Hepatitis Forums
Hepatitis C Prevention, Transmission and Testing => Am I Infected? => Topic started by: goldguy on August 15, 2017, 07:41:40 pm
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Hello,
Today i found a old friend who offered me cocaine and i make the Mistake after 4 years to take it and make 2 lines... He exit the toilet and he gave me the cocaine in a plastic tiny bag, i entered after him in the same toilet, i use my Own Bank Note that i took from an atm machine 3 days before(i checked and it was no blood on the banknote) . I didn't share the banknote with him , i clean good the area that i put the cocaine in order to snored but Am worried if any various was possibly pasted from his hands to the tiny plastic bag of the cocaine or to the cocaine its self can be in anyway infected?. Please tell me if i am in risk even if i didn't share the banknote with him? can the virus be on the bank note more that 3 days and get infected? Sry for the too many questions.....
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Hi Goldguy,
From what I know (and what you have written) there is next to no chance that you will have picked up an infection.
Although snorting cocaine in the manner you did is a known risk factor, you were conscious of safety concerns at the time, and took reasonable steps to keep yourself as safe as possible.
Others here know more about these things than I do.
Hopefully one of them will chime in soon.
Best wishes,
A.
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Hello Andrew,
So there is no reason to worried ? or make a test?
I still have worries if the cocaine its self had any infection, i dont know really :(
What do you think?
Thank you for your answer.
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Not sure how the cocoa could be icontaminated with the virus but in any event for peace of mind getting tested will clear up any questions.
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I am sorry but i worry very much.....
So what you are saying to me is that i don't have any risk of getting the virus in my situation? There is no chance the small plastic back or the cocaine its self to have the virus from the previous guy using it?by his hands touching it or something?
For sure i didn't share with him the banknote .... and the banknote was 3 days with me that i took from an atm machine......
Thank you very much .....
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i forgot to write that i spoke with my doctor and he said to me that there is no chance of getting the virus by this situation. He said to me no even 1 in a million.
But the truth am still worried ?
i think i want to make a test to calm down ..... what do you think??
What is the earliest test i can make in order to show my if i get infected?
Thanks a lot.....
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I think no test will calm you down if you have already been advised by a doctor there is no chance and expert medical advise does not reassure you may want to consider counseling or other medical intervention for your apparent anxiety issues.
If you continue to have unwarranted fears you may wish to consider getting treated for anxiety
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Please get help for anxiety. Life throws us lots of curve balls and learning how to catch them is a skill.
If you were at risk, your doctor and Forum members would certainly tell you. But if despite this, you feel you need to test in order to let this go, it's best to wait for 6 months for a hep C test.
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I am truly sorry if i say something and i upset you ,it wasn't my intention
i just make a terrible mistake by doing cocaine and i have seen a lot of cases speaking regarding this and i had questions,I will never ever do this again. Am a very careful guy and i don't know how i made this mistake . I calm down now and you are right that there is no risk as the doctor and you said to me.
i just have one question ,if you were in my place would you do any test or just forget about it?
Thank you very much and i appreciate that you gave a thought to my problem all of you.
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No one is upset with you we just want you to get help for your anxiety which appears to be what you are suffering from.
No one is angry about what you have done to cause you concern about possible transmission. But please understand the risk from snorting drugs come from the sharing of snorting tools. Using drugs by nose can damage the lining of the nose making bleeding more likely. So the first user takes their dose in their nose and could potentially have blood on the straw bill or what have you. Then the second user places this tool in their nose which could possibly cause the blood on the tool to pass through the damaged nasal lining I to their blood stream. But even with sharing snorting tools the risk is not very high.
You did not share snorting tools and you have been advised by your doctor you are not at risk but you continue to obsess about this event even though you have been advised it was not a risk that is why we think you real problem was not this activity but your anxiety over the event.
We wish you nothing but the best and good health including mental health that is why we are suggesting you should get counseling for anxiety.
As to your question "if you were in my place would you do any test or just forget about it?"
I wouldn't have thought of it in the first place as there was no risk and you have been told by your doctor there was no risk, so yes I would forget about the hep c risk and learn a lesson of avoiding behaviors in the future that are unhealthy and cause you to worry later about possible consequences.
Best of luck to you and good health
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Thank you very much for your response...
Best of luck to all of you...
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Sry i have one general Question...Can Hep B or HIV be Transmitted by sharing Snorting tools of cocaine?
Thank you....
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I expect that could be a possible route of transmission as those are blood borne viruses as is hep c. However, as I recall I believe you said you did not share the bill note?
If there is no sharing of snorting tools there is still no risk.
Best of luck to you.
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No i didn't share any snorting tools with him just am asking for general knowledge.
Thank you very much...
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How soon i can make test for Hep C ? i read in the internet that HCV RNA test can be done with in 2 Weeks after the exposure? What is your opinion?
Thanks again
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Yes, the RNA test can be done that early. If that is what you need to put this to rest, then so be it.
If you haven't been immunized against hep B, I highly suggest you do that.
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I spoke with my parents and they told me that i have been immunized against hep when i was young .... Is that enough to protect me against hep b? now am 28 years old...
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Yes the hep b immunization is still protecting you.
Just to add I believe the HCV RNA by PCR test you are asking about costs about 10 times what the antibody tests if self pay so about $400 and results take about a weeks to 10 days.
I can't personally justify spending that kind of money for a test you have been advised you do not need as you are not at risk from the activity you described as you were advised by your doctor.
Hep c is not a medical emergency if the virus does cause liver damage it takes decades for this to occur. Today hep c is about 98% curable for most patients with even better meds being approved constantly.
My suggestion is just to forget about this learn from it and move on as you experienced no risk.
If you feel you must test then wait the 6 months for the $40 antibody test instead of spending a lot more for a test you do not really need.
Best of luck to you
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Thank you for your response.
I know that am not in a risk just i want to know for my general knowledge....
If i want to test for Hep b .... HBV DNA test i read in the internet can give accurate results in 4-6 week from the exposure date. What is your opinion about that?This is the fastest test to detect hep b? (i mean like HCV RNA for hep C)
Thank you very much....
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No idea I am not a medical professional I am a patient who had hep c and do have cirrhosis. The majority of us here are patients who have or had hep c and some with liver damage or cirrhosis like myself.
What kind of "general knowledge" are you seeking? You were immunized you are not at risk of hep b. That is the answer to the question.
If you want an answer to a medical question ask your doctor. We here are primarily a support group for those dealing with diagnosed medical conditions like hep c and liver disease toshare our experiences and insights on living with those same conditions. We cannot diagnose or recommend any medical testing only a trained and qualified medical professional like your own personal physician can do this.
If you want to be tested that is your choice and your money personally I relieve it is a waste of time effort and resources but that is entirely up to you.
With all that being said in my non medical opinion I still believe the best thing you can do for your healthy is get treated for the condition you seem to actually have anxiety about contracting illness when you have been already told by your doctor you at no risk of having contracting. Or you can spend money on medical tests you do not need what you need to do is stop worrying about illness you do not have.
Best of luck to you
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Thank you for your response best of luck to you as well....
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The HBV DNA tests can come back inconclusive but you are still immune. I wouldn't spend the money on it and just be up to date on all immunizations.
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i took 3Nos of Vaccine during the year of 1997 for HBV... exactly 20 years ago... am i still protected? or do i need to take vaccine again?
Thank you....
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I don't know which country you live in, but in the U.S., the CDC does not recommend booster HBV vaccines except for those on dialysis or weakened immune system.
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How soon i can make test for Hep C ? i read in the internet that HCV RNA test can be done with in 2 Weeks after the exposure? What is your opinion?
Thanks again
Forget it. You're NOT going to get Hep C from snorting coke.
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Hi Tommy
actually for those who share snorting tools there can be a small risk due to having weakened nasal linings from use of snorted drugs. So if blood from broken blood vessels from one user should get on the snorting tool it could in theory be passed into the blood stream of the person sharing the snorting tool. Not a big risk probably similar to sharing fingernail clippers and toothbrushes is my lay persons best guess.
https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/47/7/931/430109/Intranasal-Transmission-of-Hepatitis-C-Virus
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Lynn: Of course that's a possibility but he claimed he didn't share tools. I shared toothbrushes with my ex, on and off for 20 years, (before I was diagnosed) and she's fine.
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Here is the dope on the subject;
Abstract;
Intranasal transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) via contaminated drug-sniffing implements is a potential but unconfirmed source of viral infection. We demonstrate the virological plausibility of intranasal transmission by confirming that blood and HCV RNA are present in the nasal secretions and drug-sniffing implements of HCV-infected intranasal drug users recruited from a community health clinic in New York City.
Emphasis and purple is mine because the study is completely based upon supposition not ascertainable facts. It seems that from this one study the myth that HCV spreads readily from the shared use of snorting tubes has spread like wild fire.
Not that I am saying it is safe to go snort coke with shared tubes, but no cases of users contracting HCV in this fashion have actually ever been documented.
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I would hardly say spread like wild fire just saying that a couple of studies have indicated there may be some potential risk
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Lynn: Of course that's a possibility but he claimed he didn't share tools. I shared toothbrushes with my ex, on and off for 20 years, (before I was diagnosed) and she's fine.
Yeah he was a little difficult to convince that he was not at risk having not shared tools for snorting coke
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I would hardly say spread like wild fire just saying that a couple of studies have indicated there may be some potential risk
Lynn, I think he was saying the MYTH spread like wildfire, not the disease.
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That is what I get for skimming lol
But still not really thinking myth of risk just think it is up there with fingernail clippers and toothbrushes. Small but not zero. Why risk it?