TOPIC:

mgalbrai wrote: Drank like a fish for 30 years.

Mike

You drank water for thirty years and you wonder why you were only F1?

It's a strange disease though, isn't it? Some seem to get away with abusing their liver for years and others end up with all sorts of problems. Mind you, my annual checks ups gave no indication at all until 2012 and even then my liver wasn't too bad. Damn.....now that I think about it all the problems have been since then when I gave up!

G

I can relate...I too drank my 3-4 Barcardi's EVERY night and when younger drank regularly and quite heavily sometimes. My Fibroscan and Ultrasound only showed a fatty liver and the last LFT was good......I certainly dodged a bullet I think being diagnosed (quite by chance) and am now on treatment.....have my four week blood test next week and will hopefully find out on 21/12 the results...very nervous but hopefully will have a good outcome. I now drink Holsten's non-alcoholic beer.....quite a nice drop once you get used to it.

I still have a very bad memory of the hangover that led to my hep diagnosis. This was about 15 years ago. Allow me to share.
Biggest party ever and I went completely overboard with pingers and alcohol + a big reefer on the walk home
As soon as my eyes opened after a pass out sleep I knew I was in trouble

The violent convulsive heaving was so extreme my face would go purple as I almost choked from lack of air
It was like my stomach was trying to force itself out through my mouth in the most violent way possible
Once the worst of the convulsions passed i slumped on the tiles (I was driving the porcelain bus)
Minor convulsions had me sounding like a walrus as i lay there heaving, swearing and groaning at the severity of it
I was sweating profusely but freezing cold but my forehead was burning up
My head felt as though a hammer drill was driving between my eyes, while my eyes felt like they were being squeezed in a vice

The pain was relentless, but lying in bed the fear would rise as a slight, horrible gurgle in the pit of my stomach started
No please, no. Not again. Please no. I was pleading - probably how my liver was pleading with me the night before. it was pay back time!
The gurgle would intensify as my mouth filled with saliva. I would hold off as long as I could because I knew what was coming
Just as the first convulsion started I would leap out of bed and plunge my head in the bowl as the whole sorry process started again

This kept up for the best part of 15 hours. My partner wanted to call an ambulance but I wouldn't hear of it. Best to ride it out. Idiot (me not her)
Well into the next morning i started feeling a little better and the convulsions stopped
After some more hours i was able to keep down a pain killer and finally get some sleep once the intense migraine in my head went
Into the night I was able to get out of bed and watch some TV. A few more hours and I could eat a little.
I felt sick for the rest of the week and couldn't stand the thought of alcohol for over 6 months. Just the thought of the taste made me feel sick.

I was pretty fit and otherwise healthy at the time, surfing 5 days a week and working out as well
I knew it wasn't food poisoning or similar as I'd always suffered from over the top hangovers - just nowhere near this bad
i was always perplexed that my mates could drink more than me and feel relatively OK
I had been drinking since about 16, and a lot, but couldn't seem to have a big drink without being bed ridden the next day

I went to see a naturopath who said that key factors led to my liver being compromised. She also had a medical degree and sent me for blood tests
I have to admit I was floored when the positive result came back
It reminded me that I used to hit up with people I knew had hep
But at the time I just thought hep was something you got from eating dodgy food overseas

Anyhoo, just a little story that came to my mind reading this thread
I have had 2 bed ridden hangovers since but the last was 3 years ago
I'm confident that I will never have another again as i am far more careful, if not sensible, these days lol

I actually consider that in many ways my hep has been a positive in my life
I really cleaned up the drinking and drugging and did a naturopothy degree as I wanted to focus on natural health
I kind of wanted to say sorry to my body for all the shit and disrespect I had shown it for a long time
It has shaped my life as far as working from home and concentrating on exercise and rest rather than income
I can honestly say until now (apart from my previous tx) that it really hasn't shown me too many negatives that I can think of
i think because of it I am fitter and healthier than i would have been otherwise
I don't know this for a fact, but if I think it's true, then that becomes the reality doesn't it

I know that the eventual consequences can be dire, but the eventual consequences of life can be dire anyway
I know many people for whom that is, or in some cases was, true - and through no fault of their own necessarily

Anyhoo, I've thought about this virus more in the past 4 months than I have in the past 12 years
So I get to musing about things and like to have a whinge, nag, prattle on etc
And what better place to do it than with the wonderful people on here

Peace love and happy apples to all

Wow Bloot, what a story. I can relate a little to that, but not as severe as you.

The hangovers I used to get were always worse than my other friends were, ..now I know why,
yeah, having the virus ( when you find out you have it) can make you more aware of trying to get healthier, I also am a much more clean living person now.
Eat well, don't drink anymore, exercise & look after myself.
I actually don't miss the alcohol, Funny that, as I always wanted a drink every night & would party on weekends with the alcohol.

Glad you've found a healthier you

SVR rates of alcoholics using IFN/riba were considerably lower though it's considered to be an adherence issue. Afaik there's no DDI problems with alcohol and the DAAs.

I cleared in January with AbbVie meds and didn't drink at all during Tx. Just seemed wise to me given that side effects were a bit unpredictable.

The synergy factor with HCV + alcohol is about 10, so quite high, but from what I've read most of it is caused by increased reactive oxidative stress.

It's a personal call. I'm cirrhotic but still have a drink or two occasionally. My specialist's advice was to never have more than 2 and to ensure that I had a number of days off in-between.

fixhepc.com/kunena-2015-11-10/faq.html#

I confess

Yesterday I had not one christmas drink but two. I had a glass of wine with family in the late afternoon and then in the evening I enjoyed a glass of champagne. Last night I couldn't get to sleep until after 3am and during the night I felt as though my neural network was on fire. This morning all symptoms had disappeared and I woke feeling very tired.

I won't be drinking again while on tx.

I'm going to try and catch up on some sleep now
regretfully yours...
and I do so love Christmas...

I'm with you part - definitely not on tx. Hey if its confession time lol, I had two beers yesterday - a rare thing for me, probably the second time this year. Don't feel any specific ill-effects but its something I won't be doing again, for a very long while...ideally I will give my body a clean run until at least SVR24. Wouldn't mind being able to have the odd social drink once in a relative blue moon.

Fortunately I was pretty much abstinent from my diagnosis in '90 until around 2009 when I started competing in a sport where (at least at interstate/away comps) its common - though on those rare occasions I rarely drank more than a couple due to bugger-all alcohol tolerance, not adverse liver effects. So who knows this might be the only reason I'm F0 now...maybe I've dodged a bullet. Reading your story bloot, man you have done great to come back from where you were - all the more power to you

Interesting topic. I have also mostly abstained from alcohol since diagnosis and also being pregnant and raising kids is a good reason not to drink too. It wasn't easy, it's a drug that's every where and totally accepted and as we know, it does more damage to health and families than any other drug. On occasion, I have been socially excluded by past friends for not wanting to go out and get rotten with them. Some people can get very uncomfortable when you tell them you don't drink. I tragically lost my father to drink and witnessed family and friends lives being degraded over the years.

On successfully completing the DAAV's on the 16/12/15. A part of me thought "great" I can drink like normal people do now. So, I've had a few glasses of wine on a regular basis and a bit more on Xmas. It was kind of fun and I felt kinda happy and kinda tired and kinda bored and kinda crazy and a bit nauseous.

I remembered a Chinese proverb "A sick man lives longer than a well man"

I know this is a strange thing to say but, I sort of miss my Hep C shackle. Today I am released from Hep C, but it has taught me a lot about myself and I'm proud of the disciplines I developed and practiced and I know that I want to continue practicing for the sake of both my mental and physical health.

Grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed; courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other.

All the best

Get rid of the virus. Assess the damage. Drink (or not) accordingly.
No doctor am I.
I'm not going to screw up my new-found health. I will drink moderate amounts of really fine libations if my wife doesn't kill me for even thinking about it...
Oh well..
Mike

^^^^^

+1

I got a 8yo Margaret River Shiraz from a Santa I hadn't told.

......looks like it will become a 9yo (or at least a great way to share celebrating my 60th a month after finishing treatment.)

I confess to having a couple of Stone's ginger beers on Xmas day after drinking almost nothing for the last 6 months. Tasted nice but I don't think it did me much good. I think it just amplified my tiredness from lack of sleep recently so I needed a few hours nap afterwards.

Grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed; courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to hide the bodies of those who pissed us off.

I have acquired a taste for Coopers ultra light beer which had 0.05% alcohol (don't drink it a lot though) and also Holstens non-alcoholic beer....sounds gross but isn't a bad drop once you get used to it. I miss my Bacardi though

Wow there are some wicked members on this forum....

Isn't it strange how this bastard virus hits different people in different ways...?

I first learned that I had the virus only in January 2015 although, now that I look back, I have probably had it for many years. Maybe even for up to about 40 years. When it was first diagnosed last January, I thought I had caught it recently because all the symptoms seemed to indicate a recent "acute" attack. But then I remembered that I had a similar (but somewhat different) "acute" attack back in 2003.Back then, my GP pointed to my high GGT results and told me to quit drinking and smoking and come back and see him if still had a problem. Also back then, I had never heard of HCV, and probably neither had my GP. HCV never came into the picture...

...This all took place in Scotland (which explains the "Oor Wullie" icon), and no doubt my GP was sick of seeing patients with "alcohol-related" problems. So anyway I quit the booze and the cigarettes, and I quickly started to feel much better. One year later, still alcohol and cigarette free, I felt absolutely great. Clearly, it was the beer+cigs that were to blame. And my GP had diagnosed the problem. A no-brainer, right? ... Oor Wullie had bin ha'en muckle tae much swalley!! So after one year of abstinence, the young Wullie slowly started hain a few drinks fae time-to-time, but he wis aye care-fool not to gae back tae his previous livels.

Fast-forward 15 years.

Just by chance, a few months after a trip abroad, Oor Wullie went tae see hus GP (a different one by now) on anither matter. The good GP was concerned that young William was losing weight and looked tired, so he ordered some LFTs... This time, bingo! HCV detected! ... Crivvens! Ahd ner a thoot a thaat! (said Wullie).

So the good GP sent Oor Wullie to a specialist who quickly ordered lots of tests - endoscopy, gastroscopy, coloscopy - the lot! Poor old Wullie had tae sit on his buckit fi a hale wik affie ah tha! But the tests came in, and bingo again - only F0/F1! No need to worry, no treatment advised at this early stage! The specialist ordered Wullie to cut out the swalley (ah jings! not again!), and advised the boy-hero to hope he would clear the virus naturally,... ah by hisell.

But also by this time, Oor Wullie wasnae as stupit as ye thunk, an he had din the ole 2+2=4 calculashun ah by hissel. An he new there was nae way he was gain tae cleer the virus natrelly. He also new that the swalley wisnae the real problem. So he got oot his pet moosie, wee Jeemie, an he startit searchin o the internet for a solution... But meenwhile, thanks tae hus specialist, Wullie had lots an lots of tests din, so fae the furst time in his life, he cood aktchelly see whit the fuk was gaen on wae hus luvver.

Heer's a wee tabel o Wullie's results fae 2015 (plees dinna spred this aroon, cus its still ah medikal-cofidenshul):

Date	AST	ALT	GGT	Lipase	V-Load	Comment
	40	40	52	60	0	Reference
23-dec-14	108	180	67	95		Fatigue+Myalgia
06-jan-15	126	190	62	68		HCV suspected
10-jan-15	139	219		70	0.2M	HCV confirmed
13-jan-15	280	335		119		Stopped swalleyin
17-jan-15	127	229	63	116		No swalley
23-jan-15	113	222		152	6.9M	Still no swalley
24-feb-15	84	107		107		No swalley + feel OK
23-mar-15	84	134	46	109		No swalley + feel OK
05-jul-15	55	91	37	91	3.7M	No swalley + Feel OK
01-aug-15						Resumed swalleyin
09-sep-15	127	193	50	108		Still feel OK
01-oct-15						Discovered FixHepC!
15-oct-15	82	133	52	135	1.9M	Swalleyin + Feel OK
10-nov-15						Started Sof+Dac
01-dec-15	47	63	46	74		Still swalleyin
10-dec-15	47	58	44		< 15	Feel great

Jus for the rekord, "swalley" in the tabel means Wullie was swallyin aboot 2 or 3 wee tins o beer per nite, on averidge. Not reelly tae much, eh Jeemie?

Enny-way, ye kin see fae this tabel tha after aboot 6 months off the swalley, Wullie's LFT figgers wer back doon tae almost resonnibel levils (but still abuv normel). An he had startit tae feel much better, maybe even kyurd. But durin ah that time, hus viral load aktchelly went up!! So if Wullie hidnae seen ah the figgers fae hissel, he micht hae thoot tha he wis reely kyurd jus like be-foor...

Ye kin also see fae the tabel that Wullie had high lipase levils, which indikates a problem wi his pancreas. But ye kin also see that cuttin oot the swalley didnae dae onything tae change the lipase levils signifikantly.

An I hope finally ye kin ah see that, even if most ay the figgers are aw skew-whiff an dinna mak much sens, the onny thung that brings doon ah the enzymes toggither is the Sof+Dac treetment... Thank god for FixHepC!

So, pittin aside aw the stupit spellin, in case you are wondering what is the point of this post, what I really want to say is that if your GP or your insurance company tell you to cut out the booze and then maybe they will think about a treatment, you have to tell them this is all wrong... Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! If you are feeling unwell with anything that even remotely relates to the liver, you have to demand a HCV test.

And if HCV is detected, you have to tell him/them that the only solution is to cut out the HCV. Forget any questions about alcohol. HCV is the primary problem! And if they tell you to wait, dinna listen cus it jus meens there skert ah PC Murdoch an the like! Nah, ye'll jus haff tae get yer ain moossie oot an dae it fi yersell, jus like Oor Wullie! Then ye'll be feeling richt as rain in jus a fuw days!

---

After-thought #1

For sensible advice about alcohol during treatment, please see

fixhepc.com/kunena-2015-11-10/faq.html#

After-thought #2

I'm not a medical expert, but since I am "only" F0/F1, I suspect that quite a few of my previous symptoms like losing weight (despite eating 3 meals per day) were probably due to lipase/pancreas problems. In other words, it seem that the HCV was hitting the pancreas as well as the liver, at least in my case...

After-thought #3

Come to think about it, I haven't seen anyone else post results for "lipase" in this forum. This seems a bit strange, since my gastro-hepato-specialist always seemed more concerned about my lipase levels than the other LFT results. He now seems happy enough with the latest value (down to 74, compared to a reference value of 60).

After-thought #4

Next blood tests scheduled for 4 weeks. I will report if any damage was done during Christmas and New Year...


After-thought #5

Sorry for the long post!

"Beer makes you feel the way you ought to feel without beer.."
-Henry Lawson

"Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-Benjamin Franklin

I'll drink to that!
M