When I first learned I had Hep C, back in 2014, I went on a steep learning curve. One of the first things I learned was that most doctors know very little about Hepatitis C. No disrespect meant to doctors in general but there is a lot of misinformation out there. For example my doctor was convinced I must have picked up Hep C from some form of illicit sexual activity. He had Hep C and Hep B mixed up (and being a happily married man I knew he was wrong).
So there is this issue of what are the obvious symptoms of Hep C, that is to say the ones that you notice easily?
If you Google this you will get something like “appetite loss, tiredness, achy muscles and nausea.”
Yes we know about the fatigue, then there is smelly, dark urine. If you dig a little deeper you will find nose bleeds, thinning of the skin, easy bruising and bleeding, joint pain and yellowing of the skin or eyes.
That’s about where it stops.
But if you dig really deep you will find that Hep C can cause peripheral neuropathy (which I had/have) and a whole lot of other stuff that your average doctor will tell you has nothing to do with Hep C.
Famous amongst this last lot is the “ Brain Fog” nearly every person who has had Hep C for a while will be familiar with the Brain Fog… And most people will report the fog lifting at some time during treatment. For me the fog lifted about 2 weeks into treatment.
Below is a great email I received today with the best description I have ever read about the brain fog lifting. I also include my reply.
Hi Greg,
The package of meds arrived a couple of weeks back. I’m sorry that I took so long to confirm it.
I started the treatment about 10 days ago and noticed that amazing things happened in my brain. About 3 hours after taking the first pill, I got a weird, sinus kind of headache - only it was all around my head (not just in sinus spots).
It felt like I had way too much fluid in my skull. An ice pack helped a lot.
Then I fell asleep and had very vivid dreams. ( I haven’t been aware of my dreams for several years ).
I woke up an hour later. The headache was gone, and, my brain was functioning so very clearly!
Since then, the mental clarity has become the norm. I feel like a young woman, again.
Do you know if the mental clarity is from freeing up the blood cells from battle against the virus gives them time to deliver more oxygen?
This has been a fantastic experience. I was so scared about the side effects. I thought that I’d feel like crap. Instead, I feel better than I’ve felt for ages.
I’m aware of being more irritable and having a hard time letting go of anger. I don’t know if that is a side effect or just part of getting clear thinking...
Thank you for saving my life. You are a wonderful and generous person. I hope that I can pass it on when I get better.
Best wishes to you and your family.
Most sincerely
#####
Hi ####
Thanks for the interesting description ????
What you experienced is a lifting of the “ brain fog “ that many people with Hep C experience.
Whilst most people experience this lifting of the fog I have never heard of such a dramatic clearing. Nice !
My theory is that the brain fog is a result of poor liver functions and unhealthy blood, however there is no real science, that I know of, which deals with this.
It is possible it is a result of the actual action of the virus itself being in the blood and hence the brain.
Anyway… whatever causes the fog it is great when it lifts ????
Getting cranky seems to be part of the side effects of treatment. Some people get it some do not… I did and found I had to keep reminding myself not to get cranky because its just the meds.
Thanks for sharing.
Best wishes
Greg
