Hepatitis C

[sweetbitch]

I recently found out that it's possible to have a chronic Hepatitis C infection but never develop an antibody. It's not only possible; it happened! After being tested regularly for years, always with negative results, there is indeed a viral load. Images and a biopsy show it is not a recent infection.

Physicians and other health professionals are generally shocked, even specialists I expected to be highly informed. Is it rare or not? The youngest doctor I see (whose specialty is unrelated to liver or STDs) says it's not rare at all.

We've all heard of "false positive" results for different tests that cause undue worry, but here is an example of a false negative. (False in a practical sense: even if the antibody testing is accurate, we are ultimately interested in disease itself.)

[Leather69]

Wow, that is something that I think is very rare..I picked up a dose of hep c last year, most likely fucking around at a couple of big sex parties in Germany. My gp who I saw when I came back said to wait until the new medications come on to out PBS scheme(in December). Unfortunately I developed some other complications (kidney cancer), which saw me being treated in hospital by a kidney specialist and leading liver specialist(who used my case as an exotic at their conf in San Fran last November). Daily blood tests whilst in hospital revealed that my body was progressively clearing it.. and indeed am now free of it..a follow up special blood test is booked for September to confirm.

 

Can your situation be medicated???? I am advised that the new treatment regime is almost 100% effective in types 1,2 & 3 and the body tolerates the medication without the previous ghastly consequences.  Good luck.

[sweetbitch]

Yes, I am going to begin treatment soon. (No matter what coverage you have, the medication has to be authorized first.)

I know that treatment approaches 100% success and liver damage is reversible. But the course of medication is longer and much more expensive than, say, penicillin. I wonder what the reaction a patient would face if he returned reinfected, definitely a possibility now that we know the virus can be transmitted sexually.

[bearbandit]

I know of a number of British guys who've picked up hep C a second, or even a third time. Medical ethics dictate that someone re-presenting with hep C should have exactly the same non-judgmental attitude from medical staff as anyone else. With the price of the new hep C treatments being as high as they are, I guess it's possible that someone re-presenting could be put onto one of the old more difficult regimes. It's worth noting that in the UK if you need a liver transplant because of alcohol related damage they generally require you to show three months minimum abstinence from alcohol before you can go on the waiting list. 

It's generally rare for hep C to be transmitted sexually as it requires a degree of blood to blood contact. Most likely scenario is cross-contamination at fisting parties where tops don't wash hands and arms before plunging into a new hole, though of course it doesn't have to be fisting, just that fisting offers the easiest route. 
 

May I wish you the best of luck with the treatment, and could I ask you to keep us updated on your progress... Knowledge is power... 

[sweetbitch]

My first tests since starting treatment show I am clearing the virus very fast and liver functions are normal. My response to treatment is typical.

However, articles from several years ago say that resistance to HCV medication was expected to be very common (in patients who were cured and later reinfected). I have not seen any recent articles about it, so I don't know whether or not the problem is as bad as expected.

When I attended a HCV conference at one of the big hospitals in New York, the speakers stressed that Hepatitis C was an STD. I knew that already (and I remember being told years ago that it was not). The virus is present in semen and mucus. The doctors say in recent years, since Prep became available, they see far fewer cases of co-infection with HIV and many more of HCV alone.

I'm sorry to disappoint anyone, but the doctors all recommend condoms to prevent infection (and it makes sense to me).

[sweetbitch]

At the clinic, I picked up the current issue of PA (Positively Aware). It has the 4th Annual HCV Drug Guide and several articles about Hepatitis C. Is it accessible online?

[Guest planturseed]

I caught hep c early last year have 250vl & doctors said my body would likely get rid of it , then all of a sudden it shot up to 260,000vl F4 cirosis & scarring in a very short time ...my own fault i was blasting & blood slamming alot non neds hvl poz guys, hookers ,etc chasn stds for 6 months .

Yet 1yr later im still hiv negative & nearly clear of my hep c (harvoni treatment ) ...