Message Board

These are some of the HOT topics being shared on the Message Board at Hep C Hideout.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis C infection?

At the beginning of an HCV infection, only about 25% of patients exhibit the characteristic symptoms of acute (rapid onset) hepatitis. These symptoms include fatigue, muscular aches, poor appetite, and low-grade fever. Rarely, yellowing of the skin and/or eyes (jaundice) also occurs. However, most patients (about 75%) experience minimal or no symptoms at the onset of HCV.

As the hepatitis becomes chronic, most individuals remain asymptomatic (without symptoms). Indeed, many persons with chronic hepatitis C are diagnosed while undergoing routine blood work for unrelated purposes. Infected individuals may exhibit no symptoms despite progressive liver inflammation, necrosis (death of liver cells), and fibrosis (scarring). Other patients may experience chronic or intermittent fatigue and a diminished sense of well-being as a result of advancing disease. On the other hand, fatigue has been described in some individuals with relatively mild disease.

With the subsequent development of cirrhosis of the liver (more advanced scarring), HCV patients can have muscle wasting, generalized weakness, and easy bruising. Later symptoms, which are due to the complications of cirrhosis, include fluid retention, which leads to edema (swelling of the lower extremities) or ascites (fluid in the abdominal cavity), internal bleeding (usually from dilated esophageal veins called varices), and mental confusion or sleepiness (due to hepatic encephalopathy). Another complication of HCV cirrhosis is cancer of the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma or hepatoma), which can cause abdominal pain, weight loss, and fever.

Telling People You Have Hepatitis

Why should I tell people that I have hepatitis C?

If you share your diagnosis with people in your life, they might be able to

offer you support and understanding;

provide you with assistance, such as running errands and helping with child care, doctor visits, and work;

understand better how hepatitis C is spread and work with you to prevent the virus from spreading.

Who should I tell?

Sharing your diagnosis with others is an important personal decision. It can make a big difference in how you cope with the disease. It can also affect your relationships with people. If you decide to share your diagnosis, it is best to tell people you trust or people directly affected, such as people you have shared needles with to inject drugs, household members, or sex partner(s). You may want to ask that the information you share be kept private. People you may want to share your diagnosis with include

sex partner(s);

past or present needle-sharing partners;

roommates or family members;

people who you spend a lot of time with, such as good friends;

all your health care providers, such as doctors, nurses, and dentists.

What sorts of things should I say?

You may want to begin with when and how you found out that you have hepatitis C. You may want to give information on how the virus is spread and how the virus is NOT spread. Explain that hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact. Inform the person that hepatitis C is not spread through casual contact, such as hugging or shaking hands. In particular, you should discuss:

Any shared risk factors
If you got hepatitis C through an activity that involved other people, discuss the risk related to that activity. For example, if you shared needles to inject drugs, inform past and present needle-sharing partners that they may need to get tested for hepatitis C.

The risk of getting hepatitis C through sex and sexual contact
Inform your sex partner(s) that though it is hard to get the virus through sexual contact, the two of you might want to practice safer sex. You may want to encourage your sex partner(s) to get tested for hepatitis C.

Medicines you are taking for hepatitis C
Talk about the side effects you may have from the medicines. You may want to give them the fact sheets called Do You Know a Veteran Who Is Being Treated for Hepatitis C? and Treatments for Hepatitis C.

Lifestyle changes
Discuss lifestyle changes that you have made and will continue to make, such as avoiding alcohol and high-risk activities, including injection drug use and unsafe sex.


When should I tell them?

Many people share their diagnosis as soon as they find out. Others wait for some time to adjust to the news and get more information. You should share your diagnosis as soon as possible with people who may be directly affected by your diagnosis, such as sex partners or needle-sharing partners. Encourage sex partners and past or present needle-sharing partners to get tested for hepatitis C. When you decide to tell someone, choose a quiet moment when you will have time to talk and ask each other questions.

What Is Happening This Week

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Some information you read on this Site may be inappropriate for your own situation, or you may interpret or misinterpret something in a way that could be distressing or harmful to you.
For advice about your own situation, ask your doctor!