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From: metspitzer on 17 Jul 2008 23:05
I ran into a friend I had not seen in 25 years. HepC came up because
he had heard I had it (lots of our friends do). His ex-wife also has
it. He said he had tried IV drugs a few times back in early 80s, but
only a few times.

I told him that if he has shared IV drugs then the chance he was
infected is about 100%. Obviously this is not true, because he is not
infected. As I write this, I am reminded of the 2 in 10 that clear on
their own. Maybe that is what happened to him, but I didn't think to
ask them that. I think had he been aware of clearing it he would have
brought it up.

Shooting dope is something you have to learn from a drug addict. I
don't see how you can share works, and not have it. I think it is
more likely that he cleared, instead of being a user, and never been
infected.

From: greyhackles on 17 Jul 2008 22:13
On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:05:23 -0500, metspitzer <kilowatt(a)charter.net> wrote:

>I ran into a friend I had not seen in 25 years. HepC came up because
>he had heard I had it (lots of our friends do). His ex-wife also has
>it. He said he had tried IV drugs a few times back in early 80s, but
>only a few times.
>
>I told him that if he has shared IV drugs then the chance he was
>infected is about 100%. Obviously this is not true, because he is not
>infected. As I write this, I am reminded of the 2 in 10 that clear on
>their own. Maybe that is what happened to him, but I didn't think to
>ask them that. I think had he been aware of clearing it he would have
>brought it up.
>
>Shooting dope is something you have to learn from a drug addict. I
>don't see how you can share works, and not have it. I think it is
>more likely that he cleared, instead of being a user, and never been
>infected.

I would think getting infected isn't an absolutely sure bet. There's the
possibility nobody he shared with was infected, and/or the possibility that
he/they used some kind of cleaning protocol?

But, if he did manage to get infected, even if he cleared it on his own, he'd
still have antibodies.

So, I guess the obvious question is, how does he know he was never infected
with HCV?

Cheers

/greyhackles
From: metspitzer on 17 Jul 2008 23:26
On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:13:45 -0400, greyhackles
<greyhackles(a)REMOVEyahoo.com> wrote:

>On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:05:23 -0500, metspitzer <kilowatt(a)charter.net> wrote:
>
>>I ran into a friend I had not seen in 25 years. HepC came up because
>>he had heard I had it (lots of our friends do). His ex-wife also has
>>it. He said he had tried IV drugs a few times back in early 80s, but
>>only a few times.
>>
>>I told him that if he has shared IV drugs then the chance he was
>>infected is about 100%. Obviously this is not true, because he is not
>>infected. As I write this, I am reminded of the 2 in 10 that clear on
>>their own. Maybe that is what happened to him, but I didn't think to
>>ask them that. I think had he been aware of clearing it he would have
>>brought it up.
>>
>>Shooting dope is something you have to learn from a drug addict. I
>>don't see how you can share works, and not have it. I think it is
>>more likely that he cleared, instead of being a user, and never been
>>infected.
>
>I would think getting infected isn't an absolutely sure bet. There's the
>possibility nobody he shared with was infected, and/or the possibility that
>he/they used some kind of cleaning protocol?
>
>But, if he did manage to get infected, even if he cleared it on his own, he'd
>still have antibodies.
>
>So, I guess the obvious question is, how does he know he was never infected
>with HCV?
>

I will ask him about his cleaning protocol when I see him again. He
said he has been tested.

You are right about the antibodies. Had he cleared, it would have
still shown up as antibodies.

I guess it is not 100% I wonder if any studies like that have been
done? I just can't imagine any IV drug user dogging the bullet.

Not one of any of the friends I have asked dogged it. Ok.....maybe
that one time. :)
From: Waterspider on 18 Jul 2008 01:58

"metspitzer" <kilowatt(a)charter.net> wrote in message
news:kq20845fsc897rrrfhmfmkfpv84uhha1fm(a)4ax.com...
> On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:13:45 -0400, greyhackles
> <greyhackles(a)REMOVEyahoo.com> wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:05:23 -0500, metspitzer <kilowatt(a)charter.net>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>I ran into a friend I had not seen in 25 years. HepC came up because
>>>he had heard I had it (lots of our friends do). His ex-wife also has
>>>it. He said he had tried IV drugs a few times back in early 80s, but
>>>only a few times.
>>>
>>>I told him that if he has shared IV drugs then the chance he was
>>>infected is about 100%. Obviously this is not true, because he is not
>>>infected. As I write this, I am reminded of the 2 in 10 that clear on
>>>their own. Maybe that is what happened to him, but I didn't think to
>>>ask them that. I think had he been aware of clearing it he would have
>>>brought it up.
>>>
>>>Shooting dope is something you have to learn from a drug addict. I
>>>don't see how you can share works, and not have it. I think it is
>>>more likely that he cleared, instead of being a user, and never been
>>>infected.
>>
>>I would think getting infected isn't an absolutely sure bet. There's the
>>possibility nobody he shared with was infected, and/or the possibility
>>that
>>he/they used some kind of cleaning protocol?
>>
>>But, if he did manage to get infected, even if he cleared it on his own,
>>he'd
>>still have antibodies.
>>
>>So, I guess the obvious question is, how does he know he was never
>>infected
>>with HCV?
>>
>
> I will ask him about his cleaning protocol when I see him again. He
> said he has been tested.
>
> You are right about the antibodies. Had he cleared, it would have
> still shown up as antibodies.
>
> I guess it is not 100% I wonder if any studies like that have been
> done? I just can't imagine any IV drug user dogging the bullet.
>
> Not one of any of the friends I have asked dogged it. Ok.....maybe
> that one time. :)

Back in 82 when I was playing really stupid, there were about half a dozen
of us who regularly got high together and shared works. One guy died of
liver failure about ten years ago. I had hep c. A third was tested and is
negative for the virus but shows antibodies. A fourth "feels fine" and won't
get tested, doesn't want to know. The last couple/few? No idea what became
of them. Yep, scary stuff, but some dodge the bullet. Actually they don't
dodge the bullet so much as they are lucky enough to have an immune system
capable of defeating the virus before it gets a hold with that death grip.
Yep, scary stuff.


From: dog on 18 Jul 2008 02:55
On Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:05:23 -0500, metspitzer <kilowatt(a)charter.net>
wrote:

>I ran into a friend I had not seen in 25 years. HepC came up because
>he had heard I had it (lots of our friends do). His ex-wife also has
>it. He said he had tried IV drugs a few times back in early 80s, but
>only a few times.
>
>I told him that if he has shared IV drugs then the chance he was
>infected is about 100%. Obviously this is not true, because he is not
>infected. As I write this, I am reminded of the 2 in 10 that clear on
>their own. Maybe that is what happened to him, but I didn't think to
>ask them that. I think had he been aware of clearing it he would have
>brought it up.
>
>Shooting dope is something you have to learn from a drug addict. I
>don't see how you can share works, and not have it. I think it is
>more likely that he cleared, instead of being a user, and never been
>infected.

Keep in mind that the HCV virus can lay dormant in your system for 20
years or more without before becoming active. I was infected while in
the Army in the sixties and the antibodies, which triggered the
testing for the virus, only appeared four years ago.

In between, I was on a supervised weight-loss program and had several
blood tests to check liver and kidney chemistry, etc. They never
showed the antibodies. Actually, they were discovered when a GP had
blood tests run as a part of an annual wellness exam -- obviously I
failed that exam! ;o)

--
Steve
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