is there a doctor in the house.I have been diagnosed with hep c and don't know what to do?

Answer 1

Get to a specialist (gastroenterologist). Also, educate yourself about this disease so you can make informed, proactive decisions about your healthcare. The best thing I ever did was to get to a local support group. I learned about the disease, dispelled the myths that are rampant due to ignorance, and learned to be an active participant in my healthcare. I did the interferon treatment (shots & pills) and have been clear of the disease for over 6 years. You can call your local hospital to see if they have a support group, or google it on the internet. hcvadvocate.org is a good starting point, too.
Some advice: 1st and foremost, don't drink alcohol, it quickly increases the damage to your liver.
Get vaccinated against Hep A & B if you haven't already been exposed & developed the antibodies. Two types of hepatitis could easily kill you, so protect yourself.
Keep copies of your labwork and learn what the numbers mean (my support group taught me about this). Liver enzymes (ALT & AST) fluctuate and are not an indicator of the amount of liver damage or if the virus is cleared.
You will need a viral load (PCR blood test) and a genotype blood test. The genotype determines the length of treatment needed. A liver biopsy (sounds scarier than it is) is the most accurate way to determine how much liver damage has occurred. The liver is a tough organ, and even though it may have scarring and is damaged, will not show any symptoms until the damage is severe, so you want to make sure you know where you stand.
Finally, know that this disease, if not ignored, is manageable and possibly cureable (the medical field is just beginning to use the "cure" word recently). Education & knowledge is power. Best wishes to you.

Answer 2

on account that your brother isn't commited to getting nicely, i imagine a transplant will be out of the question. If someone is a drinker, transplant centers received't even evaluate him until eventually he has a minimum of 6 months of shown sobriety. you truly ought to wish it and save on with strict orders from medical doctors concerning habit, foodstuff plan, meds, etc. He has too many stuff adverse to him to get a transplant. Having Hep C, cirrhosis, and a ingesting difficulty is a deadly mix. that is all a be counted of time. How a lot time relies upon on how a lot damage is done to the liver. some end signs and indicators is enormous ascites (fluid in his abdomen), bleeding internally, jaundice, confusion (with hallucinations at times), severe dropping of muscle, to call some. that is not an person-friendly thanks to flow. anticipate assorted health center visits interior the destiny. utilising that semi will be a aspect of the previous once he receives undesirable sufficient. he receives too sick tochronic. i do not recommend to be so blunt, yet want to assist you type of get prepared. ingesting alcohol will in effortless words shorten his existence extra. Everytime he's taking a drink, it truly is poison to his already damaged organ. it may in effortless words take a lot. he also receives to the point the position he will be so sick that he can not drink. by technique of then, it will be too overdue for help. Your proper once you're saying it would not seem good. your relatives needs to get prepared for the worst.

Answer 3

I am not a doctor, but I work for one that deals with stomach and liver diseases. You need to see a Gastroenterologist (GI) and they will give you treatment. I know one of the medications is a shot (you have to give yourself) and a pill. Type in Hepatitis C treatment on Google and read more about it. I would tell your primary to send you to a GI though. Good luck and best wishes!

Answer 4

I'm not a doc but I can tell youi have been postive for Hep c for over 10 yrs . the first thing you want to do is find out your enzime levels,then disscuss with your doc about having a liver biopsey done. He or she will probaly want to put you on interveron.

Answer 5

There is nothing you can do for Hep C except NOT DRINK ALCOHOL and eat a balanced diet and take good care of yourself. Good Luck