The most common test for HCV is the antibody test, and it can take varying amounts of time for a person to develop antibodies, so in the case of a negative result from an early test, it is usual to repeat the test six months after exposure. If you had the HCV PCR test done then those results are accurate much earlier, usually about 2 weeks after exposure. If you posted the exact wording on your test report we could probably tell you which it was. I also noticed that you had a similar concern just last October. I hope this doesn't mean that you are repeatedly engaging yourself in risky situations, or the near-opposite problem of developing an obsession with the virus. Watch for either one of those, as they are both really unhealthy.
Hi the problem is I got a very large tattoo that took months to complete and now final finish it 2 months ago, I do suffer from anxiety but I'm definitely not feeling right and it started about two weeks after my first sitting but I had to get it finished, I asked the doctor to test me just incase but I'm not 100% sure what test he did but I don't think it's was a antibody test just an hepatitis profile screening. am I guess right that if I picked anything up 6 months ago that would show up now but not from 2 months ago?
I was diagnosed with Hep C during a med exam for a research project. I had no symptoms at all. The blood tests were the confirmation of the viral infection.
Perhaps the most commonly used indicators of liver problems are the ALT and AST tests. The ALT is felt to be a more specific indicator of liver inflammation as AST is also found in other organs such as the heart and skeletal muscle. When I discovered that I had Hep C it was due to elevated levels in the ALT test. The test for antibodies was positive for hepatitis C antibodies. This was the first indication of Hep C for me. The secondary test confirmed the Viral Count.
I am not sure what the tests were that you had but if you have continued concerns, ask your doctor to do a complete blood panel and the Antibody test. Better to do this than continue to worry.
Why on earth would you continue finishing a six month tattoo project if you weren't sure of the sterility procedures of the tattooist? It the artist is following proper procedures there isn't anything to worry about. If you don't trust the place, please don't go there anymore. If you are prone to anxiety about things like this please do yourself a favor and refrain from engaging in remotely risky behavior. Better yet, try to get help in overcoming this impediment to a happy life.
Your test was almost certainly the antibody test, as that IS the standard hepatitis screening test. In answer to your question, two months is too early to have 100% reliable results. One other point: Hepatitis C generally doesn't cause any self-observable symptoms at all until one has had it for 20-30 years and it has caused a considerable amount of liver damage. Yellow urine is NORMAL. The intensity of the color varies with how dilute it is (how much water you've been drinking). Ask specifically for an HCV PCR test to put your mind at ease, avoid any future behaviors that you perceive as risky, and work with someone on ridding yourself of these anxieties. Good luck.
hello, the place i had the tattoo done is clean but i really dont believe after a few visits that any tattoo shop is 100% safe, i know you think im mad going back but i had to get it finished, maybe it is all in my head or my on going anxiety which i am on meds for but not working. so are you saying that the pain in my side would unlikely be caused by hep after 6 months, im also getting a shooting pain im my back. thanks for all your replies and sorry for being a pain.
The pains you are experiencing are very unlikely to be related to your liver. I had Hepatitis C for at least 30 years, and it progressed all the way to cirrhosis, which I've now had for 9 years. The only time I've ever experienced any pain related to my liver is when I had a liver biopsy and when I had major surgery on the ducts attached to the liver. The liver itself doesn't even have any of the kind of nerve fibers that carry pain signals, so even my pains after invasive procedures weren't actually the liver itself hurting, but the surrounding tissues that were cut or punctured. I think you should try to redirect your energy from worrying about Hepatitis C (or other physical illnesses) to working on getting a more effective treatment for your anxiety. Best wishes!
Thanks for all you help, I think I need to just face the fact that im nuts ;-)
I Rang the doctors today and it was a hep antibody test I had done, it was done 5/6 after the tattoo, is 6 weeks test conclusive? Thanks
If the hep antibody test was positive, I do believe that this would confirm that the antibodies are present. The docotor may order up a viral count to see if the virus is active and to what degree. If you have had an antibody test done and it was positive, then it will always be positive even when the virus is cleared.
sorry i meant to say it came back negative after 6 weeks?
"is 6 weeks test conclusive?"
How soon after exposure to HCV can anti-HCV be detected?
HCV infection can be detected by anti-HCV screening tests (enzyme immunoassay) 4–10 weeks after infection. Anti-HCV can be detected in >97% of persons by 6 months after exposure.
How soon after exposure to HCV can HCV RNA be detected by PCR?
HCV RNA appears in blood and can be detected as early as 2–3 weeks after infection.
http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HCV/HCVfaq.htm#c5
Hello and thanks, so I'm guessing if I was showing symptoms @ 6 weeks then antibody would be detected?
The question you are asking calls for complete speculation on the scenario described, so I will not try to answer a question about symptoms, I will say that 6 wks post exposure is not conclusive using the antibodies test, if your worried wait the proper amount of time and get tested again.
Have a great day
spoke to the nurse today and she says 6 weeks is enought time for your body to create antibodies so she says i have nothing to worry about, i just dont understand why im getting pain in my side and very yellow urine, this is really stressing me out
Hello iv just had a blood test done at 3 months and it came back negative, does this mean im in the clear?
Regards