Life expectancy one can have?

[kayli]

I have looked all over for an article to come out and tell me exactly how long one can live with hep c without meds, with meds and also I want to know how SHORT can one expect to live. That last one I only get people to dart around and give me percentages that have nothing to do with what I just asked. Can someone who knows pls answer me truthfully, I can't see you and you cant see me to worry about making me sad, JUST TELL ME! PLEASE. I am a person that wants to know my worst case senario right up front and have friends and doctors that want to tell me the best case senario. Give me my **** glass half full so I can decide to fill it up the rest of the way myself. Thank you ahead of time for being honest, hense friendly. Kay.

[Unregistered]

Hi Kayli, I have exctly the same questions. I am 57 years old, I was diagnosed 10 years ago and I imagine I got Hep-c by virtue of a tattoo I got in the Navy when I was 18 years old or so. I have genotype1 but I tried Interferon with no success and with tremendous unpleasant side effects. I did do some drinking throughout my life but there were periods spanning years where I didn't drink (alcohol) at all. I have consumed a fair amount of various drugs during my life and I think I'm in stage 2 of Hep-C, which means moderate bridging and scarring. Since I was diagnosed I have completely stopped drinking and I've had 2 biopsies with essentially the same results. I am 5'9" and weigh about 185 lbs. I work behind a desk doing computer repair and get very little physical excercise. I feel very fatigued when I get home from work.
Does any body out there know with reasonable clarity how much longer I can expect to have at least a reasonable quality of life?

[Unregistered]

I have asked my doctor the same question. He gave me a rule of thumb answer. Once your count is over ten million. You have 10 years per stage. I have stage 2 Hep C. I am 53 years old. So acording to this, when I am 63 I will be at stage 3, 73 when I reach stage 4. Stage 4 is suppose to be your last stage so 10 more years is 83.

[revenire]

It isn't true that stage 4 is "the end" ...

Cirrhosis has several stages too and it is debated whether or not it can be reversed.

[sid2779]

Kayli, I have had Hep B and was hospitalized in 1980.I was also diagnosed with Hep C in 1995,the doctor said I probably had it since 1980 since that is when I quit drugs..
I took the peg intron and ribavirin with no luck,its been 26 years ,I have had thsis I am fairly healthy,but I need some of the newer medicines to work,and fast..

[ohwell]

i am twenty six was diagnosed a year ago about to start meds hep c genotype 1a anybody got any advice? i dont know how i got this **** thing i have no tattoos never did drugs and have only had 2 sexual partners both negative. I just want the truth people

[camille1350]

I've had Hep C since 1992.My docs say 20- 40 years,
Very likely to die with Hep C but from some other cause.

[Unregistered]

I've had Hep C since 1992.My docs say 20- 40 years,
Very likely to die with Hep C but from some other cause.

I am 58, have had hep c for 40 years. I have stage one fibrosis. my doctors have told me it is unlikely hep c will shorten my life providing I live a healthy lifestyle including good diet, proper exercise, good level of rest, and no or extremely low level of alcohol consumption. Probably not more than two glasses of wine per month. I will let you know in 30 years if they were right. I just read about a swiss study today that said as long as you don't have cirrhosis, drink little alcohol, and don't have hiv or hep b as well, it is likely you will live essentially the same amount of time as a person without hep c. I am 170 pounds 5'9" tall, eat fairly healthy, and get a low to moderate amount of exercise including treadmill and weight lifting 2 to 4 days a week

[cbmcisaac]

i am twenty six was diagnosed a year ago about to start meds hep c genotype 1a anybody got any advice? i dont know how i got this **** thing i have no tattoos never did drugs and have only had 2 sexual partners both negative. I just want the truth people

Hi! I am 37 and I have genotype 1a also. I have 5 more weeks of treatment to go. The truth about how you got HEPC, from what I have read and been told from several Dr.'s, it can harvest in your body for 30 years before you show any signs of the illness. Although it is said to have a less than 5% chance you can get it through sexual contact, the people that are showing neg now could be positive later in life. Also, you can get HEP C from sharing a tooth brush (bleeding gums). These are just some of the many reasons why it is so hard to determine how you got it. I had the same question about how I got it when I was first diagnosed and honestly from experience, you already have it - that is a fact. What you should concentrate on now is the treatment and hope it works for you. The treatment is so terrible and it doesn't even work for a lot of people. So they go through the sickness for nothing. The treatment is some of the hardest poison you can put your body through for a year. I have been in and out of the hospital, ER, Dr.'s offices, Quest, etc. because the medicine has so many horrible side effects and because of my normal monthly GI visits and blood work. I have had several other biopsy's, gland infections, my hair falls out in clumps, I am so tired, winded and dizzy all the time, I have chronic stomach and back pain and spasms - and that is on a good day!!! I can't work and I am very sick ALL THE TIME! The good news is the medicine is working for me. My Dr. told me with 90% certainty that I will be cured for good once treatment is finished (because I tested neg. on my blood work for HEP C one month after treatment began). Despite the terrible treatment, I am very lucky. You should focus on getting a support system in place to help you through the treatment. You are going to need it!!!!! I wish you the best of luck and I am sorry this is happening to you. I realize it is not fair, but you have to stay very positive throughout the treatment process and communicate very well with your Dr. don't be scared to tell him/her exactly what is going on with your body and mind at all times.
The treatment is so terrible and it doesn't even work for a lot of people. So they go through the sickness for nothing. The treatment is some of the hardest poison you can put your body through for a year. I have been in and out of the hospital, ER, Dr.'s offices, Quest, etc. because the medicine has so many horrible side effects and because of my normal monthly GI appts and blood work. I have had several other biopsy's, gland infections, my hair falls out in clumps, I am so tired, winded and dizzy all the time, I have chronic stomach and back pain and spasms - and that is on a good day!!! I can't work and I am very sick ALL THE TIME! The good news is the medicine is working for me. My Dr. told me with 90% certainity that I will be cured for good once treatment is finished (because I tested neg. on my blood work for HEP C one month after treatment began). Despite the terrible treatment, I am very lucky. You should focus on getting a support system in place to help you through the treatment. You are going to need it!!!!! I wish you the best of luck and I am sorry this is happening to you. I realize it is not fair, but you have to stay very positive throughout the treatment process and communicate very well with your Dr. don't be scared to tell him/her exactly what is going on with your body and mind at all times.

[Unregistered]

I have looked all over for an article to come out and tell me exactly how long one can live with hep c without meds, with meds and also I want to know how SHORT can one expect to live. That last one I only get people to dart around and give me percentages that have nothing to do with what I just asked. Can someone who knows pls answer me truthfully, I can't see you and you cant see me to worry about making me sad, JUST TELL ME! PLEASE. I am a person that wants to know my worst case senario right up front and have friends and doctors that want to tell me the best case senario. Give me my **** glass half full so I can decide to fill it up the rest of the way myself. Thank you ahead of time for being honest, hense friendly. Kay.

I cant answer your question exactly but i contracted hep c in 1987 and still have no severe repercussions from it bill 53 year old white male