[laser_vamp]

Especially if they're in their 20's and they dint take the treatment for Hep C Never.

[toonew2two]

Hep c isn't necessarily a death sentence and you can live with it a very long time with no symptoms at all. It does have an increased risk of liver cancer.

[p_l_gray]

Hepatitis is known to cause cirrhosis of the liver. My experience reveals the life expectancy to be 30 years, without treatment. There is apparently a treatment available which will slow down the progress, not arrest it. The liver damage appears to be the most damaging and is the first organ to start shutting down.

[Martha J]

depending on lifestyle, a person can live with hepatitis c as long as they are alive-meaning a person can live a long average time with CV as long as they eat a well balanced diet, stay away from drugs(this includes alcohol). the reason i mention diet is that there are foods and things a person with CV should avoid...
iron
salt
sweets
artificial sugar
the last two mentioned is because those with CV also have a higher chance of getting diabetes's type 2. (which could also shorten a life). others have fatty liver or Nash in combination with their HCV status.

I lived 27 years with HCV and then did treatment. I was 34. I can expect to live a long life without the presence of HCV as I have a sustained viral response (cured). However, even if a person does respond as well as I have, we can still get liver cancer.

HCV has many bi-directional diseases and many symptoms. HCV doesn't just reside in the liver, it resides in every part of the body.

The outcome is yes, a person can live a normal life span, however, with the bi-directional diseases and symptoms, the quality of life deminishes over time.

Some bi-directional diseases from HCV are;
diabetes
rashes,
brain fog/short term memory
depression
other organ involvement such as kidney failure
alpha1 deficiency (disease of the lungs)
fibromyagia-mild to extremely painful joints and bones
many many more.

doctor do their best to help the side effects of hcv or the bi-directional diseases associated with having hcv, but the truth is, nothing really works unless you do antiviral chemotherapy and are lucky enough to respond to treatment.

i'd tell your friend she needs to hop on the chemo wagon and take care of it while she's young and hopefully while she is not having serious consiquences to her HCV status.

i grew up with hcv, it was not fun. i was called names
had funky rashes
couldnt concentrate in school
had very little energy that deminished as i got older.
felt alone and betrayed by those who were supposed to care about me.
had low self esteem, depression, pain all sorts....
my quality of life now is 95% better. (i'd say 100%, but the treatment did not rid my brain fog issue.)


HCV is not a life to live. Getting rid of HCV is when the living truely begins!

[InDiAnNaJoNeS]

If you are young and can tolerate the treatment your chances of getting some relief from HCV will be greater; but, be warned: sometimes the treatment is worse than the disease. Modifying lifestyle (no alcohol use or recreational drugs or anything that stresses your liver) is essential. I'd say you won't have extreme symptoms for 25-30 years. You can expect cirrhosis of the liver; perhaps esophageal varicose (like varicose veins in the esophagus, or elsewhere in your intestinal track or ducts of your liver). This is not a "fun" disease to deal with...but you can have a very good quality of life for a long time. Educating yourself will be your best defense. Godloveya.