hepatitis C ..anyone have//know someone who has it or just kno alot about it..???

Question

my cousin was diagnosed with it ..what happens??
is it fatal??
will it ever go away

for people who have it::
how do you feel?? is it like AIDS where you always feel run down and tired?

my cousin is 25 with a 4 year old child, is she going to be OK???
=[

Answer 1

My mother just had it. She was on Chemotherapy and some experimental drugs and she it cured her. It was very hard on her body and she lost lot's of weight. So basically what i'm saying is it is possible to get rid of. im not sure how good or bad the chances are though.

Answer 2

greater than 90% of HCV patients have a history of substance abuse (IV drugs or inhalational drugs such as cocaine). That is their exposure. Only 33% will go on to cirrhosis, the rest will have the disease, but will not die of it. All bets are off if you drink alcohol or smoke. Both of these GREATLY increase your chances of both cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. Medications to avoid are all narcotic pain pills (such as lortab, percocet, codeine, etc) and all benzodiazepines (such as xanax, librium, all prescription sleeping pills, etc), as these "pound" the liver. Good sites to learn are the american liver foundation, hcv.org, etc.

one other thing: the child has about a 3-5% chance of having HCV as well. Diagnosis is made by a blood test.

Answer 3

Hi my husband just started interferon treatment for hep c is a weekly injection he does himself, they teach you, and pills along with, this drug called Pegasys RBV. they say is a good chance this will rid the body of virus, he is 48, I think you have to be at a certain stage in order to get this drug, is exspensive aswell, a year of treatment is 22,000,,thats 500 per week,,had to fill alot of paper work to get this drug covered, as work insurance will only cover a portion,,,It;s to soon to tell if it is working. Has to go for a follow up in 3 months to see what the blood count is,,so far he feels not to bad but is moody,,understandable,,lost his job so was a good time to do this as he can stay home for treatment...I'M sure your cousin will ne fine she is young, so am sure she will be able to take this drug,,am learning myself as we go along here, and the internet has been a great help to answer questions,,hope some of yours are answered here...You do feel tired alot and have joint pain,,back etc,,just feeling shitty,,,I'm sure her doctor will tell her about this drug and you can look it up on the net,,good luck and don't worry,,think she is to young for it to be fatal,,,so hang tuff and educate yourself,, thank god for the internet..

Answer 4

Pamela Anderson has it.

There is a new type of drug thats very very expensive, I know there are some side effects but its sort of almost proven that it cures HepC.
I know someone that took that medication and now they dont have it, and she is a nurse.
How did she get it.. its usually like a STD, sex transmitted, or through blood.

Answer 5

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS 80% of persons have no signs or symptoms.

* jaundice
* fatigue
* dark urine



* abdominal pain
* loss of appetite
* nausea

CAUSE

* Hepatitis C virus (HCV)

LONG-TERM EFFECTS

* Chronic infection: 55%-85% of infected persons
* Chronic liver disease: 70% of chronically infected persons
* Deaths from chronic liver disease: 1%-5% of infected persons may die
* Leading indication for liver transplant

TRANSMISSION







* Occurs when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected.
* HCV is spread through sharing needles or "works" when "shooting" drugs, through needlesticks or sharps exposures on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth.

Recommendations for testing based on risk for HCV infection

Persons at risk for HCV infection might also be at risk for infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) or HIV.

Recommendations for Testing Based on Risk for HCV Infection
PERSONS RISK OF INFECTION TESTING RECOMMENDED?
Injecting drug users High Yes
Recipients of clotting factors made before 1987 High Yes
Hemodialysis patients Intermediate Yes
Recipients of blood and/or solid organs before 1992 Intermediate Yes
People with undiagnosed liver problems Intermediate Yes
Infants born to infected mothers Intermediate After 12-18 mos. old
Healthcare/public safety workers Low Only after known exposure
People having sex with multiple partners Low No*
People having sex with an infected steady partner Low No*

*Anyone who wants to get tested should ask their doctor.
PREVENTION

* There is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C.
* Do not shoot drugs; if you shoot drugs, stop and get into a treatment program; if you can't stop, never share needles, syringes, water, or "works", and get vaccinated against hepatitis A & B.
* Do not share personal care items that might have blood on them (razors, toothbrushes).
* If you are a health care or public safety worker, always follow routine barrier precautions and safely handle needles and other sharps; get vaccinated against hepatitis B.
* Consider the risks if you are thinking about getting a tattoo or body piercing. You might get infected if the tools have someone else's blood on them or if the artist or piercer does not follow good health practices.
* HCV can be spread by sex, but this is rare. If you are having sex with more than one steady sex partner, use latex condoms* correctly and every time to prevent the spread of sexually transmitted diseases. You should also get vaccinated against hepatitis B.
* If you are HCV positive, do not donate blood, organs, or tissue.

TREATMENT & MEDICAL MANAGEMENT

AASLD Practice Guideline: Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment of
Hepatitis C




* HCV positive persons should be evaluated by their doctor for liver disease.
* Interferon and ribavirin are two drugs licensed for the treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis C.
* Interferon can be taken alone or in combination with ribavirin. Combination therapy, using pegylated interferon and ribavirin, is currently the treatment of choice.
* Combination therapy can get rid of the virus in up to 5 out of 10 persons for genotype 1 and in up to 8 out of 10 persons for genotype 2 and 3.
* Drinking alcohol can make your liver disease worse.

STATISTICS & TRENDS

* Number of new infections per year has declined from an average of 240,000 in the 1980s to about 26,000 in 2004.
* Most infections are due to illegal injection drug use.
* Transfusion-associated cases occurred prior to blood donor screening; now occurs in less than one per 2 million transfused units of blood.
* Estimated 4.1 million (1.6%) Americans have been infected with HCV, of whom 3.2 million are chronically infected.
* The risk for perinatal HCV transmission is about 4%
* If coinfected with HIV the risk for perinatal infection is about 19%