hep cpositive antibody neg viral load

[andrea862]

hi i have been experiencing alot of problems recently ....brief history i am a recoving addict 2 years clean and was diagnosed with hep c 3 years ago ...no  viral load ever done ...i found out i had hep c while i was4 mths pregnant my son was born positive for the antibody but later his antibodies lft him....3 years later i got clean and went to check on my hep c status i had two blood tests both came back positive for hep c antibody but neg for viral load ....how is this possible if my son was born with antibodies if i so called cleared the virus?....i know it can mutate an can it lay in other parts of the body ....such as the immune system....i had a slightly enlarged lymph node this is rubbery and movable on the back left side of my neck i have a previous brexial plexus injury and thought that was related to it ....had a follow up wit doc had a ct came back normal ....dr sent me to get biopsy since it was making me that nervous and the woman said it is to small and didnt get biggger so it isnt cancer and she doesnt want to do a biopsy...i am left with the question why is it enlarged to begin with...its been there for almost a year by the way ...
i have abdominal problems
gatritis
duedonitis
henial hernia
depression
anxiety
recently detoxed from methadone was on for 1 year finished detox june 10 2007
urinary incontinence
bloating in right side
numbness in arm
left side only pain in neck
sores in mouth ocasionally
filmy discharge white
severe gas
dizzy spells
increased thirst
muscle pains and spasms
popping in  and out of baby rib on right side
burning pain on right side
they placed me on antiboticsd on and off for the past year nothing makes it go down
also i am on prevacid 30mg zoloft 50mg alaprozam .25 per day

please i am scared and need some answerss please let me know ur input ...i have so much anxiety thinking i am going to die everyday

[meki]

With your issues - I would consider speaking to a doctor regarding those symptoms.

And I would get routinely tested.

Much luck to you.

Congrats on being clean - that's a hard and amazing step in life - continued success!

Meki

[andrea862]

thnx u so much

[zazza]

Antibodies for hep C show that you at some point in your life have gotten in contact with the virus. Nothing more. To know if the virus is still in your body or not you have to test if you have a current viral load. You have done that, and you have no viral load, which means that your body has cleared the virus by itself.

[andrea862]

thanx you so much guys i just dont understand all the pain i am under ...i am like so freaked cuase i am scared the doctors made a mistake since hep c is so hard and rare to clear on your own and i have a lot of symptoms and suffer from major anxiety .....the swollen lymph node in my neck i was told was from either a becteria or viral infection i took meds and it is still there has been there for almost a year!so since the doc said it was cancer it is  a viral thing ..i am so scared it turned to autoimmune hep c can this happen?and that is why i tested postive to antibodies ... thnx u for your repsonses everyone just need some insight ....

[zazza]

If your son got tested the first time before 18 months of age, the antibodies shown were probably yours, since he tested negative for antibodies later. I would say he probably never got in contact with the virus at all, just your antibodies, you probably cleared it before becoming pregnant.

[Susie2007]

The answer to your question about your son is this. Even when a hep C patient is clear (no viral load), they always have the antibodies. Your son got your antibodies. Both of you cleared the virus on your own but you will always test positive. Your son lost the antibodies....the majority of newborns lose them before 18 months of age.