definately the only ways to really know how much damage there is to your liver. I was scared to death to go have one done but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I had a ultra sound guided one and the sound of the needle "clipping" my liver was probably the worst part. They did numb my skin before hand. After about 30 seconds there was a sharp pain in that area but they gave me a shot right away and I had to lay there for 3 hours before I could go home. That was it, no pain the next day or two like they said there might be.

but.......on the other hand my father had a liver biopsy done a year before me and they acccidently nicked his lung, causing internal bleeding and he had to stay in the hospital for 2 days afterwards said it was the worst. Glad he didn't tell me about all this before I went in.

Chances are that you will be fine, but it is something that you need to do. Good luck I will be praying for you that it goes smoothly.

I had heard so many horror stories that I was scared to death when I went in for my biopsy but I was in and out within minutes, it did not hurt in the least; maybe I just lucked out....

:wave: