Hepatitis C- a Big Problem
- 09.25.09
- Hepatitis C Treatments, chronic, combination, council, discrimination, Hep, hepatitis, interferon, Living, qld, Ribavirin, therapy, treatment, viral
- 14 Comments
Hepatitis C is a medical condition that shows no symptoms in many of the people that come in contact with the hepatitis C virus. Although there are symptoms which indicate hepatitis C, many doctors may also mistake them for other condition symptoms. Hepatitis C is a condition that can lead to liver diseased and even liver damage.
Some of the symptoms for hepatitis C can be fatigue, nausea, headaches and even memory loss from time to time. There are a lot of cases where people who had those hepatitis symptoms were diagnosed incorrectly because the doctors could not figure out that they actually had a hepatitis C infection. This is a very serious condition that hides its roots well. The main way of the hepatitis c virus spread is through blood. This hepatitis virus can also be passes down from mother to fetus, but these are less common cases of hepatitis C. Because hepatitis C is a silent condition , many people come to suffer from severe liver damage. You can have the hepatitis C virus, but because there are no hepatitis symptoms not even know that. The hepatitis virus has a period of incubation of about 180 days and afterward hepatitis C sets up. The hepatitis virus shows no signs that he is there and slowly starts to damage your liver. Many people realize that they have hepatitis C after they have come to chronic hepatitis stage.
There is no vaccine that can help you prevent the infection with hepatitis C virus. So all one can do to prevent hepatitis C is to avoid all the risk factors. If the hepatitis C virus is contacted, your body will try to fight it. However, the hepatitis virus can mutate and evade your immune system. As many as 80 percent of the people that are infected with the hepatitis C virus will not be able to destroy it completely. There are hepatitis C treatments available, but unfortunately they do not work for all the hepatitis patients. Some people are not able to support the mediation that must be taken in case of infection with the hepatitis C virus. There are also side effects of the hepatitis C treatment that must be taken into consideration. Doctors still search for an effective hepatitis C treatment. The most recent discovery in a hepatitis C treatment is a genetically engineered drug which must be comnined with another drug called ribavirin.
For more resources about hepatitis c symptoms please review http://www.hepatitis-guide.com/hepatitis-c-transmission.htm or even http://www.hepatitis-guide.com/hepatitis-c-treatment.htm
Watch the video related to hepatitis c treatments
Beginning treatment for Hepatitis C on April 14th. Medication will include a weekly shot (Interferon Alfa 2A 0.5ml) and 5 daily capsules (Ribavirin 200mg). Wish me luck!
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For more resources about hepatitis c symptoms please review http://www.hepatitis-guide.com/hepatitis-c-transmission.htm or even http://www.hepatitis-guide.com/hepatitis-c-treatment.htm
i hope everything works out for you
me too
Yes interferon/ribavarin i believe is the standard of treatment It does work, however, it gives you side effects (makes you feel like you're sick all the time) and doesn't necessarily work on everyone, I am not sure the cure rate but there are a significant amount of people this does not work with
If you click on my name it takes you to my 360..read from the last page..I blogged treatment.
I did the medicine and can say while it wasn't a walk in the park it was worth it. I cleared the virus in '05 and am now sitting with a 2yr undetectable viral load
oh…cured? how about SVR= Sustanied Viral Responder
that's me! Its gone
The 'success rate' for genotypes 2&3 is 85%
Genotypes 1a,1b are 50%
Genotype 4 I'm not cetain..but I do know its a hard one to clear..tell your husband chin ^
Shots run close to $1,000.00 dollars EACH. Depending on length of treatment, type of treatment.
Oral meds, (antiviral) and those meds to help with sides can run 400 bucks a month.
Doctors visits and testing on a monthly schedule is additional money.
Your looking at up to a 90,000.00 dollar treatment for 48 weeks.
As for HMO's, I've no idea, but you might need to call them and ask.
Good luck.
Hepatitis C is a chronic liver disease caused by a virus. It is *normally* a very slow process where in the liver under goes inflammation and destruction by the virus. You can live very long and may not even die from the liver problems from hepatitis C. However, you do have an increase chance of liver failure and liver cancer from this disease.
There are many treatments available although some are not very effective for certain strains of hepatitis C. Medications such as interferon or ribavirin have been used in to treat hepatitis C. There are a lot of preventive things that your friend can do to help himself — stay away from medications or alcohol that can tax the liver, get immunized for the hepatitis B, have an bi-annual liver enzyme check to see how his liver is function, etc.
He should be under the care of a physician if he hasn't done so.
Just finished 48 weks. Learn all you can. Enjoy your good days! It’ll make you feel like you still can accomplish things. It’s only TEMPORARY.
I am going for my 2nd shot tomorrow.
After the first shot, I recieved at 11 am. It did not effect me until 4pm. My neck started getting really sore (whip lash) it traveled to my other joints. Flu like symptoms….I had a fever and was FREEZZING!!! I then, broke my fever at 9:30pm. Thats how fast this moves thru your system! YOU DO NOT GET THOSE FLU LIKE SYPTOMS THE WHOLE TIME, JUST THE SHOT DAY'S!! The next day you will be tired. by the 3rd day your good to go!
the pills make you nauseated nothing big. Make sure you drink a LOT of water!!! You get tired quickly but, you just sleep!
I can't tell you if you are going to be too sick to work, some people can, others can't!
The side effects hit me today. area where shot was given puffed up and is very red. a bit confussed feeling. thinking is sometimes difficult. those are the pills though. I got a little depression yesterday but, I just call someone and talk about other stuff to get my mind off it.
I do have anti-depressants but, do not want to take until after tomorrow.
All in All it is barrable and its doing the job.
I take it easy, work when I get the "spirt" of energy.
It's not going to make you feel like your going to die, I think it easier than what others have said so far.
DO NOT READ SO MUCH OF THE STORIES ON LINE!!
Those are what messed with my head and scared the crap put of me. It's not like those stories!
I get 1 shot a week Interferon.
3 pills in the AM.
2 pills in the PM.
All I can tell you is you will be tired, Things may feel like a big effort!
thinking is bit difficult when your tired. I feel like I hit a wall.
Thats basically it so far, Contact me later to ask!
I can tell you that current therapies for hcv will always have Interferon (of some sort) as it's main medication.
The latest treatments are Infergen and an oral antiviral drug as well as another type of combination with Interferon and Protease Inhibitors. (Study trials are being done now, ask your doctor about what the pharmicutical companies have to offer).
Good luck!
P.S. MILK THISTLE IS NOT A CURE FOR HCV- or any other herb/herbal concoction!
hi there, my mom will be starting treatment next month and i will be helping her with…..well what ever she needs help with. i found you on here and am wondering how your treatment is going? i hope your doing good and your not feelong the side effects i’ve been seeing and reading about. thank you!
much aloha!
Hi Piddle
Here are some ideas to get healed.
Cause
The most common cause of hepatitis is a virus that can occur in five potential forms: A, B, C, D, or E. Other causes include excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse (including pharmaceutical drugs, such as acetaminophen), overexposure to chemicals, and, sometimes, as a reaction to properly prescribed medications.
In recent years, hepatitis C has been on the increase. It is most frequently caused as a result of blood transfusions. Typically, people with hepatitis C are identified either because they have abnormal liver tests or because of a hepatitis C antibody test. A positive test does not necessarily mean serious liver disease, however. People with hepatitis C may have no liver disease, a mild form of chronic hepatitis, or a more serious form of hepatitis that may progress over a number of years to cirrhosis. The usual indications are a positive antibody test for the hepatitis C virus, abnormal liver tests for more than six to twelve months, and a liver biopsy that shows chronic active hepatitis. Approximately 20% of patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus will go on to develop cirrhosis.
Note: Infectious hepatitis can be easily spread two weeks before and one week after jaundice appears. The feces of people with hepatitis contain the virus. Therefore, very strict toilet hygiene and hand and cloth washing should be observed during this time.
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Natural Cures
Aromatherapy: Rosemary can help stimulate liver function.
Diet: Follow a diet low in protein and high in fresh vegetables to minimize stress on the liver. Also eat small meals throughout the day, and avoid foods such as refined sugars, alcohol, and caffeine, which cause stress on the liver, and be sure to drink plenty of filtered water. Drinking fresh lemon juice water every morning and evening followed by vegetable juice is also recommended to help liver function. Easily digested grains, such as millet, buckwheat, and quinoa, are also good food choices.
Enemas: Three warm enemas administered daily can help boost liver function. Also a colon and liver cleanse to clean out the toxins in the blood.
Herbs: The liver-cell regenerative properties of herbs such as milk thistle and licorice can be helpful. Take 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture three times a day. Tumeric combined with milk thistle has also been shown to help alleviate the symptoms of hepatitis B.
Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment. I suggest several at-home hydrotherapy treatments.
Juice Therapy: The following juice combinations can be helpful: beet, carrot, and wheat grass juice; or garlic, burdock, flax, and black currants.
Nutritional Supplementation: Supplement with vitamin C, beta carotene, liver glandulars, milk thistle extract, vitamin B complex, adrenal glandulars, lipotropic factors, pantothenic acid, free-form amino acids, betaine hydrochloric acid (HCL), multi-enzymes, and evening primrose oil.
Alternative Professional Care
If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating hepatitis: Ayurveda, Acupuncture, Detoxification Therapy, Magnetic Field Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, and Oxygen Therapy.
Best of health to you
While hep c does affect organs other than your liver, it is unlikely that the sore throat, coughing, etc are from hep c.
Good Luck,
I should be starting my soon and I am scared.
The liver has extraordinary regenerative powers that can regenerate itself after it has been damaged. But there is a point of no-return — and this would be cirrhosis. Cirrhosis cannot be reversed. If large areas of the liver are cirrhotic, then a transplant would be the only option. If only small parts are cirrhotic, then the liver may be able to continue functioning as is.
Yes, a healthy liver can be transplanted, but if the underlying cause of the cirrhosis is not treated/cured, it is possible that the new liver may quickly succumb to the same fate (depending on what the initial cause was)