Does Hepatitis C Cause Fatigue

Increase Your Activity Level

If your doctor recommends weight loss to improve the health of your liver, exercise is one method to do that. But the benefits of exercise extend beyond weight loss and weight management.

Aside from reducing overall body fat, exercise can help decrease fat around your liver. Regular exercise can also boost your mood, as well as your energy levels.

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What Causes Hep C Fatigue

Commonly, fatigue is reported in about 50% of all persons with chronic Hep C and is highly variable in its impact and intensity. Its presence is associated with a disruptive and declining quality of life. In a 2003 study is was reported that no empirical information existed regarding the nature of this fatigue or the way in which it affects a person’s life.3

Its important to understand fatigue and understand there are two common forms, central and peripheral. Peripheral occurs due to muscle over-utilization and associate metabolic changes and causes weakness and does not appear connected to liver disease or failure. Central fatigue, found in people with liver disease, arises from the central nervous system It is manifested in poor physical and often mental activities, and higher perceived effort in undertaking tasks, resulting from altered neurotransmission within the brain.4

Is It Safe To Take Aspirin Or Tylenol If I Have Hepatitis C

Tylenol is an over-the-counter pain killer. It can be harmful in high doses. If you have hepatitis or liver disease, then you can take Tylenol, but no more than 2,000 mg total over 24 hours. In general, this could be one 500 mg tablet every 6 hours, at the most. Acetaminophen is also included as an ingredient in some opiate medications and in some over-the-counter cold/flu medications, so please be aware of the dose of acetaminophen you may be taking from some combination medicines.

Aspirin, ibuprofen , naproxen , and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , can be harmful if you have cirrhosis. They are safe in hepatitis patients who do not have cirrhosis. But, if a patient has cirrhosis, then NSAIDs cannot be taken at all. If you are not sure, always check with your provider.

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In Collaboration With French Association Sos Hepatitis

This article is taken from the SOS Hepatitis brochure Being Hepatitis # 8: Is it in my head or is it hepatitis?

It is now demonstrated: chronic hepatitis C can lead to significant physical and psychological malaise, which can take different forms: fatigue, anxiety, aggression, depression This situation is often lived alone because it frequently causes misunderstanding among surroundings. Few people know that these manifestations can be directly related to their disease. Many feel helpless and fail to evoke these problems, or underestimate them. However, there are solutions to help you identify these symptoms, talk to your doctor and treat them, or at least reduce the impact on your daily life.

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When To Seek Medical Advice

See your GP if you persistently have any of the later symptoms listed, or if they keep returning. They may recommend having a blood test that can check for hepatitis C.

Read more about diagnosing hepatitis C

None of these symptoms mean you definitely have hepatitis C, but it’s important to get them checked out.

You should also speak to your GP about getting tested if there’s a risk you’re infected, even if you don’t have any symptoms. This particularly includes people who inject drugs or have done so in the past.

Read about the causes of hepatitis C for more information about who’s at risk of having the infection.

Page last reviewed: 27 October 2021 Next review due: 27 October 2024

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Viral Hepatitis Definition And Overview

Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Many illnesses and conditions can cause inflammation of the liver, for example, drugs, alcohol, chemicals, and autoimmune diseases. Many viruses, for example, the virus causing mononucleosis and the cytomegalovirus, can inflame the liver. Most viruses, however, do not attack primarily the liver the liver is just one of several organs that the viruses affect. When most doctors speak of viral hepatitis, they are using the definition that means hepatitis caused by a few specific viruses that primarily attack the liver and are responsible for about half of all human hepatitis. There are several hepatitis viruses they have been named types A, B, C, D, E, F , and G. As our knowledge of hepatitis viruses grows, it is likely that this alphabetical list will become longer. The most common hepatitis viruses are types A, B, and C. Reference to the hepatitis viruses often occurs in an abbreviated form The focus of this article is on these viruses that cause the majority of human viral hepatitis.

Hepatitis viruses replicate primarily in the liver cells. This can cause the liver to be unable to perform its functions. The following is a list of major functions of the liver:

Who Is At Risk For Hepatitis C

You are more likely to get hepatitis C if you:

• Have injected drugs

• Pain in your abdomen
• Jaundice

If you have chronic hepatitis C, you probably will not have symptoms until it causes complications. This can happen decades after you were infected. For this reason, hepatitis C screening is important, even if you have no symptoms.

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Who Should Get The Hepatitis A Vaccine

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that all children in the U.S. get vaccinated against hepatitis A at age 12 months. However, if an infant aged 6-11 months will be traveling to a country with a significant number of people with hepatitis A, the child should get one dose before leaving the U.S. The child should then get 2 doses separated by 6 to 18 months when the child is between 12 months and 23 months.

You should also get the hepatitis A vaccine if you fall into one of the following groups:

• Men who have sexual contact with other men.
• Users of any type of illegal drugs.
• People with blood clot disorders, such as hemophilia.
• People who have chronic liver disease.
• Homeless people.
• People who will be closely involved with a person being adopted from a country with high rates of hepatitis A infections.

Depression Can Play A Role In Fatigue

Anyone with a long-lasting illness can get depressed. Hepatitis C is no different. You may be angry, anxious, or sad about your health or the changes you’ve had to make in your life.

Your doctor can help. Tell them how you’re feeling. They may prescribe an antidepressant.

They can also help you find a therapist or support group, where you can talk to others who are facing the same problems as you.

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How Long Does The Hepatitis A Vaccine Last

We dont know exactly how long the protection of the vaccine lasts, but studies have indicated that it lasts at least 20 years in some people and it could last as long as 40 years or more. Having only one dose of the recommended two-dose vaccine has shown to provide protection for at least 10 years.

Can Hepatitis C Be Prevented Or Avoided

The only way to prevent hepatitis C is to avoid coming in contact with an infected persons blood. Always have protected sex . Dont do intravenous drugs. Dont share personal care items with a person who has hepatitis C. If youre a health care worker, follow your workplaces standard safety practices.

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Resting Energy Expenditure And Body Composition

REE was measured in the Functional Explorations Unit of Archet Hospital in the morning, after a 12 hour overnight fast. Participants were instructed to abstain from alcohol and smoking for 12 hours. After a 30 minute rest in the supine position, patients were placed in a semirecumbent position and measurements were taken using a ventilated hood open circuit indirect calorimeter . After equilibrium was reached , respiratory exchanges were monitored continuously over a 30 minute period data were obtained every minute and averaged over the 30 minutes. The system was checked weekly by burning ethanol under standard conditions, and calibrated immediately before each measurement with two standard gases. REE was calculated from the oxygen consumption rate and carbon dioxide production rate, using the modified Weir formula and was expressed in kilocalories per 24 hours. REE was also expressed as a ratio of FFM in kilocalories per kilogram of FFM per 24 hours.

What Are The Treatments For Hepatitis C

Treatment for hepatitis C is with antiviral medicines. They can cure the disease in most cases.

If you have acute hepatitis C, your health care provider may wait to see if your infection becomes chronic before starting treatment.

If your hepatitis C causes cirrhosis, you should see a doctor who specializes in liver diseases. Treatments for health problems related to cirrhosis include medicines, surgery, and other medical procedures. If your hepatitis C leads to liver failure or liver cancer, you may need a liver transplant.

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Treatment Of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is treated with antiviral medications that aim to clear the virus from your body.

New all-tablet treatments have greatly improved the outcomes for people with hepatitis C. These treatments can cure more than 95% of individuals with chronic hepatitis C. There are several new tablets that are used in combination to treat all hepatitis C strains . They are effective for people with no liver damage and those who have more advanced liver damage or cirrhosis.

These new tablet medications are available and subsidised on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, and can be prescribed by specialists, general practitioners and specialised nurse practitioners.

There are no restrictions on accessing treatment it is available for all adults with a Medicare card. People under 18 are able to access treatment and it is recommended they are referred to a pediatrician experienced in the treatment of hepatitis C.

For more information on the new medications for the treatment of hepatitis C, see our video: Hepatitis C Cure what it means for Victorians.

If your doctor does not know about the new treatments, you can call the LiverLine on for information, and to find a GP who can help you.

Talk with your doctor about treatment options and the potential for interactions with other medications, herbal preparations and other drugs. If you take prescribed medication this will be managed so you can access treatment.

In general, if you have hepatitis C you will feel better if you:

Hepatitis C And Blood Spills

When cleaning and removing blood spills, use standard infection control precautions at all times:

• Cover any cuts or wounds with a waterproof dressing.
• Wear single-use gloves and use paper towel to mop up blood spills.
• Clean the area with warm water and detergent, then rinse and dry.
• Place used gloves and paper towels into a plastic bag, then seal and dispose of them in a rubbish bin.
• Wash your hands in warm, soapy water then dry them thoroughly.
• Put bloodstained tissues, sanitary towels or dressings in a plastic bag before throwing them away.

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Acute Hepatitis C: What Are The Signs And Symptoms

For acute hepatitis C, the incubation period is two weeks to three months after exposure, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

Most people who contract acute hepatitis C do not show any symptoms, the CDC notes. And because there are no symptoms, they never receive a diagnosis. But others with acute hepatitis C have the following symptoms:

• Gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, or clay-colored feces
• Joint pain
• Jaundice

For reasons that arent well understood, a small percentage of individuals exposed to HCV about 15 to 25 percent only develop an acute infection that clears out of the body spontaneously, says Amesh Adalja, MD, an infectious disease physician and senior scholar at Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security in Pittsburgh. The infection usually clears from the body within six months. The remaining 75 to 85 percent of those exposed to HCV develop chronic hepatitis C.

Among those who develop an acute infection with symptoms, symptoms typically last only 2 to 12 weeks.

Can Hepatitis C Be Treated

Yes, since 2010 enormous progress has been made in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. New therapies called direct-acting antivirals are pills that act on the virus itself to eradicate it from the body, unlike older medicines like interferon injections which work by stimulating an immune response. These new treatments are very effective and can achieve cure rates of over 90%. In most situations now, there is no need for interferon, which was responsible for many of the side effects previously associated with HCV treatment. The new treatment combinations require shorter treatment durations , have reduced side effects and appear to be effective at all stages of the disease.

Because these new therapies are very new, they remain very expensive. As such, drug coverage from both government and private companies may require that your liver disease has progressed to a certain stage before they are willing to cover the cost of these drugs.

Your primary care physician may refer you to a specialist to determine whether you are eligible for treatment. A specialist will help you decide which drug therapy is best for you based on the severity of your liver disease, your virus genotype and whether or not you have been treated in the past.

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Should I Be Screened For Hepatitis C

Doctors usually recommend one-time screening of all adults ages 18 to 79 for hepatitis C. Screening is testing for a disease in people who have no symptoms. Doctors use blood tests to screen for hepatitis C. Many people who have hepatitis C dont have symptoms and dont know they have hepatitis C. Screening tests can help doctors diagnose and treat hepatitis C before it causes serious health problems.

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Assessment Of `severity’ Of Fatigue

A VAS for fatigue was administered at each clinic visit . The scales were displayed on a computer screen and patients were asked to touch a point along a 10 cm line between None and Worst ever, the position of which best reflected how much fatigue they had experienced during the previous week. The results were sent directly to the Data Coordinating Center, and study personnel were masked to patient responses. The degree of fatigue was scored from 0 to 100 mm by measuring from the start of the line to the patient mark.

Depression was also measured at each clinic visit using a VAS . Analyses of depression during Virahep-C have been published .

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Can Hepatitis C Be Prevented

There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. But you can help protect yourself from hepatitis C infection by:

• Not sharing drug needles or other drug materials
• Wearing gloves if you have to touch another person’s blood or open sores
• Making sure your tattoo artist or body piercer uses sterile tools and unopened ink
• Not sharing personal items such toothbrushes, razors, or nail clippers
• Using a latex condom during sex. If your or your partner is allergic to latex, you can use polyurethane condoms.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

How Serious Is It

• People can be sick for a few weeks to a few months
• Most recover with no lasting liver damage
• Although very rare, death can occur

• 15%25% of chronically infected people develop chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis, liver failure, or liver cancer

• More than 50% of people who get infected with the hepatitis C virus develop a chronic infection
• 5%-25% of people with chronic hepatitis C develop cirrhosis over 1020 years

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Chronic Fatigue Syndrome In The Course Of Hepatitis C

ABSTRACT

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What Causes Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus. The virus is spread from person to person through contact with blood. People who use intravenous drugs can get hepatitis C when they share needles with someone who has the virus. Health care workers can be exposed to hepatitis C. They can become infected if they are accidentally stuck with a needle that was used on an infected patient. You are also at a higher risk if you got a blood transfusion or an organ transplant before 1992.

Hepatitis C cant be spread unless a person has direct contact with infected blood. This means a person who has hepatitis C cannot pass the virus to others through casual contact such as:

• sneezing
• using public toilets
• touching doorknobs

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