Five decades of HEP C just now discovered.

[Jmeyer]

Hi I was just diagnosed after watching a PSA on tv . I don't seem to have symptoms.  My liver numbers are just barely off and I was wondering did I catch this too late . I am 70 yrs old. I read that you get sclerosis within 30 yrs. so I may be too late . Has anyone survived in my situation?  And thanks to this forum I can talk to others who have been stricken with this silent disease.

[Lynn K]

Hi JMeyer and welcome

Only about 20% of people who are infected for 20 years will develop liver cirrhosis. Even having hep c for 30 years you still may have little to no liver damage.

(You typed “sclerosis” I assume that may have been an auto correction error and you intended to write cirrhosis)

Even if you are not that fortunate and like me do have liver damage and even cirrhosis this is not a death sentence.

I was diagnosed with early cirrhosis in January 2008 and am still here at 60 years old.

The inportant thing is you now know and can treat your hep c before it can cause any further damage. Also with cure of hep c some here have even had a regression of their liver damage.

Please ask away we are here to share our experiences.

[Jmeyer]

Oh Lynn Thank you so much for the  detailed response . I am gonna try to get cured  so I too can reassure others like you do . You are so wonderful to be unselfishly taking your precious time to help and support newbies such me. Yes did misspell cirrhosis. 

Thank you again,
James Meyer
Sugarland,  Texas

[Lynn K]

Nice to meet you James and no worries about the spelling. I am betting your computer made the incorrect correction lol.

[Mugwump]

Just to echo what Lynn has already stated. Most people can live with HCV and not know it unless somehow they are tested. What is most scary about HCV is that the disease can go undiagnosed because it is a liver disease that seems to have evolved to not kill the majority of hosts. If you are otherwise healthy and your immune functions are not compromised the disease seems to actually take advantage of stronger hosts to survive and spread and seems to attack and kill only those who have a weaker immune system.
For instance, one person that I knew who had a liver transplant did not know he had HCV until a very bad case of the flu along with an internal infection that he caught after a traffic accident caused HCV to run amok and destroy his liver very quickly. His immune system was compromised for about a year before it was discovered that he had HCV and his liver was failing.
However this sort of situation is the exception and as Lynn has stated a great many go on to live a full life span with HCV and never progress to cirrhosis. Regardless of how it is spelled

When I first started posting on this forum I turned off my auto correct spell check until I had entered all the medical terms into the data base! Fortunately you can add words to most spell check programs simply by right clicking in Linux and even in some windows programs. However all bets are off if you are using an iPhone!or a Mac for that matter.
 

[Jmeyer]

Thanks Mugwump,
           Ironic that this all started back last Thanksgiving when an invited friend came to dinner sick and gave it to all of us . Which made several chain reactions to antibiotics when a blood panel showed my liver a little off, and because of the TV announcement about Harvoni I asked them to throw in a HEP C test just for the hell of it. Wow didn't expect the positive results!! I am 70 and never spent a day in a hospital so this so I am spoiled with good health!! Now while the Dr is trying to figure out what strain I have I have decided to eat nothing but liver friendly foods in the meantime. So perhaps you can guide me to a compiled list that must be out there of liver friendly food. ??  I would appreciate it!!
Respectfully JMeyer 

[Lynn K]

Hi JMeyer

Obviously I am not Mugwump but anyway I have read a heart smart diet is also a liver friendly diet. So emphasizing fruits and vegetables

For those of us with liver disease we should avoid too much sodium and use care with NSAIDs because of bleeding risk. We are to use Tylenol for pain but be careful about proper dosages as the active ingredients of Tylenol acetaminophen is an ingredient in many OTC meds

[Mugwump]

Thanks Mugwump,
           Ironic that this all started back last Thanksgiving when an invited friend came to dinner sick and gave it to all of us . Which made several chain reactions to antibiotics when a blood panel showed my liver a little off, and because of the TV announcement about Harvoni I asked them to throw in a HEP C test just for the hell of it. Wow didn't expect the positive results!! I am 70 and never spent a day in a hospital so this so I am spoiled with good health!! Now while the Dr is trying to figure out what strain I have I have decided to eat nothing but liver friendly foods in the meantime. So perhaps you can guide me to a compiled list that must be out there of liver friendly food. ??  I would appreciate it!!
Respectfully JMeyer

Again to echo what Lynn has said. A heart smart diet is much easier on the liver. Too much red meats with high protein and bound saturated fat is harder to digest and puts extra strain on the digestive system. The "Fatkins" diet is definitely not a good choice if you have HCV with compromised liver functions.

Cheese and egg yokes in large amounts are not good, but things like yogurt is much more liver friendly because it is easier to digest ( considering that most of the work has already been done by bacteria ).

What I found is that reducing saturated oils and fats in a sensible way is best. Proteins in meats with bound in fat cells require much more time to digest and metabolize and put much more strain on the liver. If you are f3 then the liver itself is already having some trouble converting the molecules in the blood stream.

I cook for a seniors facility and the medical standard for seniors is 6 oz of meat at a meal at most. So no more large portions of steaks or roasts. Reduce breakfast and lunch to one egg or appx 2 oz of product. Along with this try your best to reduce refined sugars, salt and starches if possible. (as I munch on potato chips...LOL)

Fats in general are not really a problem, if you are still healthy and can digest them and metabolize them effectively, but as the liver deteriorates over time or as you age it is a very good idea to reduce the intake of fats.
A varied diet consisting of complex starches, fats, proteins and minerals from many sources is still the best approach. That being said as you are treated you will most likely find that your appetite will increase, some here on the forum put on weight as their liver functions normalized for this very reason! For these reasons the more active you are during treatment the better IMO. It is not the same as getting over the flu, bed rest is not at all what we need.

HCV is a disease that slowly attacks and when freed from it you most likely will realize how sick the disease was making you. Again all these things are very hard to quantify with any degree of precision but in general as ones liver functions normalize it is amazing how many other things come to light. Think of treatment and cure like having an engine rebuilt done on your corvette.
Cheers and all the very best
Eric