just being a worry well

[needpeaceplease]

well i dont think my nephew has hep c, but i called the experts that i know because i got a lil paranoid, one night my nephew used my partners tooth brush well living with us, as we know we think he only used it once, but i spoke to the sti clinic here and i called catie canadas offical organization about hiv and hep c, and i also called a clinic that i have dealt with before and my family doctor and a few other doctors have told me that neither i nor my partner need to test and not to worry about hep c and move on, i used to be afraid of hiv because of my actual hiv exposure may of 2010 ive had 15 tests regarding that exposure to hiv and all negative, im just finally starting to believe my results, i suffer from ocd and bi polar disorder and anxiety disorder so you can see why i get a lil paranoid, but now i see myself moving from one disease obsession to another, so ya my question is if there is a moderator that can answer my ? and tell me they agree with all those people that i mentioned that told me not to worry about it, my nephew is not an iv drug user etc so ya can someone please make me feel better.

[Emily_MHManager]

Hi everyone -

This thread is now closed.  

Just a note - moderators do not answer medical questions, as hrsepwrguy said, and the members of this community know far, far more about hep C than the moderators do.  

Have a great day everyone,

Emily

******************************  CLOSED THREAD  **************************
                              NO MORE POSTS, PLEASE

[fretboard]

It's terrible to be a worry wart beyond what is normal, and obviously you cleared that up right away.  I feel for your nephew tho'.  good luck with a good therapist.

[1oftheclub222]

If you are not already, you may want to try to treat your OCD/bi-pol, which is probably another forum...either that or you may just end up wrapping yourself in cellophane and existing until you expire...no way to live my friend.

[flcyclist]

Your question has been answered.  By responding any further to your posts is just enabling your OCD to continue and accomplishing nothing.  It's time to put this behind you.

[needpeaceplease]

well im being told by many professionals that i dont have to test niether does my partner, i get what ur saying, if there was blood in my nephews mouth while brushing and if my partner had an open sore in is mouth then there might be a risk, but if my partner had no sores in is mouth then no risk, but anyways the professionals all told me that we dont have to test, so i think i no what ur saying, that this is more my anxiety bi polar and ocd than it is a medical issue am i correct?

[orphanedhawk]

Transmission is blood to blood.
Sometimes gums bleed when brushing teeth. Then if someone else uses that toothbrush, the virus could enter an open sore.
Blood to blood.

We are just people affected by hep C one way or another not medical professionals.

I think you know your problem is not about this but about your anxiety.
You need to find peace of mind~ that can come from many ways, prayer, meditation, exercise, medication, to name a few.
(The answer is within.)

Good luck,
OH

[needpeaceplease]

thanks so much i hope u dont mind if i come here from time to time just for a lil peace of mind and a lil pick me up, i appreciate it more than you know, have a good night and take care.

[hrsepwrguy]

OK last time I do not think you are at risk, moderators do not answer hep c questions on this forum only people who are fighting this disease and have taken the time to educate themselves. Get some sleep you are fine, NO WORRIES.

[needpeaceplease]

as i said before sorry, we dont get to choose what test we get because the provincial lab does the testing and they probably use the antibody tests, but thanks for ur advice and if you know of anyone else on here that can help me out then please send them my way, i take it ur one of the moderators? but as u said before the chances of my nephew being infected is next to nil which means him using my partners toothbrush is just about 0...after we found out he used it we both went out and bought new ones, we kept them in our room until he moved out last week...but just so i can sleep a lil better tonight can u tell me again that you agree with the docs and i dont need to test?

[hrsepwrguy]

No I don't think you are at risk and can't help you any futher, you have all the info needed.

Have a great day.

[hrsepwrguy]

These 2 links will give you the proper testing procedure and time frame needed for conclusive testing but as I said skip the antibodies test and go straight to a PCR test as it will pick up on the virus as soon as 2 wks post exposure, test results only take about a week to get. .


http://www.aafp.org/afp/1999/0101/p79.html

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhanes/nhanes_01_02/l02_b_met_hepatitis_c_eia_riba.pdf .

[needpeaceplease]

im from saskatchewan canada, our health care if free here and they choose what tests they run, just like hiv they use the antibody test, the only way they use the rna is for pregnant woman n emergencys, so i am assuming it would be the same for hep c, if i go with the antibody test how long before i can consider the test conclusive, so ya in ur opinion from what i told you, i have nothing to worry about, ya i dont want anymore tests done for anything but if i did when could i get a conclusive antibody test?

[needpeaceplease]

medicinenet said what the ways of transmission are, but then in another part of it it says a person who has hep c should not share razors or tooth brushes...so its like it contradicts its self, so ya...but if u agree with my docs and experts that i talked to, then i wont worry well ill try not to, but if in the future i choose to test, what is the window period to get a conclusive negative result, a good site i cant remember whats its called said something like with the newer testing antibody tests 8 weeks, but is it 3-4 months?

[hrsepwrguy]

Bottom line is your nephew has hep there is a very slight risk of transmission but judging by what history you gave it is very doubtful he has it. HCV is not considerd an STD and risk of transmission through sex is very low. You are correct on it being spread only by blood to blood contact only. As I said before if your conditions wont let you move on get tested then you will know for sure. Skip the antibodies test and go straight to a PCR test as it will pick up on the virus as soon as 2 wks post exposure, test results only take about a week to get.

[needpeaceplease]

i stick to medhelp this is the only site my counselor said i can go to for advice because i over search the internet in order to find something to feed my fear, what is the window period for hep c. window period while using an antibody test?

[needpeaceplease]

im sitting here right now crying so hard i can barely type since my actual exposure to hiv i just exist i dont live a life at all, im to worried about being sick all the time, my partner has tried to help me out as much as he can, but im to scared to move on cause "what if" "what if" can you please ease my mind a lil more, and give me a lil more info on what you know about it, i know its a blood bourne illness, which means u can only get it from direct contact with someones blood that has it and a way for it into your body, i just need someone to talk to about this, my partners not worried at all about it he is sitting here watching glee and enjoying the holiday season, and im sitting here crying feeling so alone and just wanting someone to understand my fears and help put my mind at ease

[pooh55811]

It appears that you do not know if your nephew has active Hep C. If he does not have Hep C, then you could not catch it from him.

It is unlikely you have Hep C but, if you want to be sure, then get a test for it.

Here are a couple of links that may offer some information:

http://www.texasliver.com/hepatitiscfaq/

http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/hepatitis-c/tab/test

http://www.medicinenet.com/hepatitis_c/article.htm

[hrsepwrguy]

Yes I do and have put alot of time in learning about hep c because I feel the need to be educated on the disease I am fighting. I think your good to go, no worries.

[needpeaceplease]

sorry that i asked if u had it, i read your profile and i got my answer, so you have had it for awhile so you know alot about it i take it, right? and so when you say nor my partner nor i are at risk for hep c, so my nephew using my partners toothbrush is not a risk or not a risk worth worrying about?

[needpeaceplease]

thanks i appreciate it, what is the window period for hep c, when can u get a conclusive antibody test for it, i was told 6-8 weeks now, with the new elisa tests they use to test for hep c, i just want to move on, and i dont want to test if i dont need to, because u can see how i got obsessive with testing for hiv, and i know if i test even if i dont need to, it will only feed into a new obsession, so you agree i can move on and i do not need to test at all, why did my doctor ask if my nephew was an iv drug user he never asked if i new if he slept around, they even asked me if he was a sniffer what ever that is, so anywho im fine, in your opinion im hep c free, see im so educated on hiv because i wanted to be just in case with in my 12 weeks of testing i turned positive, i can be an educator with all i know about hiv, but i dont no anything about hep c other then its a liver disease, so please tell me that my partner nor i dont need to test for hep c regarding my nephew who i dont no if he has it...so can i ask u a ? do you have hep c?

[hrsepwrguy]

There is a lot of if's and not any for sure's involved. IMO I agree with the docs you spoke with and should not worry and just move on but if unable to do that because of your conditions, get tested then you will know for sure.

Have a great day