info - worried newbie

[Pm2006]

good morning everyone,

I'm curious to know how quickly jaundice develops in the eyes/skin. Is jaundice a bright/dark yellow tint? Does it color the whole white of the eye?
Are there usually other symptoms that are simultaneously happening along with jaundice?

any info or experiences would be greatly appreciated!

thanks
pm

[gnatcatcher]

pm, if you're asking how quickly Hep C would cause jaundice, usually very slowly if at all. I had Hep C for nearly 44 years without ever developing jaundice.

As to your other questions, here is clear, thorough information from a trusted source:
https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/jaundice-why-happens-adults

If you've been looking in the mirror and seeing some yellowing, as that web page says, "See a doctor right away."

Gnatty

[Pm2006]

is jaundice generalized with skin too?
i heard jaundice and dark urine usually happen at same time.

[Lynn K]

Do you have yellowing of your eyes and skin along with urine that resembles cola soda? These symptoms are not normally experienced by those with hep c. It is called a silent illness because most people have no symptoms.

Did you read the link Gnatty provided explaining jaundice?

If you are having an acute infection that is attacking your liver this can cause an increase in the bilirubin levels in your blood which is what causes the symptoms of jaundice you are asking about.

But as Gnatty said any of these symptoms should send you to see your doctor. We here are a community of patients who are or were infected with the hepatitis c virus. We are not medical professionals.

For a diagnosis of a medical condition or symptoms like jaundice please see your doctor.

[Lynn K]

Here is the text from Gnatty’s link from WebMd

What Is Jaundice?

It’s a disease that turns your skin and the whites of your eyes yellow. Newborn babies often get it. But adults can, too.

See a doctor right away if you think you have jaundice. It could be a symptom of a liver, blood, or gallbladder problem.

Why Do Adults Get It?

Jaundice happens when there’s too much bilirubin, a yellow-orange substance, in your blood. It’s found in your red blood cells. When those cells die, the liver filters it from the bloodstream. But if something’s wrong and your liver can’t keep up, bilirubin builds up and can cause your skin to look yellow.

Jaundice is rare in adults, but you can get it for many reasons. Some of these include:

Hepatitis: Most of the time, this infection is caused by a virus. It may be short-lived (acute) or chronic, which means it lasts for at least 6 months. Drugs or autoimmune disorders can cause hepatitis. Over time, it can damage the liver and lead to jaundice.

Alcohol-related liver disease: If you drink too much over a long period of time -- typically 8 to 10 years -- you could seriously damage your liver. Two diseases in particular, alcoholic hepatitis and alcoholic cirrhosis, harm the liver.

Blocked bile ducts: These are thin tubes that carry a fluid called bile from the liver and gallbladder to the small intestine. Sometimes, they get blocked by gallstones, cancer, or rare liver diseases. If they do, you could get jaundice.

Pancreatic cancer: This is the 10th most common cancer in men and the ninth in women. It can block the bile duct, causing jaundice.

Certain medicines: Drugs like acetaminophen, penicillin, birth control pills, and steroids have been linked to liver disease.

How Is It Diagnosed?

Your doctor will give you a bilirubin test, which measures the amount of the substance in your blood, a complete blood count (CBC) and other liver tests. If you have jaundice, your level of bilirubin will be high.

Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and medical history. She may also give you a physical exam and order tests to check your liver. And she’ll do more tests, including imaging tests to find out what caused it.

How Is It Treated?

In adults, jaundice itself usually isn’t treated. But your doctor will treat the condition that’s causing it.

If you have acute viral hepatitis, jaundice will go away on its own as the liver begins to heal. If a blocked bile duct is to blame, your doctor may suggest surgery to open it.


Bottom line see your doctor

[Pm2006]

thanks for the replies.

I had a complete cbc test done and everything was good or very good. The doctor found my bilirubin a little off and she said it could be Gilbert Syndrome. She said most doctors would over look that result but she stated that she's thorough.

I just noticed at corner of me eyes (under lids) a little yellow tinge, but when I actually have a light on it i see my veins and its white. My eyes have been bloodshot since taking zoplicone for sleep.

What could of thrown off the bilirubin level is my dosage of cipro. My urologist prescribed me cipro for once day/30 days without testing me for anything. That antibiotic has thrown my gut into chaos!!

[gnatcatcher]

Since your doctor is thorough, things'll get sorted out. Yes, the Cipro might be the cause of the yellowing--see the last symptom listed here (another trusted web site):
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/cipro-side-effects.html

[Pm2006]

cipro is toxic! being prescribed an antibiotic that treats anthrax poisoning!!

[Lynn K]

Well Cipro is an antibiotic that among others things can treat something toxic (anthrax poisoning) it is not in itself toxic per say

“Cipro is an antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body. Ciprofloxacin is used to treat different types of bacterial infections.”

Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax is also known by the name “hoof and mouth disease” as it is more common in livestock

[Ella]

Acute hepatitis -- including Hepatitis C -- can cause jaundice very early in the disease as part of the onset symptoms. I had a friend who presented that way (back in the 80s when it was called non-A, non-B). He thought he had a terrible flu, then pulled an eyelid down, saw the yellow and got to a doctor. He showed me, and it was really yellow. It was in the part of the whites covered by eyelids, but not the usually visible part.

You can also get yellowish fat deposits on the whites of the eyes, but that is mostly in the elderly.

[Lynn K]

From the Mayo Clinic

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-c/symptoms-causes/syc-20354278

Symptoms
Long-term infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is known as chronic hepatitis C. Chronic hepatitis C is usually a "silent" infection for many years, until the virus damages the liver enough to cause the signs and symptoms of liver disease. Among these signs and symptoms are:

Bleeding easily
Bruising easily
Fatigue
Poor appetite
Yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
Dark-colored urine
Itchy skin
Fluid buildup in your abdomen (ascites)
Swelling in your legs
Weight loss
Confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech (hepatic encephalopathy)
Spider-like blood vessels on your skin (spider angiomas)
Every chronic hepatitis C infection starts with an acute phase. Acute hepatitis C usually goes undiagnosed because it rarely causes symptoms. When signs and symptoms are present, they may include jaundice, along with fatigue, nausea, fever and muscle aches. Acute symptoms appear one to three months after exposure to the virus and last two weeks to three months.

Acute hepatitis C infection doesn't always become chronic. Some people clear HCV from their bodies after the acute phase, an outcome known as spontaneous viral clearance. In studies of people diagnosed with acute HCV, rates of spontaneous viral clearance have varied from 14 to 50 percent. Acute hepatitis C also responds well to antiviral therapy.

[Pm2006]

got first test done which was an ultrasound and it detected a slight fatty liver. I'm waiting for my blood results which should come in in a few days.

should the result of the ultrasound be a positive outcome?

[Lynn K]

Not sure what you mean by “should the result of the ultrasound be a positive outcome?”

The result is you have a fatty liver are you possibly very overweight or obese with a BMI over 30? Being overweight can cause a build up of fatty deposits in the liver.

https://medlineplus.gov/fattyliverdisease.html