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HEP C symptoms?
Do these sound like HEP C symptoms? I've had leg aches for a couple of months as well as an irritated nose, dark smelly urine. The last month I've had fatigue and weakness and a general unwell feeling.
The last few days I've had lighter coloured stools and stomach aches. Had a white tongue and a heap of anxiety.
My lab tests reveal a small amount of Bilirubin in urine and a slightly elevated bilirubin in blood. ALT/AST ok so far and seemingly no liver aches yet.
Tested negative for antibodies at 6 1/2 weeks and 10 weeks from potential exposure. Tested negative for HIV antibodies 6 1/2 weeks and HIV antibodies and antigen 8 1/2 weeks from exposure.
I am aware that there have been cases where simultaneous infection has resulted in both tests being falsely negative. Anyway, I've ordered an RNA PCR for HCV...and I'd better do a similar one for HIV if that's positive.
Any insight into this would be welcome.
The last few days I've had lighter coloured stools and stomach aches. Had a white tongue and a heap of anxiety.
My lab tests reveal a small amount of Bilirubin in urine and a slightly elevated bilirubin in blood. ALT/AST ok so far and seemingly no liver aches yet.
Tested negative for antibodies at 6 1/2 weeks and 10 weeks from potential exposure. Tested negative for HIV antibodies 6 1/2 weeks and HIV antibodies and antigen 8 1/2 weeks from exposure.
I am aware that there have been cases where simultaneous infection has resulted in both tests being falsely negative. Anyway, I've ordered an RNA PCR for HCV...and I'd better do a similar one for HIV if that's positive.
Any insight into this would be welcome.
Here is some advice from MedHelp.org on what Hep C is and how it's transmitted, which includes a list of symptoms. http://www.medhelp.org/hepatitis-c/articles/What-Is-Hepatitis-C/2251 As people with this disease often don't show symptoms for many years, trying to diagnose by symptoms is tricky. It's a good thing you're getting tested.
What are the Signs & Symptoms of Hepatitis C?
Most people (about 70% – 80%) with an acute Hepatitis C infection do not experience any symptoms or show signs of the infection. If Hepatitis C symptoms do occur, they usually appear within two weeks to six months after being exposed to the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). If you do develop symptoms related to Hepatitis C, they’re generally mild and flu-like and may include:
Feeling very tired
Sore muscles
Joint pain
Fever
Nausea or poor appetite
Stomach pain
Itchy skin
Dark urine
A yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes, called jaundice.
HCV RNA can be detected in blood within 1–3 weeks after exposure. The average time from exposure to antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) seroconversion is 8–9 weeks, and anti-HCV can be detected in >97% of persons by 6 months after exposure.
Most people (about 70% – 80%) with an acute Hepatitis C infection do not experience any symptoms or show signs of the infection. If Hepatitis C symptoms do occur, they usually appear within two weeks to six months after being exposed to the Hepatitis C virus (HCV). If you do develop symptoms related to Hepatitis C, they’re generally mild and flu-like and may include:
Feeling very tired
Sore muscles
Joint pain
Fever
Nausea or poor appetite
Stomach pain
Itchy skin
Dark urine
A yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes, called jaundice.
HCV RNA can be detected in blood within 1–3 weeks after exposure. The average time from exposure to antibody to HCV (anti-HCV) seroconversion is 8–9 weeks, and anti-HCV can be detected in >97% of persons by 6 months after exposure.
7 Comments
I had hep c for 37 years never had any symptoms never have had any pain in the liver area and I have had cirrhosis for 9 years
thanks for your response. 37 years and no symptoms! can be quite an insidious and sneaky infection then!
regarding the symptoms:
Feeling very tired - yes
Sore muscles - yes
Joint pain -no
Fever -no
Nausea or poor appetite -yes
Stomach pain -yes
Itchy skin -no
Dark urine -yes
Jaundice. -no
ticked quite a few of the symptoms off and a few more besides- so quite likely in my case.
I'll find out for sure next week when my PCR RNA results come back I suppose.
wishing you all the very best.
regarding the symptoms:
Feeling very tired - yes
Sore muscles - yes
Joint pain -no
Fever -no
Nausea or poor appetite -yes
Stomach pain -yes
Itchy skin -no
Dark urine -yes
Jaundice. -no
ticked quite a few of the symptoms off and a few more besides- so quite likely in my case.
I'll find out for sure next week when my PCR RNA results come back I suppose.
wishing you all the very best.
The symptoms you are experiencing could be many different things and again the majority of people with hep C (80%) do not experience symptoms. Thais is why it is called a silent illness most people have no idea something is going on.
For example dark urine causes per the mayo clinic.
Red or pink urine
Despite its alarming appearance, red urine isn't necessarily serious. Red or pink urine may be caused by:
Blood. Factors that can cause urinary blood (hematuria) include urinary tract infections, enlarged prostate, cancerous and noncancerous tumors, kidney cysts, long-distance running, and kidney or bladder stones.
Foods. Beets, blackberries and rhubarb can turn urine red or pink.
Medications. Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane), an antibiotic often used to treat tuberculosis, can turn urine reddish orange — as can phenazopyridine (Pyridium), a drug that numbs urinary tract discomfort, and laxatives containing senna.
Medications. Medications that can turn urine orange include rifampin; the anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine (Azulfidine); phenazopyridine (Pyridium), a drug that numbs urinary tract discomfort; some laxatives; and certain chemotherapy drugs.
Orange urine
Orange urine may result from:
Medical conditions. In some cases, orange urine can indicate a problem with your liver or bile duct, especially if you also have light-colored stools. Orange urine may also be caused by dehydration, which can concentrate your urine and make it much deeper in color.
Blue or green urine
Blue or green urine may be caused by:
Dyes. Some brightly colored food dyes can cause green urine. Dyes used for some tests of kidney and bladder function can turn urine blue.
Medications. A number of medications produce blue or green urine, including amitriptyline, indomethacin (Indocin) and propofol (Diprivan).
Medical conditions. Familial benign hypercalcemia, a rare inherited disorder, is sometimes called blue diaper syndrome because children with the disorder have blue urine. Green urine sometimes occurs during urinary tract infections caused by pseudomonas bacteria.
Dark brown or cola-colored urine
Brown urine can result from:
Food. Eating large amounts of fava beans, rhubarb or aloe can cause dark brown urine.
Medications. A number of drugs can darken urine, including the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and primaquine, the antibiotics metronidazole (Flagyl) and nitrofurantoin, laxatives containing cascara or senna, and methocarbamol — a muscle relaxant.
Medical conditions. Some liver and kidney disorders can turn urine dark brown, as can some urinary tract infections.
Extreme exercise. Muscle injury from extreme exercise can result in pink or cola-colored urine and kidney damage.
Cloudy or murky urine
Urinary tract infections and kidney stones can cause urine to appear cloudy or murky.
If you have concerns see you doctor fro a proper diagnosis but I doubt you have hep c.
Have you had a concerning exposure involving blood to blood contact? To contract hep c blood infected with the hep c virus must enter your blood stream.
Hep c is not easy to become infected with and now easily cured for most people.
See your doctor.
For example dark urine causes per the mayo clinic.
Red or pink urine
Despite its alarming appearance, red urine isn't necessarily serious. Red or pink urine may be caused by:
Blood. Factors that can cause urinary blood (hematuria) include urinary tract infections, enlarged prostate, cancerous and noncancerous tumors, kidney cysts, long-distance running, and kidney or bladder stones.
Foods. Beets, blackberries and rhubarb can turn urine red or pink.
Medications. Rifampin (Rifadin, Rimactane), an antibiotic often used to treat tuberculosis, can turn urine reddish orange — as can phenazopyridine (Pyridium), a drug that numbs urinary tract discomfort, and laxatives containing senna.
Medications. Medications that can turn urine orange include rifampin; the anti-inflammatory drug sulfasalazine (Azulfidine); phenazopyridine (Pyridium), a drug that numbs urinary tract discomfort; some laxatives; and certain chemotherapy drugs.
Orange urine
Orange urine may result from:
Medical conditions. In some cases, orange urine can indicate a problem with your liver or bile duct, especially if you also have light-colored stools. Orange urine may also be caused by dehydration, which can concentrate your urine and make it much deeper in color.
Blue or green urine
Blue or green urine may be caused by:
Dyes. Some brightly colored food dyes can cause green urine. Dyes used for some tests of kidney and bladder function can turn urine blue.
Medications. A number of medications produce blue or green urine, including amitriptyline, indomethacin (Indocin) and propofol (Diprivan).
Medical conditions. Familial benign hypercalcemia, a rare inherited disorder, is sometimes called blue diaper syndrome because children with the disorder have blue urine. Green urine sometimes occurs during urinary tract infections caused by pseudomonas bacteria.
Dark brown or cola-colored urine
Brown urine can result from:
Food. Eating large amounts of fava beans, rhubarb or aloe can cause dark brown urine.
Medications. A number of drugs can darken urine, including the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and primaquine, the antibiotics metronidazole (Flagyl) and nitrofurantoin, laxatives containing cascara or senna, and methocarbamol — a muscle relaxant.
Medical conditions. Some liver and kidney disorders can turn urine dark brown, as can some urinary tract infections.
Extreme exercise. Muscle injury from extreme exercise can result in pink or cola-colored urine and kidney damage.
Cloudy or murky urine
Urinary tract infections and kidney stones can cause urine to appear cloudy or murky.
If you have concerns see you doctor fro a proper diagnosis but I doubt you have hep c.
Have you had a concerning exposure involving blood to blood contact? To contract hep c blood infected with the hep c virus must enter your blood stream.
Hep c is not easy to become infected with and now easily cured for most people.
See your doctor.
i'm ashamed to say I may have been infected through a sexual contact (cunnilingus with a CSW). I've gone for a PCR RNA and results will be back next Sunday
Hep c is not transmitted in that way. It requires blood to blood contact.
In the future you could use barrier protection like a dental dam or you could cut a condom in half lengthwise. even plastic wrap would help. This would be to protect against any STD but just to add hep c is not considered in general to be an STD.
In the future you could use barrier protection like a dental dam or you could cut a condom in half lengthwise. even plastic wrap would help. This would be to protect against any STD but just to add hep c is not considered in general to be an STD.
thanks for your advice! but I won't be messing around with CSWs after this incident. it was an alcohol fueled moment of stupidity.
my results were negative. I have been told that I have Gilbert's Syndrome after a normal CT scan.
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