hep c again?

[Bo]

?, has anybody contacted this disease twice? I had hep c 14yrs ago was treated with the combo at the time which was interferon shots 3 times a wk and ribavirin pills 2@day. After treatment i was cured. But for the last several months several of the symptoms have returned. My Dr just ordered more tests for hep c, had them done today. So now it's a waiting game again. I did end up with an auto immune diseases which I'm sure we're caused from the hep c. RA, hypothyroidism, neuropathy. I'd like to know has anyone contacted this disease twice? I don't have any risky behaviors and drink very seldom. Pretty sure that i got it the first time from an x boyfriend who was a needle user. Did not know this at the time i was seeing him.

[Lynn K]

people can get reinfected yes and in a very very few cases some who cleared on the old treatments may have a late relapse.

Hep C is not generally considered to be an STD but some who have hep c have no idea when the contracted the virus.

Most people with hep c do not experience symptoms unless they have significant liver damage then the symptoms are really symptoms of liver disease the most common symptom of chronic hep c is tiredness

What kind of symptoms are you experiencing and why do you feel you may be reinfected with hep c? When you treated before were you retested at 24 weeks post treatment to make sure you had achieved SVR (sustained viral response meaning the virus was not detectable 24 weeks after you finished treatment)?

Good luck
Lynn

[Bo]

Lynn, yes i was retested after 24 wks and once again for the first 5 yrs. All signs of the disease were gone. My symptoms are fatigue & flu like symptoms every few days.

[Lynn K]

Tiredness and flu like symptoms could be many things.   

I'm not aware of flu like symptoms being a sign of hepatitis C only of interferon treatment most common reported hep c symptom is  just fatigue. 

I've heard of chronic fatigue syndrome and I'm sure there are many other possibilities good luck to you I hope you figure out what's going on but I really don't think it's hepatitis C unless you had an exposure

But I am not a doctor just a layperson who has had hep c for 37 years.

http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/hepc-guide/chronic-hepatitis-c

What Are the Symptoms?

You can have the disease and not have symptoms for years. You may not find out you have it until your doctor does a blood test for some other reason and notices a problem with your liver enzymes. If you have chronic hepatitis C, your may notice:

    Fatigue
    Upset stomach
    Drop in appetite
    Joint and muscle pain

You may also have symptoms related to cirrhosis. This condition, which affects people who've had hep C for a long time, causes your liver to scar over:

    Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
    Dark yellow urine
    Bleeding or bruising easily

[Lynn K]

http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/guide/fibromyalgia-and-fatigue

What Is Fatigue With Fibromyalgia?

Fatigue with fibromyalgia is described as crippling, exhausting, and flu-like

Not to say this is what is going on with you but just to consider another possibility

Good luck

[rainbowray]

If you have auto-immune issues, high Reumatoid Factor, and neuropathy, consider a test for Cryroglobunimia. It is cryocrit protiens in the blood, that gather and slow the blood flow--mostly when temperatures drop. When this happens fatigue sets in.
Also rashes and itching. It is a sensitive test, if you get it ordered, make sure the lab knows how to do it , other wise it is a waste of time.
http://staging.vasculitisfoundation.org/education/forms/cryoglobulinemia/

Cryocrits in the blood happen quite often with people, with a HepC history.