Hepatitis C test is Reactive... and I am scared!

[Tombstoner]

Here's my story... My fiance and I were cutting wood and he got cut and at the hospital they sewed him up and the nurse got a blood splash in her eye. They gave my fiance a blood test and a few days later the hospital called and told him something like, "Your test came back reactive to hepatitis C, but don't worry because we get a lot of false positives." How are we not supposed to worry about it when they tell us that? He was in pain and the doctor wouldn't give him any medicine until he had a liver function blood test. So he got the test and they told him everything is ok with his liver. They told him they don't think it is active because of that but they took some more blood and sent it to the lab to run a different test to confirm that it is not active. Well I am scared to death we are going to find out he has it. It's all I think about. I asked him if he knows any way he could have gotten it. He has a tattoo that he got in the 1970's and he snorted cocaine probably 10 years ago and shared the straw but he never shared needles. I asked him if he ever had sex where he was bleeding and he said no. I hope to God he doesn't have it. I don't want to live without him. If he had it, does that mean an automatic death sentence?  He doesn't show any symptoms of the disease, but I know that a lot of people don't. I have read that the test can be a false positive due to medications and he is on 5 medications right now. (Klonopin, Wellbutrin, Gabapentin, Seroquel and Lithium) That is what I am hoping it is. But I can't just not worry about it. I don't understand how they can tell you not to worry about it. How many people have a false positive result? They say they get a lot, well how much is "a lot?" He is 49 years old. Will his life be shortened if he started having symptoms now? Is our future ruined?

[grc59]

If what you say is true to the best of your knowledge it makes me smile just a little more you have been very helpful. Will know more in Nov. Thank You

[hrsepwrguy]

"All unfamiliar stuff to me.Seeing doctor in Nov that deals with Hep-c virus but curious right now."

Here is some sites with really good info, however they are a little behind the times when it comes to current treatments available or soon to be available

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/HCVfaq.htm#c5

http://hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/factsheets.asp

http://hcvadvocate.org/hepatitis/First_Steps.asp

http://www.liverfoundation.org/downloads/alf_download_901.pdf

http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/patient/hcv/diagnosis/single-page.asp

[hrsepwrguy]

"Had Fl dept of Health do anti-hcv test in april 2013 which tested pos with signal to cut off ratio of 20.3  now tested again and that same number is 28.40 does that mean it's getting worse or what does that mean? "

It doesn't mean anything other than you are antibody positive, the s/co ratio is not an indicator of anything other than that, as I said above you need to have a HVC RNA test which I am sure they will run in nov, just an FYI, if you turns out you do have it, it is curable and treatments are getting much more effective with much shorter durations than in the past.

Have a great day

[grc59]

Had Fl dept of Health do anti-hcv test in april 2013 which tested pos with signal to cut off ratio of 20.3  now tested again and that same number is 28.40 does that mean it's getting worse or what does that mean?  All unfamiliar stuff to me.Seeing doctor in Nov that deals with Hep-c virus but curious right now.

[keepingOnkeepingOn]

It has to be blood to blood and you should monitor it just in case. Get retested in 6 months.

[hrsepwrguy]

"Question know i have hep c my last test said 28.40 h signal to cut off and my liver ast was 25 alt 27"

First thing, the test results you are referring to are for an HCV antibodies test and just because you are antibody positive does not mean you have HCV, you need have an HCV RNA test to determine if you actually have it, second thing your ast and alt are in normal range

Is it possible for someone to become infected with HCV and then spontaneously clear the infection?

Yes. Approximately 15%–25% of persons clear the virus from their bodies without treatment and do not develop chronic infection; the reasons for this are not well known.

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/HCVfaq.htm#c5

Information on Testing

The only way to know if someone has Hepatitis C is to get tested. Doctors use a blood test, called a Hepatitis C Antibody Test, to find out if a person has ever been infected with Hepatitis C. The Hepatitis C Antibody Test looks for antibodies to the Hepatitis C virus. Antibodies are chemicals released into the bloodstream when someone gets infected. The antibody test results will take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to come back, although new Rapid Antibody Tests are available in some settings.

    A Non-reactive or a negative Hepatitis C antibody test result means that a person does not have Hepatitis C. However, if a person has been recently exposed to the Hepatitis C virus, he or she will need to be tested again.
  
   A Reactive or a positive Hepatitis C antibody test result means that Hepatitis C antibodies were found in the blood and a person has been infected with the Hepatitis C virus at some point in time.

    A reactive antibody test does not necessarily mean a person still has Hepatitis C. Once people have been infected, they will always have antibodies in their blood. This is true if even if they have cleared the Hepatitis C virus. A reactive antibody test requires an additional, follow-up test to determine if a person is currently infected with Hepatitis C.

http://www.cdc.gov/knowmorehepatitis/LearnMore.htm

  

[grc59]

Question know i have hep c my last test said 28.40 h signal to cut off and my liver ast was 25 alt 27 so what does the 28.40 actually mean in regard to my hep c severity?

[hrsepwrguy]

Go to the top of the page and use the orange post a question button it will start a new thread and you will get many more responses to your question. Most don't know exactly when they got it the important thing is to follow up with the specialist and determine how much if any damage has been done to your liver and to determine your genotype, from there you can discuss treatment options

[pauljorofino]

How did you determine that you had the virus for 37 years before you knew that you had it?  I was just told that my viral load tested positive and am scheduled to see a liver specialist next week.  I am trying to figure out when I might have gotten the virus.  Is there any way of knowing how long a person has had the virus?  Thanks.

[molls]

Hi

the doc never tested her for hep they said it was too early and they would just keep doing LFT's and monitoring her health. I got mines back and were all neg but it may be a false neg as it was only done 6 wks afer possible exposure and it could be not detectable yet?

Although my ALT was 1078 last time, surley if it that high there woulbe detectable antibodies by the 6wk mark?I could have been exposed before 6 weeks, its hard to say..

Had fluish symptoms, liver pain , dark urine but very dark stools. Daughter was jaundiced first day of life and carried on til 6 wks after but its gone now and her bili levels are norm.

Doc says her ALT is norm for a newborn, says they can fluctuate like that..

god knows

J

[Alady1620]

Moll - Yes,  my twins were vaccinated for hep b immediately and then they had follow up booster shots with their other vaccinations.  I found out I had hep c when I was preggers and my babies do not have it.  Transmission of hep b is different tho and I'm not sure what the odds are on that.  My twins were not tested for hep c until they were 6 months old bc that test is not reliable until children reach that age.  I was so relieved when I got their results and I pray that you will be as fortunate.

I am sorry your daughters ALT is still high.  I really  hope they find out what the problem is soon and the doctors can treat whatever it is.  Did your daughters hep tests come back yet?  I know you must be worried sick.  Hang in there.

surgerystudent- I don't know what the percentage is but you should definitely get tested.  Even if you did contract Hcv, the chances that your wife will catch it from you are very low.  Hope this helps.

[Jakied]

I have a feeling your risk level is for this is low.  Go on 'the body- complete hiv/aidsresource' and send an email to Dr Barb McGovern, on the co-infection with Hcv/Hiv forum.  She is really great.

[surgerystudent]

I was recently splashed in the eye with a small amount of blood that was dilluted with saline irrigation. The source patient is HCV Positive. What are the chances that I will seroconvert?
I scrubed out of the surgery immediately and washed my eye out (though I am sure I did not wash it out as much as I should have...)
I am very concerned because I don't want my wife to get HCV if I get it. I was trying to find info on the % of people that convert with a single splash in the eye but everything has a different figure.
Can you please help me!?!? Thanks!!!

[molls]

Alady,

I read your answer to my post, and mean to ask you then- did you get the twins vaccinated for hep within the first 12hrs of life? Was it done as standard and did you know you had hep when you were pregnant?

As you know im from the UK where they do nothing for you, or youre newborn really and no hep vaccine is given routinely from birth.. I get my hep A,B,C results tomorrow..My ALT, AST has came back down, is that a good sign?

Daughters still high(er) ALT 59. They say they arent doing more blood tests on her, does anyone think i should push for more . She is 8 weeks old tommorrow


JJ

[Tombstoner]

Thanks for your support. We have been talking with another doctor and he told us that there is treatment. I don't know why that other doctor told us that.

[Alady1620]

It will be ok.  I suggest you get another doctor ASAP bc there IS treatment for it.

[meki]

Oh babe --- OK - hang in there.

Get educated - check out all the posts... Start asking questions that you can't find the answers to here and and Janis - We'll do the best that we can with you!

Hugs,

Meki

[Tombstoner]

Got the results back. He's positive, and it's active.

[Tombstoner]

We went to the doctor today and the results weren't in yet. I told him that we are both worried about Hep. C and he told us we might as well not worry because there's no treatment for it anyway!!!!!! Why would he say that? Then he said that most people who have chronic hep. c. have elevated liver enzyme levels. He said to him, "You must have been exposed to it before but you don't have it now." I said, "Are you sure?" Then he said, "Well we won't be SURE until the tests come back."

[Tombstoner]

We haven't heard anything yet but we are going to the doctor this afternoon. We called his mental health facility and asked them if it was possible he got tested for HCV. They said no, but they said everything else he was tested for is good. They said they thought that if he had HCV that his white blood cell levels would be up, but they are not. They don't even know that he did a liver function test and it came back ok.

[bobbyullc]

i would like to add one more thought i have on odds of svr.

i keep hearing the odds are better if you tx while "younger". it has been shown  the odds do go up several percent if you tx "younger".

BUT i believe that younger means 40 y/o as opposed to  60 y/o and not 40 y/o to 42 y/o. 1 or 2 years will not make a bit of difference in odds.

i feel this also means IF you tx with the same drugs, peg/riba, at these ages.

BUT, if in 2 years the new drugs ares on line and prove to be 100% more effective one has 100% more chance of reaching svr even if 2 years older.

in the 9 years i waited the svr rate went from 9% to 50%. i believe in the next few years that rate wil skyrocket even higher.  

therefore one is not comparing apples to apples.

i do not mean to argue,just express my feelings.

[bobbyullc]

sorry for your fear, but, even if he does have hepc he would probably have many years before he need to make a decision. in a year or two the drugs to knock this on it's a++ will be approved and it will be a thing of the past like polio.

one of every 50 people in the usa have it now and live normal lives many not even knowing it. the new drugs get better every year. do not let it ruin your life worrying about something that most likely will never happen.

i had it 37 years and did not even know.
bobby

[Tombstoner]

No, they did not use needles together. He told me he never shared needles with anyone. It doesn't matter where he got it if he has it, we were just trying to understand where he could have gotten it, to decide if it is possible or not that he has it. We don't talk to that woman. She hates us both.

Here's a question for everyone... does everyone at this board who has Hep. C know where they got it, or have a good idea as to where they got it?

My fiance said he shared rolled bills to snort cocaine in the past. He said the last time was probably 10 years ago. He has good liver function. If he got infected then, I wonder if he would have had a bad liver function test by now? He told me that he did not get a bloody nose when snorting and nobody else had a bloody nose. What are the chances of blood being on the bill and getting infected that way? Wouldn't both people have to have a bloody nose?

[Alady1620]

The chances are that your husband did NOT get hep c from his former girlfriend unless they were shooting up with the same needles.  It is possible but not very likely.  And that's presuming he even has hep c.  The easiest way to find out is to tell her when your husband has conclusive tests back and have her get tested.  Does it really matter where or how he got it IF he even has it?