New in town

[Marielle102]

Hi,

I recently had a visit with a gastroenterologist after a positive Hep C antibody test.
So the viral load is 18,000.  We are waiting on the genotype.
I'm 43. My AST and ALT are normal. He recommends an ultrasound as well.  Although previous scans for unrelated reasons always showed liver of unremarkable quality.

Also, am I a threat to my partner?  I'm kind of reeling here...so breaking it, any of it down for me, would be calming.

And once treated...can it come back.  And if I don't get treatment...?

Thank you.

M

[lporterrn]

Sorry for the reason you are here on this forum, but glad you found us.
My answers are brief, so I suggest you read some of the info on HEP or http://www.hcvadvocate.org/ (Click on fact sheets on the right column)
By "threat", assuming you mean sexually, it depends. If either of you has HIV (esp your partner), or you are having sex with chainsaws or vampire play, then yes. If you are heterosexual the risk is extremely low - virtually nonexistent if your partner is also female. The issue is blood-to-blood contact. It's best to act as if we can infect everyone, but in reality, the likelihood is low. I suggest you read up on it on the 2 sites I mentioned - both are trustworthy.

If successfully treated, the chances of it coming back are very low - less than 1% http://hepatitiscresearchandnewsupdates.blogspot.com/2013/07/long-term-clearance-of-hepatitis-c.html UNLESS you are reinfected - the antibody does not protect you against future infections, so it is important to understand the modes of transmission. You will always test positive for hep C antibody even if the virus is gone.

I assume you read a little about it, heard some from your doc, but don't know if you are aware that by the end of this year we expect than all-oral treatment with mild side effects is expected to be approved. In short, take a pill for 8 to 12 weeks, and bingo, it'll be gone. We've come a long way. If you are genotype 2 or 3, all-oral treatment is available, but with ribavirin there are moderate side effects, and the duration is anywhere from 12 to 24 weeks.

Hope this helps. It takes a while for the reeling to slow down. The good news is that you are young and female - statistically your immune system is likely holding hep C at bay.

[Marielle102]

Thank you very much.