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Welcome

Welcome to the Hep Forums, a round-the-clock discussion area for people who have Hepatitis B, C or a co-infection, their friends and family and others with questions about hepatitis and liver health. Check in frequently to read what others have to say, post your comments, and hopefully learn more about how you can reach your own health goals.

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  • The information shared in these forums, by moderators and members, is designed to complement, not replace, the relationship between an individual and his/her own physician.
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Recent Posts

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1
Post Hepatitis C Treatment / Re: Post treatment side effects (Epclusa + others)
« Last post by Becca333 on Today at 02:39:07 pm »
It literally looks like I have psoriasis on my face. I just got my first post treatment blood test results. Undetected!! I guess it's worth looking like I have a skin disease on my face. As long as the hep c is gone.
2
I Just Tested Positive for Hepatitis C / Re: Hello and have some questions.
« Last post by JuliaG on Today at 10:24:03 am »
Tried to lay down and sit up but did not feel any lump...Thanks Lynn.
I also thought it might be gall bladder. Maybe it is liver pushing on it...

Now I am thinking that my elevated blood pressure might be  a result of my disease. Read it was quite common. It also runs in my family...

Anyway I am very ready to see a nurse on Monday and do whatever they will tell me to do.
3
I Just Tested Positive for Hepatitis C / Re: Hello and have some questions.
« Last post by Lynn K on Yesterday at 07:55:44 pm »
Is it possible you have a umbilical hernia? I developed on as a result of my gall bladder surgery. If you are lying down and do a partial sit-up do you feel a lump form from this straining if the abdominal muscles?
4
I Just Tested Positive for Hepatitis C / Re: Hello and have some questions.
« Last post by Lynn K on Yesterday at 07:50:34 pm »
Before I was diagnosed with cirrhosis I had the common hep c symptom of feeling tired.

After I was diagnosed with cirrhosis about 1.5 years later I was camping in the mountains and I suddenly noticed that I had some ankle swelling. I initially thought it was because I had slightly turned my ankle but later noticed both feet and ankles and lower legs were swollen. This was later diagnosed as pitting edema. I was prescribed a durietic, Spironolactone which I took for several years.

When I was prepping for my last Ultrasound guided liver biopsy it was noted I had gall stones which a couple of years later I started having gall bladder attacks so I had my gall bladder removed in 2012. Developing gall stones is sometimes associated with liver disease.

Other symptoms I developed I was not aware of as they were only noticeable with testing. I had some ascities only observable with ultrasound, esophageal varicies found with upper endoscopy and low platelet count found with blood testing. 
5
I Just Tested Positive for Hepatitis C / Re: Hello and have some questions.
« Last post by JuliaG on Yesterday at 11:34:42 am »
Good morning and thanks Lynn.

Few other questions. Did you ever had any symptoms? Pain or swelling or anything else? If you did, did they develop gradually or you only had them when cirrhosis was diagnosed? My only but pretty annoying symptom - is discomfort to right from my belly button, not a pain but like a feeling of something there...I hope it will go away after treatment...

 
6
Hepatitis C Research News & Studies / In Very Rare Cases, Some Hep C May Remain After a Cure
« Last post by Hep Editors on Yesterday at 10:45:36 am »
In extremely rare instances, people with HIV who have ostensibly been cured of hepatitis C virus (HCV) may retain very low levels of the virus for some time afterward, aidsmap reports. However, such persistent virus has not been tied to liver damage.

Publishing their findings in Nature Scientific Reports, a research team led by Antonio Rivero-Juárez, MD, of Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas in Córdoba, Spain, conducted a prospective longitudinal study of 123 people with HIV and HCV coinfection who were treated for hep C between 2015 and 2018 at hospitals in the Andalusia region of Spain.

All participants had achieved a sustained virologic response—an undetectable hep C viral load—24 weeks after completing therapy, which is known as an SVR24 and is considered a cure. More than 12 months had passed since all achieved this benchmark.

Read more...
https://www.hepmag.com/article/rare-cases-hep-c-may-remain-cure
7
I Just Tested Positive for Hepatitis C / Re: Hello and have some questions.
« Last post by Lynn K on October 17, 2019, 08:20:04 pm »
Well with the coarse echotexture along with the low platelet count and history of hep c for a long period of time it does seem likely you have cirrhosis.

Most of my doctors use MyChart a web page where I can access my lab reports any time. Many of us here either have physical copies of our results or have some sort of online access to our data so we can better discuss and try to understand what is going on. I have copies of many of my abdominal ultrasound results for my own records.

Yeah, absolutely no drinking and losing those extra pounds is great for your liver. Exercise is fine as long as your doctor says it’s ok regarding any other health conditions you may have but if your otherwise healthy getting some exercise will not harm your liver.

Here is a link from a long time blogger who had hep c about exercise

https://www.ihelpc.com/exercise-workouts-with-hepatitis-c/

Have a great day, week, and weekend.
8
I Just Tested Positive for Hepatitis C / Re: Hello and have some questions.
« Last post by JuliaG on October 17, 2019, 05:18:03 pm »
Thanks Lynn

I was surprised that a nurse did not offer fibroscan either or other tests to confirm diagnosis. But she sounded like she was sure. My platelets count was low - 119 back in May. I will try to find out new lab results next time I see a nurse. She said that my new labs were good. Maybe it is because I stopped having wine since May.
Yes, I also need to lose 20 pounds to help my liver out a little. Is it safe to exercise ( moderately of course) without fear to hurt liver any more?
I am so glad to hear and I have read here that you are doing well  :)
Would be great if some users with a similar diagnosis ( like Kim77) would give an update about their health. Oh well...Hope she is doing very well.
I should see a nurse again on Monday or Tuesday to get more info and get more labs done.
Have safe rest of the week and weekend everyone.
9
I Just Tested Positive for Hepatitis C / Re: Hello and have some questions.
« Last post by Lynn K on October 17, 2019, 03:03:11 pm »
Hi Julia

Sorry for your recent bad news but just know cirrhosis is not a death sentence especially when caught early. I learned I had hep c in 1990 when I donated blood. This was when antibody testing was first approved. I was tracked closely over the years having liver biopsies every five years. I progressed with each subsequent biopsy going from minimal scarring of a fibrosis score of F1 to finally in Jan 2008 F4 which is cirrhosis. So I have been living with cirrhosis for almost 12 years and I’m doing fine.

The important thing to remember is with curing hep c your liver will no longer be under attack by the hep c virus and if you have no other cause of liver damage like drinking or being over weight you liver will have a chance to heal.

While ultrasound can “see” indications of cirrhosis like coarsened echo texture to really diagnose cirrhosis you should have either a liver biopsy or if available as an option a machine test called a Fibroscan which is sort of similar to an ultrasound and can be done in your doctors office if they have that equipment or the blood test you were asking about the Fibrosure. Those tests can confirm liver cirrhosis.

Also, one of the first tests other than liver enzymes I had that went out of normal range indicating I have cirrhosis is my platelet count. Normal is above 150 and before I treated my hep c it was around 85. Now four years post treatment my platelet count has improved to 125 still low but much improved.

Yes those of us with cirrhosis will need to be followed every six months with abdominal ultrasound to monitor for early signs of liver cancer (HCC) as because we have cirrhosis we are at an increased risk. But with cure of hep c even that risk is greatly reduced but still higher than the general population so we will need to be monitored.

Basically if you can stop the cause of your liver scarring early cirrhosis is a chronic condition that will need monitoring but your odds of living a normal life span are very good with curing your hep c. 
10
I Just Tested Positive for Hepatitis C / Re: Hello and have some questions.
« Last post by JuliaG on October 17, 2019, 01:56:33 pm »
While waiting for my results I came across for that fibrosis calculator on  foreign Hep C forum that supposedly predicts cirrhosis using a blood panel test without any ultrasound or any other tests...Never heard about you guys discussing it here so I was just curious.

 https://www.mdcalc.com/fibrosis-4-fib-4-index-liver-fibrosis#use-cases
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