Aa
at least 35 yrs since possible exposure?
Hi
I was just told that I need to be tested for Hep C. I do have some off "liver function" tests, but the values are just a tiny bit outside range (for example, AST of 34 with a reference range of 8 to 30, ALT of 45 with a reference range of 7 to 40, alkaline phosphatase of 151 with a RR of 50 to 136)
All along my doc has been saying it looks like fatty liver disease (I am overweight)
Anyway she tells me that new guidelines suggest all ppl in my age group get tested. (I'm 58)
The thing is, IF I was exposed to Hep C, it would have been a very long time ago! I have not used any drugs of any kind in over 35 yrs. I did inject stuff and did snort stuff a very very few times between age 18 to 20, I have had STDs (can you get Hep C that way?) No blood transfusions, worked as a nurse's aid but didn't come into contact with blood that I can recall.
long story shortened a tiny bit LOL wouldn't I have had *something* show up before now? my slightly elevated liver test values are recent, just in the last two year. An ultrasound of my liver didn't show anything to be concerned about.
Does anyone actually go this long without having some idea that they might have been infected?
I was just told that I need to be tested for Hep C. I do have some off "liver function" tests, but the values are just a tiny bit outside range (for example, AST of 34 with a reference range of 8 to 30, ALT of 45 with a reference range of 7 to 40, alkaline phosphatase of 151 with a RR of 50 to 136)
All along my doc has been saying it looks like fatty liver disease (I am overweight)
Anyway she tells me that new guidelines suggest all ppl in my age group get tested. (I'm 58)
The thing is, IF I was exposed to Hep C, it would have been a very long time ago! I have not used any drugs of any kind in over 35 yrs. I did inject stuff and did snort stuff a very very few times between age 18 to 20, I have had STDs (can you get Hep C that way?) No blood transfusions, worked as a nurse's aid but didn't come into contact with blood that I can recall.
long story shortened a tiny bit LOL wouldn't I have had *something* show up before now? my slightly elevated liver test values are recent, just in the last two year. An ultrasound of my liver didn't show anything to be concerned about.
Does anyone actually go this long without having some idea that they might have been infected?
Best Answer
Welcome to the forum. It's possible to have Hepatitis C for many years without having any symptoms. You can have liver values in normal range and have hepatitis C. Yes you should get tested for Hepatitis C. Just remember that you can test positive for hepatitis C anti bodies and not actually have Hep C. Approximately 25% clear the Hep C virus on their own.
So, if you do test positive you will need additional testing to confirm the results.
Do get tested....don't wait. Your at an age where the Hep C has a tendency
to start picking up speed. The good news is - the recent advancement in hepatitis C treatment gives you a very good chance to cure hep C if indeed you do have it.
Let us know what the results are of your Hepatitis C test.
Best to you
So, if you do test positive you will need additional testing to confirm the results.
Do get tested....don't wait. Your at an age where the Hep C has a tendency
to start picking up speed. The good news is - the recent advancement in hepatitis C treatment gives you a very good chance to cure hep C if indeed you do have it.
Let us know what the results are of your Hepatitis C test.
Best to you
It is possible. Millions of people never develop liver disease or any complications from the virus.
Your AST/ALT is very low. But the ratio of AST/ALT indicates the possibility of viral hepatitis infection.
I have had STDs (can you get Hep C that way?) - NO, or at least the chances are very, very low. Hep c is a blood disease NOT an STD. Hep B is spread through sex. Hep c is not present in sexual fluids or fecal matter.
If you have had the virus for this long and don't have any symptoms you may just be a carrier and not require treatment. That is something to discuss with your doctor if the tests come back positive.
There is a good chance that you don't have the disease. But there are a lot of people in your age group who do have it and don't know.
Your AST/ALT is very low. But the ratio of AST/ALT indicates the possibility of viral hepatitis infection.
I have had STDs (can you get Hep C that way?) - NO, or at least the chances are very, very low. Hep c is a blood disease NOT an STD. Hep B is spread through sex. Hep c is not present in sexual fluids or fecal matter.
If you have had the virus for this long and don't have any symptoms you may just be a carrier and not require treatment. That is something to discuss with your doctor if the tests come back positive.
There is a good chance that you don't have the disease. But there are a lot of people in your age group who do have it and don't know.
You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis C Community
Learn about this treatable virus.
Getting tested for this viral infection.
3 key steps to getting on treatment.
4 steps to getting on therapy.
What you need to know about Hep C drugs.
How the drugs might affect you.
These tips may up your chances of a cure.
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
----------------------------------------------
My AST was normal. My ALT was only very slightly elevated, similar to yours. My Alkaline Phosphatase was normal.
"Will your liver be able to go back to normal or is that damage permanent? how does it affect your life now?"
------------------------------------------------
The liver does have the capacity to regenerate so I am hoping that mine will improve over time. I don't think my liver fibrosis (Stage 2) really affects my life currently. The severe fatigue I had prior to treatment is now gone. Many of the muscle aches that I had prior to treatment are now gone. I feel considerably better since I completed treatment and sustained a cure.
"I am always tired but my doc thinks that's due to depression and/or stress. I've tried to tell her that I'm depressed *because* I'm too tired to do what I want to but she's got in set in her mind that I'm depressed and that's that."
-------------------------------------------
Many (if not most) doctors seem to dismiss fatigue as nothing and don't seem to want to recognize fatigue as being due to something other than aging or depression or being too fat. My doctor told me I was just getting old and that was why I was so tired. I knew he was wrong, but it took pulling teeth to get him to listen to me and to order a liver panel. (Actually, it took 9 years to get any doctor to do liver enzymes on me even though mine had been elevated on and off during the 1990s. They said I did not need the tests.)
"To be honest, at this point, I don't know what to hope for- If it turns out I've got hep C but it can be treated and even cured, that actually sounds like a better outcome then being tired all the time and not knowing why."
--------------------------------------------
Well, I hope you do not have Hep C, but I do agree that, when one does not feel well, getting a diagnosis can be a relief. At least with a diagnosis one knows what is wrong and one can get treatment. Plus, as has been stated, Hep C can be treated and does have high cure rates. I feel considerably better and healthier than I felt prior to treatment. Treatment has really turned my life around. I have a lot of energy and can do many things that I was way too tired to do prior to treatment. I feel normal again. I have my life back.
Best of luck.