Partner has hep c and acts like its no big deal...need answers

[help]

I found out yesterday that my partner has Hep c. I have so many questions. I am so scared. I live with him and I will find out soon if I have it or not. I have never used needles but he has, even though he says he always used a clean one, I doubt you can say that for sure. I have never done anything like that, what are the chances I have it?

Also he is acting like it is no big deal. He went out drinking the night he found out, he says its ok to have a drink every once in a while, and that it doesn't matter what you eat, his doctor said so. Can this be true?

Also..Is it possible detect through a test when you contracted the Hep C infection?

He will start Harvoni soon and he is convinced that this will cure him 100%. Is this true?

I thought this was for life, I thought it was really bad, so why is he acting like its not?

I am so afraid to know if I have this or not. I do not have insurance and I don't even want to know how much this could cost me if he has infected me.

Could someone please enlighten me a little?  i really appreciate this forum because I have no one to speak to about this

[Mugwump]

My wife of over 33 years has never tested positive for even exposure to the virus, neither have my children. Obviously there is risk but if you are careful those risks are very minimal, the disease is not as readily transmitted as other forms of hepatitis.

In my relationships over the years I have not infected anyone to the best of my knowledge. I suspect I was infected by a back room tattoo done in 1969 because others that had tattoos done by this individual were also infected. But some were not infected. I remember becoming very sick about a month after having the tattoo done. But it passed after about two weeks and I thought I had just caught a bad GI case of the flu.

And yes Harvoni does remove the infection and does clear the individual of the virus to the point where it is not detectable by the best current methods possible. Even though the individual will always test positive for antibodies that fight the disease because the immune system will still create them once an individual has been exposed to the virus. Over 25% of individuals that are exposed to HCV clear the virus naturally with there own immune response and never become infected. Others become infected and never actually know that they are because their immune system keeps the virus in check their whole life. Then some become HCV active and the virus overwhelms their immune response and replicates at faster rate than the individual can fight. This condition is termed being HCV active and can only be determined by the condition of the liver functions in combination with viral load testing.

All these things are well documented here and elsewhere on the web, but the unfortunate part about the web is that social media can also increase the spread of fear of the virus as easily as the truth about the real risks.

Because the treatment with Harvoni is so new we are all encourage that this is really a cure! It is a combination of two drugs that block the replication of the virus (ledipasvir-sofosbuvir) and in over 95 percent of all individuals result in a sustained undetectable viral load.

Both you and your partner should learn and keep up with the latest information even after he clears the virus. If there are relapses of individuals treated with Harvoni I am certain that this fact will become evident and we will all know the truth.

As far as drinking alcohol goes, for me it is a no go because I have serious liver damage from the disease. If your partner does not have liver damage yet then it is up to him if he wants to take the risk. BUT A SERIOUS WORK OF CAUTION IS DUE HERE
Harvoni will cause the liver to work harder and discharge dead liver cells at a greater rate during the treatment and anything that causes extra liver damage no matter how slight during the treatment is not a good idea at all.

Knowledge and not keeping your worries and thoughts from your partner is really important. I am certain that your partner is making light of the disease for the reason that he like most men, including myself, "man up" and "get tough" in response to things that actually scare the crap out of them.

I encourage you to show him this post and know that others who have gone through this disease were scared about the diagnosis and tried to deal with it like a man. There were times when I was at a serious cross roads and seriously considered the worst alternatives.

Harvoni is the best answer to the disease so far and even though there are some side effects they are not at all serious to health individuals who are do not suffer from other serious problems like renal failure.

Harvoni needs to be taken carefully and an overdose will need medical attention and monitoring so anything that can cause problems during treatment needs to be dealt with. Things like getting drunk and having a hangover thus forgetting or worse double dosing on the med is not a good thing.

To put this all in perspective here is the eventual alternative to treatment for most who are HCV active.

I will tell you that HCV can cause more problems that just slow liver failure over a period of many years if the initial infection does not rapidly kill off the liver because the individual does not have a good immune response that keeps the virus in check.

HCV infection for most is a slow and exhausting road to an early death for many of those who are infected, be happy that your partner has a chance to clear the disease!

Until your partner clears the virus get a simple antibody test for the virus done, if you give blood that test is done as a routine on all donations so it is a very common and inexpensive test. If it comes back positive DO NOT assume you are infected, the doctor will repeat the test as false positives are common.

You will be amazed and your partner will most likely be free of the virus within 5 weeks of taking the first pill.

I hope this reassures you and informs you and others about this disease, don't fear the disease fear ignorance of the truth about the science being done to combat this disease. It is entirely possible that this disease will be eradicated within the next short period of time as these treatments and the best knowledge about how to deal with the disease become available on a global scale.

eric

[help]

Eric Thank you. Everything you said has made me feel so much better. I don't know how I will feel when I find out Thursday, I don't want to overwork myself thinking I have it. Getting my answers from an actual person makes this better because I am getting a lot of different points of view from the internet. I appreciate you taking the time out of your day for this. I read him this post because he needs to hear your answers but he can't hear anything because he is closed right now. If he wants to drink I am not going to stop him anymore. He has been in recovery for a year and a half and I can't for the life of me think of why he wouldn't do everything in his power to be as healthy as possible. That is what I would do...if I can get over this depression I was already previously in and choose to move forward.
One last question....
I had HPV once and my doctor told me to use condoms in my monogamous relationship until we both clear it ... or else we will be passing it back and forth and never give it a chance to clear. Is it the same situation here? or is it just safe to say we will always have to use condoms from now on?
He keeps telling me he contracted it after he moved to florida for rehab...He wants to believe he is not to blame for this but my doctor told me you can't know when you contacted it. I am scared that if I have it he will blame me because ethics the type of person he is and I will never forgive him for that because i know i never made the choices he made in his life...
Thank you Eric your story encourages me to want to live after hep c

[Mugwump]

I am not a physician, but from what I know about HPV it comes and goes depending upon the state of your immune system. Much like herpes simplex or cold sores. It can become serious and chronic so one should always be aware of this if ever having been infected. Again it is the kind of virus that most who have it do not know they do and it never causes serious issues unless their immune system is suddenly weakened. But like HCV and other dangerous persistent viruses is known to cause cancers over time.

That being said;

Constant worry about health issues is certainly not a good thing either, it can run you down physically. Losing sleep, not eating right, drinking to compensate for little things, taking medications for every little ache and pain or minor upset is the wrong approach to dealing with HCV or any other chronic illness for that matter. I have been through all of this at one time or another dealing with HCV and the other problems it causes. So have many others here on this site.

I have taken the "herbal meds" and even at times drank too much to dull my sorrow on the pretext of helping me sleep because of severe back problems. I have even taken a devil may care attitude toward HCV when the first round of treatment with Interferon failed my mind led me to think "So why not just get drunk and forget the world, to hell with my liver I just want to have a good time for a change!" I freely admit there were times that the disease made me consider suicide and perhaps the drinking was part of that.  I have had to go on morphine to relieve sciatic nerve pain so severe that I could not walk or get out of bed for days at a time. I have had to have many rounds of steroid injections deep into my fourth lumbar vertebra in my back just so I could continue working for a living.

All this changed when Harvoni came along my attitude and resolve to beat this disease and in turn help others turned me around in a hurry! When my diagnosis of cirrhosis came just as the government approval for Solvoldi happened I knew it was only a matter of time before more effective treatments that did not knock the person for a loop would happen so I realized that there was a chance for some quality time left in my life.

But given all that what has helped me more than anything else dealing with chronic HCV infection over the years is being honest with myself and others and getting on with life with a smile on my face.

Harvoni for me has made such a difference that I know after treatment and with a few weeks with good exercise and diet I will be able to return to work for the first time in 2 years.

Your spouse needs to take the treatment seriously and give himself the best chance possible to clear both the body and spirit of the damage done by this disease!

Together you will get through it and find your way if you are kind to each other and yourselves.

Best wishes
Eric

[Marishma]

Hi there Hope: My husband found out he has Hep C roughly 2yrs. ago. I myself was tested only to find that I was Negative. Please try not to Stress out yourself. We have changed nothing in our household and again as I said I am Negative. I do not use his tooth brush etc. as some people do. Regardless of the HepC I think it gross to use someone else's toothbrush. I have also been employed in Healthcare and have been around many that have had HepC. The only thing that you should be very very careful about is your partner getting a cut and is bleeding. Especially so if you yourself have a cut. This is where cross contamination comes in. Always wear gloves or something of that sort to protect yourself. This really applies to anyone, even when you see a Cop Show or Ambulance on T.V you always see them put gloves on. There is good reason for it. With your partner thinking it not to be a big deal it is. Sure they have the medication and have come up with this new now "Harvoni" which is very costly. I can only say I am very greatful that we have a Drug Plan that will cover it. I am in Canada, not sure where you are or your Drug Plan situation. I do know that for the amount of time you have to take it, it is somewhere around $80,000. so it is not cheap. As I said I am so very grateful for our Drug Plan. As for your husband drinking, if he has 1 beer it is something equivalent to him drinking 8 beer. When you think about your liver that is not good. My husband became infected he thinks from using someone else's razor, he is not one that has taken drugs, and many times' when even someone in the home, you think it to be safe, NOT!! Now he pays the Fiddler as they say. However, he lost 2 brothers (who years' ago used needles) and found out they had HepC. They were what I call binge drinkers', dont' stop until the case is empty, and then drinking more. If I am not mistaken the one found out if my memory serve's me correctly about 7yrs. ago. His drinking persisted which is unfortunate, he was a wonderful BIL, they type that you find rarely. They did some testing and apparently found that he also had a lump that was cancerous. Needless to say, his daughters' were more than willing to give him a part of their liver (one of our bodies parts that will re-grow) however they said that once he went through Chemo etc. and then Liver Transplant it would just be to hard on the body. I guess to have a beer once in a while does not hurt but not to the excessive. My husband has just been approved for the "Harvoni" he just needs' the Physician to sign some other papers' and its' a go. He is nervous and happy. Just as I, however we are both concerned with the side effects but apparently the "Harvoni" is not as hard on you as previous drugs.
So as I said, please de-stress yourself, I would say with confidence 99.9% you have nothing to worry about. There are foods that assist in helping the liver, more of your green vegetables' broccoli, spinach, green beans etc. I wish you well and pls. let your partner know that this is no laughing matter. I do not know on what Scale his liver is at, I'm sure he does, tell him to back off of the drinking, that in itself causes sclerosis of the liver. The two combined is not a healthy combination. You yourself take care, as I said dont' be afraid to touch him, he isn't contagious (only to himself) but again watch when there may be an open cut and bleeding, Cover Yourself. Keep bathroom/kitchen area's clean with a dis-infectant, I myself use Clorox with Bleach but I am sure you have something that you yourself use. You can purchase Medical Gloves at any Pharmacy just to have around. Take care and let me know how you make out with your test. Take care!!   

[Lynn K]

Hi help

When you said partner I took that to suggest this was a gay relationship so that was why I remarked you could be at a higher risk due to some of the types of activities gay partners may participate in that could be higher risk for blood to blood contact sorry for my confusion. Yes there have been many incidents of heterosexual couples of long-term who do not pass the virus between themselves hepatitis C is not that easily transmitted.

Drinking while on treatment for Hepatitis c is not a good idea. None of us wants to risk successful treatment by introducing other chemicals in our bodies while we are taking medication to treat hepatitis c.

Even though he says he always used to clean needle when he was using drugs there's a possibility that he made a mistake one time and that was all it took which in my estimation is likely how he most likely became infected with hepatitis C.

As the others of said hepatitis C is not that easily transmitted. You likely do not have hepatitis C but the best way to know for sure is to get tested. And once you find out that you don't have hepatitis C the next best thing to do is to avoid becoming infected by not sharing personal items like fingernail clippers or toothbrushes as was said before and use caution if you have to help with an injury involving blood.

Best of luck to you both

[Marishma]

  As I said previously when you see your Physician he/she will let you know you are fine.
I do hope that your Partner listens' to what you have to tell him. Hep C is no laughing matter. If he is used to drinking I do hope that he really backs off, the alcohol alone effects the liver as well as the Hep C. So as I said the combination is
not a good one.
You know him more than others' and being his g/f (partner) and it sounds' like you have done a lot of research yourself. Good for you, perhaps a little more pushing with him may help. A push in the right direction. Tell him you want him in your life as his g/f and not out of it. I wish you much luck, take care of yourself!!

[help]

Thank you everyone for your help and support. I found out I am negative. I do want to say that out of selfishness and ignorance my boyfriend did originally try to pin this one on me....now he must deal with the decisions of his past and the consequences. I will get tested again since it could have an incubation period. I read him everything you guys say and I think he is starting to deal with this with eyes wide open and not the opposite. He is like you Eric in the sense that he wants to say screw it but what maria a said about this one to 8 ratio really got him to realize what he is doing here. He will go back to the doctor Monday...I am not so afraid of getting infected now that I know that we have lived together for a year and I am healthy. I will encourage him to come on this forum and ask questions of his own. maybe about the side effects harmonies may have especially if you are bipolar II. Thank you all again...I am trying to distress myself and so is he. I appreciate you all very much

[Lynn K]

Thanks for the update congrats on not having the virus. As was said if I had to chose between manner he became infected between sex and using IV drugs I would say it would be like 99.9 to .1 that he got hep c through drug use not  judgement just statistically speaking.

It has also been said that drinking while having hep c is like throwing gasoline on a fire that with alcohol it is not 1 + 1 make 2 for damage more like make 10 times the damage. Also some insurance companies require 6 months abstinence from drugs and alcohol before  they will provide the meds so something else to bear in mind.

Best of luck to you both