hepititis b - Hepatitis Message Board

mpj · 09-30-2003, 11:30 PM

my wife found out in august that she has hep b. we do not know where she got it because we fall outside the normal means of contacting the virus. she would like to know how long she has to live. she thinks that she is not going to live very long. she also is very depressed and has talked with our doc. but she doesn't beleive me or the doc that her hep b is not active. can anyone help her ease her mind? we have been married for a long time and the question of where she got doesn't matter. she has it i don't. i have had the first two shots. our kids are in the process of being tested but im sure they will come up neg also. then they will get the shots.
thanks the hubby

thanbey · 10-01-2003, 07:12 AM

If your wife's disbelief is part of her depression, she may need medication for the depression.

Ask you primary care doctor for a referral to a psychiatrist or psychologist (one who can prescribe medication)

Inactive hepatitis B is not uncommon and it is not life threatening. Your wife should live a long life, and a much happier one if her depression is adequately addressed.

AliceBlueBelle · 10-01-2003, 10:41 PM

It is only a very small percentage of people who had hepatitis B in which it becomes chronic. It is great news that she is in the majority who have cleared it out of their system. Your wife's anxiety is unfounded but is still real and causing her much grief. I agree with thanby that she needs to talk with a professional to learn to handle those feelings, and some medicaton to make that all possible. I wish you both the best, sounds like she is a very lucky lady to have such a supportive family.

Alice

sean · 10-02-2003, 08:03 AM

Hi Mpj,

Does your wife have hep B, or hep B antibodies?? A big difference. Once you've had hep b, you carry the antibodies for life (as far as we know), and will test positive for them, even though your immune system has defeated the virus. This is virtually the same as having measles antibodies for life after getting over measles, or any similar immune process (although not all last for life).

Most docs test only for the antibodies. A follow up test is required to detect presence of the virus itself.

Next point: if the viral test is positive, she can possibly have active viral infection and still not be very sick at all, ever, never mind be in an immediately life-threatening situation. I had and got over hep b and never even knew it until the antibodies showed up in a later blood donation (once the red cross finally started to test for it). The docs explained that I might have thought I had bad flu one year, or felt nothing at all in fact, and that was it.

So, unless your wife is actively suffering with chronic liver disease, the finding of hep b may add up to very little. Yes, this is possible--no guarantee, but very possible.

NEXT more serious situation: if she DOES have chronic hep b active infection, and even some liver damage as well, she is very lucky it was detected, and there are medications available to control the virus--eliminate in some cases--and help protect her from serious liver disease.

Chronic hep b and c are both most dangerous when they have not been detected, so people don't know to take care of themselves, stop drinking and smoking and so on, and bad liver damage results. With detection and diagnosis, which you and your wife have now, many helpful steps become possible.

I am more than 35 years past the likely dates of my infections with BOTH hep b and hep c (yes, both--what can I tell you?), and I've had a lovely, productive life. So far, anyway,nock on wood for me. So tell your lady to cheer up--she may never be seriously sick at all with this thing. And if illness does occur, there are treatments.

Finally, like Thanbey, I'd be most worried about the depression right now. That is a more dangerous condition than hep, for most of us anyway.

peace

sean

[This message has been edited by sean (edited 10-02-2003).]