I have hepatitis c and I am wondering what the symptoms are if it is active?

Welcome to the Hepatitis C Club

Symptoms of when active are Jaundice- yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes, tired most of the time, dark urine, Abdominal pains, appetite loss and Nausea and of course the non visible sign is liver problems that your doctor should test for on a regular basis although the symptoms usually only appear in 20% of the people who have it so most people who have it don't see any symptoms until they get their liver tested. also it depends on which type of Hep C you have Genotype 1,2 or 3

I have had it active since 1985 when I recieved blood during an operation and haven't had any of the visible symptoms at all but every time I see the doctors I get tested and every time its active however they do find problems with my liver but only slight problems which are in the process of being fixed with weekly meds

any other questions feel free to contact me

Hepatitis is characterised by fatigue, malaise, joint aches, abdominal pain, vomiting 2-3 times per day for the first 5 days, loss of appetite, dark urine, fever, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver) and jaundice (icterus). Some chronic forms of hepatitis show very few of these signs and only present when the longstanding inflammation has led to the replacement of liver cells by connective tissue; the result is cirrhosis. Certain liver function tests can also indicate hepatitis.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C (originally "non-A non-B hepatitis") can be transmitted sexually but only by blood contact. It leads to a chronic form of hepatitis, culminating in cirrhosis. It can remain asymptomatic for 10-20 years. No vaccine is available for hepatitis C. Patients with hepatitis C are prone to severe hepatitis if they contract either hepatitis A or B, so all hepatitis C patients should be immunized against Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B if they are not already immune..

Many people infected with chronic hepatitis C have no symptoms. When symptoms are present, they range from mild to severe. The most common early symptoms of chronic hepatitis C are mild fever, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. I have listed a website that will give you more information on hepatitis C. Hope it helps you out.

I, too, have hep C. I contracted it in the late '70s. My symptoms are right upper quadrant ache (about 20% of the time) and fatigue. But generally I feel pretty good. I exercise regularly, take milk thistle and try not to get too tired. AND I NEVER, NEVER DRINK anymore. I've been through 2 years of interferon/rebitrol therapy and still have a viral load.

The symptoms seem to hit people differentely. Some people have lots of problems, some, not so many.

Take care of yourself and see your physician.

actually there really isnt' a thing called asymptomatic when it comes to hcv, but the symptoms might be so mild, they go un-noticed, or thought of by a doctor as something totally different.

HCV is held accountable for many bi-directional diseases.

The reason why doctors treat the symptoms of HCV without knowing it is HCV is because with HCV, in a standard blood lab/liver panel test, the ALT and AST levels are not always elevated.

(Me for instance.....mine would fluctuate, but for the main duration of my disease my alt and ast levels appeared normal)

hcv is always chronic in 85% of those who have the disease.

chances are, yours is chronic. hcv in this percentile of people who have it have some sort of degree of liver damage.

not everyone will turn yellow unless the infection is acute or end stage liver disease.

some first signs for me were:

a rash at age 8 (spider nevi)

bones and joints hurting at 12 (fibro and/or arthitis)

depression at 13 (although i probably had this longer)

other skin rashes as i got older

sleep alot (i was up to 18-20 hour days before treatment)

"brain fog"

upper right quandrant pain (URQ)

thyroid disease

heart palpitations

pannic attacks (brought on by toxins and the virus itself as it does pass the blood brain barrier)

hair loss

weight gain or loss

kidney issues

spleen and/or pancreatic diseases

intestinal issues

menstration problems

gallbladder disease/stones...(many have had their gallbladder removed due to stones and docs dont always say it could be an indication of liver disease, but alot of times it is from liver disease as to why a person has to have it removed).

there are many more signs of liver disease....

good luck to you and i would seek treatment.

If Hep C symptoms do occur, they usually appear within two weeks to six months after being exposed to the virus. If you do develop symptoms relating to Hepatitis C, they’re generally mild and flu-like and may include:

Feeling very tired

Sore muscles

Joint pain

Fever

To know more details how to improve liver , you can refer to :http://adola.net/go/fattyliver-bible/

Hope this useful!

I like the answers to far and they all look right. I just wanted to add that Hep C is very common. You would be shocked if you knew how many people have it. Best wishes to you.

No Symtoms but worst than AIDS.

Consukt your doctor now.

EXTREMELY CONTAGIOUS !!!