Hepatitis Forums
Hepatitis C Prevention, Transmission and Testing => Am I Infected? => Topic started by: jay90 on January 21, 2016, 04:49:51 pm
-
Hello i have a question and hope you can help my fears. i think that fresh blood may have got into my drink. I understand that HIV would die but i would like to know if Hepatitis could survive in it. It was a hot drink. Would the virus die in the drink?. I don't really understand this all that much and cant seem to find much information out there.
Also i accidentally touched someones wound one day, but didn't notice blood on my hands. Skin wasn't broken and washed my hands about an hour later?.
Also would a test after 13 weeks be conclusive because i have read it can take longer?.
What percentage of people can take longer to show up on a test?.
Ive had really bad anxiety about HIV before and now my minds a bit of a mess again.
Any help and knowledge would be very much appreciated.
Thanks.
-
It sounds EXTREMELY unlikely you could have caught HCV this way. Even drinking straight blood would be a hard way to get it, much less just a tiny bit possibly in a cup of coffee. Likewise getting blood on your skin from someone's open wound--you'd literally have to rub the blood into an open wound on yourself. IN THEORY this is possible, the same way that IN THEORY you could swing a baseball bat for the very first time and get a home run off a major-league pitcher.
For most hep C tests, they will recognize an infection 2 months after you were exposed. A test 13 weeks after your exposure should be conclusive.
-
Most of the initial tests are testing for 'antibodies,' the cells your body makes to combat the HCV virus. It takes most people's immune system up to 2 months (8 weeks) to develop these, once the virus enters their system. Unless you have a compromised immune system (AIDS or on heavy chemotherapy, say), you would develop these by 13 weeks. So you sound pretty clear. However I'm not a doctor, just somebody who works with HCV patients as a social worker and does free community rapid testing...If you're still freaked out, talk to the people who did your test, or talk to a doctor, or get a test if you haven't yet!
-
Hep C doesn't survive the digestive system, and without a break in your skin, it is pretty much impossible to get hep C in the ways you are describing. I don't know the %s of people who have a positive antibody after 13 weeks, but since you didn't have a risk factor, I'd say you can rest with ease, and then repeat the test in another 13 weeks because you sound like you might need the extra reassurance.
-
Ive got quite a good immune system. I've been tested for everything else also and was negative so I'm sure my immune system is ok. Also by what I've read is it true HIV would definitely die? . I know this is the hep forum but was wondering if this is true?.
these will be my last question guys and thanks for the help and knowledge.
much appreciated.
-
RE killing HIV, regardless of the temperature of the drink, you weren't describing a situation in which HIV would be transmitted
-
What is the risk of getting HCV from sharing a bank note to use cocaine. I've heard there is a risk. Is it a theoretical risk ? Or is there a real risk? . Would it be worth testing over this incident ?. I know it's through blood so would there have to be visible blood on the bank note and would it have to be fresh ? Thanks .
-
Jay,
Sounds like contracting HCV is a real worry for you. Your last scenario with the bank note and snorting coke, is theoretically possible if a an open cut existed in both nostrils, but I am not qualified to say what that percentage might be nor could anyone really. Pretty sure they have not done double blind studies on that one :)...but common sense, from someone who has lived 40 years with the disease, says, probably highly unlikely. The virus getting past our initial immune response would be tough. Then our bodies are equipped with another powerful immune response. Now we have drugs that can wipe it out in a matter of weeks. It is a very slow moving virus for most. Some people have had it for 40 years and did not even know it.
My point being; it is not something to keep you up at night. All of these theoretical scenarios can be speculated on from here to eternity. We live in a world where a big fear is pathogens prevails. This fear seems to be sensationalized by media and interests and not without some merit. HCV is hard to get...period. The folks that are infected are often distanced by others that do not know the truths about it and are fearful and not educated in the subject. In fact, probably the worst part about the disease is the feeling of being a walking bio-hazard and shunned by the fearful many.
Thanks for bringing up these questions, they need to be addressed. Please pass on the info you glean to others. peace
-
ok thanks for the reply. Its not a habit or anything and its the first time i have done it in a very long time. It just got me anxious because the next day when i blew my nose there was blood in my 'snot'. Ive been tested for all STD's before and since then thats when i developed anxiety about it all. I know i am not the only person but just keep worrying about contracting something. Not just HCV but other things like HIV etc. The people i was with aren't Needle users thats for sure, but i guess i cant guarantee they don't have HCV. I suppose a lot of people don't know they have it.
I done my research and apparently HIV cant be transmitted but now my worry is this. I try telling myself I'm ok and i probably am because so many people take cocaine and regularly for that matter. Im sure people all over the world share notes and straws for snorting but it doesn't really ease my fears. To be honest I've got to that stage now that i cant take all these thoughts. I seem to have a new fear everyday. I once feared someone was contaminating my drinks, then i thought i had got something. I once accidentally stabbed my finger with a corn holder and was scared i got something even though it was in my house. The list goes on and on and tomorrow its more than likely that something else will be on my mind. I don't want to keep testing over my crazy thoughts. I hope i haven't been offensive wth what i wrote but thats how i feel. I will admit also that theres so much misinformation out on the net which hasn't helped. I trust this forum fully and a few others though.
i need to be constantly reassured and today i feel like i can no longer live like this. thanks for your previous post, you said some things that are very true. I cant spend all my life worrying about these things. Its making me mentally and physically ill. too many sleepless nights for far too long. Im sure people can relate to what i have said. Thanks to all on here .
-
Jay,
No worries and no judgement here. I understand why folks might not want to touch the subject. I almost did not. It is a reality in our world.
Anyway, my opinion is that you might think about looking into the psychological reasons for your fears and anxieties over contracting communicable disease. Sometime there is a thin line between rational and non-rational fears. I have gone through states of worry and anxiety over things that I knew were over reactions. You seem to be aware of your own. Your ability to reach out on this forum shows that you are pro-active. I hope you find peace.
-
I would like to add that drugs can increase anxiety and that I feel your greatest health problem is not illness but your fear of catching an illness. Your anxiety seems to be your greatest health problem at this time I hope you can reach out to a doctor and get treated for your anxiety issues. Treating your anxiety will likely greatly improve your quality of life.
“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.”
– Leo F. Buscaglia
Best of luck to you
-
Thanks for all your help. Just to get something bit older off my mind. If you got poked with a needle would you definitely feel it. Would it leave a red type spot a few days later . I know I'm clearly paranoid , I'm getting myself sorted slowly .(sigh)
-
Jay,
Self awareness is a good sign. :) Good luck to you, you are on your way. peace
-
Thanks for all your help. Just to get something bit older off my mind. If you got poked with a needle would you definitely feel it. Would it leave a red type spot a few days later . I know I'm clearly paranoid , I'm getting myself sorted slowly .(sigh)
Dunno you might not feel it but we get little marks all the time and never from an unknown needle stick.
Big question is did you see a needle they are really not everywhere. The last time I saw a needle other than at a doctors office was in a parking lot in NY city about 30 years ago.
Good luck
-
I have an RN friend who was talking with other nurses about needle sticks in hospitals which it turns out is relatively common. Many have reported that on occasion even after a needle stick from an infected patient, they never developed HCV. So it's not a gimmi.
-
No i did not see it. This person was behind me . The situation seemed really weird . I guess someone would have seen it if it happened. Was a busy place . Hopefully all in my head and it probably is . I just wasn't sure if you would feel something like that or not . I felt a hand on me but no pain. :-\
-
needles are really thin so while in theory you may not have felt anything in reality the likelihood of this happening is very small. I don't recall anything like this where a stranger walked up to someone and randomly stuck them with a needle with nefarious purpose except perhaps in a movie.
More likely was it was a busy crowed place as you said and the person was trying not to be pushed into you.
Do you see a counselor for anxiety? What do they say about this situation?
-
I looked after this incident on the area where someone touched me. There was a little spot which was raised I'm not sure if it had a puncture wound or not. To me it looked like a closed spot. It wasn't a flat red mark with a hole. Part of me is thinking all my anxiety and stress is just causing spots on me. I've got more on my face and a couple on the body. :-[.
1.would there be bruising around it if I was poked.
2. Would I have bled at all.
3. Would the area be tender to touch.
I didn't feel anything like I said but I found it weird having this little spot after . Thanks guys any more help will be great ?
-
For your questions 1,2 & 3 the answers are maybe.
The more likely option is you have a small pimple or other skin irregularity.
My question to you is why are you asking the question what do you hope to learn?
If you want to know if you were unknowing stuck by an unknown person this can never be answered. If you want to know how likely it would be that you were assaulted in this way in my mind I believe this is not likely. If you want to know that if this did happen could you catch hep c I guess it would be theoretically possible but not very likely.
So knowing what can be known if you continue to be plagued with this concern you could get tested to put your mind at ease until the next time you accidently brush into a stranger and the cycle starts anew.
I truly feel your health would be better served by continuing to address your anxiety issues. To me that seems like your greatest health problem not the low probability scenario you seem to be focusing on.
-
For your questions 1,2 & 3 the answers are maybe.
The more likely option is you have a small pimple or other skin irregularity.
My question to you is why are you asking the question what do you hope to learn?
If you want to know if you were unknowing stuck by an unknown person this can never be answered. If you want to know how likely it would be that you were assaulted in this way in my mind I believe this is not likely. If you want to know that if this did happen could you catch hep c I guess it would be theoretically possible but not very likely.
So knowing what can be known if you continue to be plagued with this concern you could get tested to put your mind at ease until the next time you accidently brush into a stranger and the cycle starts anew.
I truly feel your health would be better served by continuing to address your anxiety issues. To me that seems like your greatest health problem not the low probability scenario you seem to be focusing on.
I agree! I lift weights, and was doing deadlifts in the gym the other day... Those who deadlift know that its very common to have the knurled part of the bar nick your shins on the way up... Skin gets scraped off and it usually bleeds quite a bit. Now that Im cured, Im not concerned about infecting others, but what if another gymrat used the bar before I did and similarly nicked his shins also . What if he/she was HCV positive? .. Horror of horrors... Its possible I might have introduced that person's dna into my own system.
Did the thought cross my mind? Yes.. Did I give it any more than a passing thought? NO! If we were to be concerned about these things, we wouldnt ever leave the house. Someone might bump into us, or shake our hands, or leave something on a handle that might infect us. Oh My! These types of incidental infections are exceedingly rare, and to my way of thinking, not worth any space in our already crowded heads.
-
Nicely put Paul!
-
thanks guys .time for me to move on i think. I'm feeling better about it all. i was in a bar in this situation and I've come to the conclusion that... no one would purposely do that, especially because it was quite a busy place and someone could of seen that. i didn't feel any pain, i had what was probably a normal acne spot or something like that which i made worse by picking at it. the area of my body it was on was my shoulder blade on upper back so I'm certain i would of felt that. with all my stress and worries i have quite a few spots on my face and even on my chest. when i showed my brother the spot he laughed at me and said its just a spot and not a needle mark,which was actually reassuring but he doesn't know about all my anxiety and stress. now i think about it logically it wasn't realistic and i know its my brain making up scenarios for me.
i felt a hand on me for a few seconds but that could of been for any reason. it could of been the persons arm and i mistook it for a hand but even then it doesn't matter.
your all very correct and helpful in all you said and i cant keep going round in circles with all these fears for things like HCV and HIV, i will end up in a nut house. take care everyone. i don't intend on coming back and taking annoying things to you all. i hope others who read this and have anxiety issues can get something from it and try to move on themselves. I'm not there quite yet but i know that soon i will be.
Thank you guys. peace.