Possible Liver Disease symptoms?

[PBC]

Hello, I'd like to say this place is a great resource for Hep C inquiries, and to be honest I know little to nothing about HCV.

Anyway, so about 3 months ago, I made love to a beautiful sex worker.  After the second go around, we noticed there was blood, possibly her period.  I was careful to wear a condom the whole time, and took paranoid measures to stay hygienic (put hydrogen peroxide around and on my man parts after).  As far as I could tell, I had no open wounds.  We did straight vaginal intercourse, nothing else too crazy beyond that.

Fast forward to today, I've had this dull pain in my mid to lower right abdomen area for about 2-3 weeks.  I've had a back pain on my lower right side that felt like a strained muscle for about 2 weeks, but I highly doubt I strained it.

At its peak, it felt swollen inside my abdomen, but the swelling wasn't that visibly noticeable.  It did feel swollen and had some pressure on the inside, but that's just my gut feeling (yes, funny), not any sort of actual medical diagnosis.  Also at its worse, coughing hurt and bending downward hurt in my abdomen.  The only very sharp pain that occurred was maybe 3-4 weeks ago, it felt like I had bruised my right side rib cage, and it hurt to cough, but I did not do anything to hurt that area that I know of.

I've also not felt well the past few days, kind of foggy at times, not really confused but not as sharp mentally.  It comes and goes.

So being a technology user, I googled the symptoms.  I know it's not kidney stones, because I also recently had that a few weeks ago, so it's a different pain.  The MRI showed no gall bladder stones when that occurred a few weeks ago.  I went to the doctor to check it out, but I think she sucks at her job, because she said that it was just a muscle strain and that I should rest it.  She ruled out gall bladder stones and kidney stones during the visit as well.

So, I apologize for the long read, but in your opinion:

• Are these possible signs of acute phase of HCV?
• What were my chances of catching it from the sex worker given the circumstances?  There was dried blood on the sheets afterward.
• Should I see the doctor (or a different doctor) again and get a second opinion?
• I really want to start working out again, I've stopped because of this dull pain.  Is it safe to work out and exercise (run/lift) if it is Hep C signs?
• How worried should I be should I have HCV?  I'm relatively young and sort of healthy, so I don't want this to be lifelong issue.

Sorry for the long read, and sorry if I come off very ignorant, because I am.  Thanks for any help you guys can give.

[PBC]

To add to this I’ve had grey-ish green stools for about a week, and I’ve been losing weight faster than normal. I cannot attribute this to diet and exercise. I’ve actually stopped working out and have tried to eat a ton of calories, but I’m not gaining weight.

I understand you guys can’t diagnose anything over the internet, that’s why I want to see a doctor, but I would at least like to know your thoughts and opinions.

[Lynn K]

1. Are these possible signs of acute phase of HCV?
No

The majority of people experience no symptoms of infection with hepatitis c. When symptoms do occur they are after decades of infection and are symptoms of liver disease. This is why hepatitis c is called a silent illness.

I very much doubt your symptoms of hepatitis c and tend to agree with your doctor as far as your back pain being a simple muscle strain.


2. What were my chances of catching it from the sex worker given the circumstances?

Hepatitis c in a blood borne illness hepatitis c infected blood must enter the blood stream of an uninfected person. The CDC does not consider hepatitis c to be a sexually transmitted infection and does not recommend to those in long term monogamous relationships the need to use barrier protection like condoms. There is an increased risk of transmission for those with multiple sexual partners, those who engage in rough sexual practices where blood could be involved, or in the presence of HIV. As you did use a condom it is not likely you were at risk but you may consider having an antibody test in 12 weeks after this incident to be on the safe side.

3. Should I see the doctor (or a different doctor) again and get a second opinion?

Entirely your choice but I personally don’t see a need to do so.

4. I really want to start working out again, I've stopped because of this dull pain.  Is it safe to work out and exercise (run/lift) if it is Hep C signs?

I would wait for your muscle strain to improve before you exercise that area again as your doctor likely advised you. But you are totally fine to exercise other areas like running or cardio. Hep c status has no impact on exercise.

5. How worried should I be should I have HCV?  I'm relatively young and sort of healthy, so I don't want this to be lifelong issue.

I would have few concerns about your having contracted hep c in this situation and just to note that even if at anytime in the future you should contract hep c the medicines that have been approved since 2014 are much simpler to take and very effective at curing hepatitis c boasting cure rates above 98% in most cases. So even if you should someday find you are infected with hepatitis c see your doctor start treatment which could be as simple as 1 pill a day for as few as 8 weeks and you could be cured. So either way you have nothing to worry about.

If you have concerns or for simply your own peace of mind wait until 12 weeks post this incident and get tested for hep c antibodies. I willing to bet you will test negative. Hepatitis c is not easily transmitted it it were more than about 1% of the US population would be infected.

[Lynn K]

Stool color is affected by many things hepatitis c does not cause stool color changes. If you have hep c for decades and begins to develop liver disease that could be a possible symptom because of the overall impacts of liver disease and cirrhosis. I have had hep c for 37 years before I was cured 4 years ago by the new medicines and liver cirrhosis for over 11 years. I don’t have the symptoms you have mentioned.

https://www.medicinenet.com/stool_color_changes/article.htm#green_stools

“Green stools

If stool passes through the intestine too quickly, there might not be enough time for bile to be digested and broken down to provide the normal brownish stool color. Normally, bacteria in the intestine chemically change bile to a greenish-brown color. It takes time for the bile to be fully changed in the intestine and become brown again, and if the transit time is short, for example, when a person has diarrhea, the stool remains green colored.

Green stools may be a normal variant. A diet rich in green vegetables, especially spinach, or Iron supplements also may cause green stools, though iron often turns stool black.”