Hepatitis B

[yank]

Newbie here...Hello everyone

I stayed for 3 months in Thailand and I enjoyed myself immensely. Met a lot of wonderful people, ate delicious food and toured all over Thailand.

I've been back in the states for 6 weeks now and last week, I started running a high temperature of 104 degrees and my urine was very dark. So I went to see my doctor and she told me I had contracted hepatitis B. She said not to worry and that its only a mild case. She said rest and it will run its course in a couple of weeks.

I have no idea how I got this disease. I was with one girl the whole time. She was clean, healthy looking. I never had unprotected sex with her and she was not a bar girl. I called her when I found out And she denies ever having Hep B. I told her to get tested and she said the test came back negative.

How did I get this disease? From reading about it on the Internet, I could die of liver Cancer in 10 years.

Any members out there ever had Hep B and did you develope liver Cancer?

[Sheryl]

Most likely you were infected by your partner. This can happen even with condom use. Quite a number of Thai people are Hep B carriers without being ill themselves or knowing it. Thai children are now vaccinated for it but as this is fairly recent, there are still a large number of carriers in the adult population.

This is why Hep B vaccination is recommended for anyone coming to this part of the world.

Liver cancer risk is associated only with chronic Hep B infection, not acute. Only a minority of people with Hep B develop the chronic form. And, proper treatment of chronic Hep B can reduce the risk of cancer by about half.

[FBN]

Hep B can only be transmitted by bodily fluids. Sexual, blood contact such as needle sticks or through sharing needles in drug users. (NOT implying you did!) The carrier may not be symptomatic and not even necessarily have a history of having had Hep B as it can sometimes run its course without jaundice or fever; blood tests will confirm carrier status.

Hep A by contaminated food usually. (Fecal/oral route of transmission). Much more common in Thailand.

Liver cancer will only develop in people who have contracted the most severe form of the disease, causing severe liver damage with subsequent cirrhosis which is in 10% of all cases and only 10% of those will proceed to liver cancer.

Your blood results would have indicated that at this time. It is important to ensure that you developed full immunity which will show in blood tests about 3 months or so from having had the disease.

[pmarlin]

That is why I got immunized before I set foot in Thailand. It was a series of thee shots over a period of time.

[yank]

Most likely you were infected by your partner. This can happen even with condom use. Quite a number of Thai people are Hep B carriers without being ill themselves or knowing it. Thai children are now vaccinated for it but as this is fairly recent, there are still a large number of carriers in the adult population.

This is why Hep B vaccination is recommended for anyone coming to this part of the world.

Liver cancer risk is associated only with chronic Hep B infection, not acute. Only a minority of people with Hep B develop the chronic form. And, proper treatment of chronic Hep B can reduce the risk of cancer by about half.

Thanks. I dont have the chronic hep b. Its good to know I won't get liver Cancer.

Once I'm healthy again, and producing antbodies, Could I infect someone else?

[yank]

That is why I got immunized before I set foot in Thailand. It was a series of thee shots over a period of time.

Yeah, I should have gotten immunized too. Maybe people can learn from my mistake.

[FBN]

Immunity depends on the development of adequate levels of immune globuline (HBs Ab) after the infection; this usually takes about 2 - 3 mths. If you are immune, you can't infect anybody else.

More info here: http://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/digestive-diseases-hepatitis-b

[crazykopite]

Look at the glass half full and not half empty after all any of us could be struck by lightning at any time there are no time limits when the man upstairs calls you home regardless of your wealth get yourself better and off you go again enjoying life to the full worrying about it will put you in an early grave be positive, be happy don't worry.

[lostmebike]

When I first started coming out here, around 15 years ago on a 'lads holiday', a friend and I decided to stay on after out initial 2 week hol had ended. My buddy, same as the OP, was with 1 girl all the time for around a month and yes she was a 'lady of the night' Anyhow, on returning home, complaining of liver pains (he drinks like a ... ) and dark pee he visits the quack who in turn tested him only to find out he had contracted Hep B and was warned to stop his wild behaviour for the sake of his health.

Anyway, he still drinks like the proverbial and still comes to visit me and meet his 'ladies'. He told me on one of his last visits that a doctor had told him that many Thais have Hep B, carry and pass it on without knowing. So sex-pests beware!

As the mod said, if it's not chronic and you lead a fairly healthy lifestyle, you should live a long life.

Good luck with it.

[Docno]

Interesting... wikipedia piece on Hep B says that one third of the world's population has contracted it at least once in their lives (!) Good news is that nowhere near one third of the world's population will contract liver cancer in their lifetime, so don't worry needlessly about it. The odds are very much on your side.

[MikeOwen]

It takes 3 to 6 months to clear Hep B , you may have caught it from a carrier , people are Hep B from birth in Thailand and don't know they have the disease , you will only have serious liver problems if the strain goes chronic , which it doesn't normally , you'll be very tired for about 3 months and unable to work because you are a potential carrier ,

It takes time to get over this and there's no quick fix , just hang in there and have your blood tests when your doctor tells you ,

Good luck with the Chronic bit but i doubt you'll need it .

[aveabeeror2]

I once got dandruff in the USA. I know you all want to know about it. Have you gotten dandruff in the US of A.?

[manarak]

That is why I got immunized before I set foot in Thailand. It was a series of thee shots over a period of time.

Yeah, I should have gotten immunized too. Maybe people can learn from my mistake.

I doubt anyone will learn from your mistake, because Hep B is already on the list of recommended vaccinations for Thailand.

But you have good hope to simply clear the infection with a probability of 95% and gain immunity.

Regarding previous posts: I bet a lot of people in Thailand are immune.

[MikeOwen]

Most likely you were infected by your partner. This can happen even with condom use. Quite a number of Thai people are Hep B carriers without being ill themselves or knowing it. Thai children are now vaccinated for it but as this is fairly recent, there are still a large number of carriers in the adult population.

This is why Hep B vaccination is recommended for anyone coming to this part of the world.

Liver cancer risk is associated only with chronic Hep B infection, not acute. Only a minority of people with Hep B develop the chronic form. And, proper treatment of chronic Hep B can reduce the risk of cancer by about half.

Thanks. I dont have the chronic hep b. Its good to know I won't get liver Cancer.

Once I'm healthy again, and producing antbodies, Could I infect someone else?

You will have blood tests over a period of 6 months or thereabouts , that will show that your immune system has got rid of the Hep B , you should also be immune from the disease for life , but you must get the all clear from your Doctor or Consultant that you are not a carrier or you will infect people who you are close to , one spot of blood or body fluid is all it takes to infect someone else.

[Torrens54]

Hmmm.....the GF was "clean" eh?

Wonder if she knows she can "Catch Pregnancy" off a Toilet Seat?

Hope you are soon on the mend!

[telldem]

Don't worry you'll be fine. I contracted the mild form of hepatitis B from a tattoo 25 years ago. Never got liver cancer. My Ex wife and 3 kids never caught it from me either. Doctor said its like I was vaccinated for hep b and I'm now immune to it and I can't pass it on to anybody.

Get a blood test 6 months after you feel better to make sure.

Good luck.

[Stupi]

Hi,

My sympathies, it is not nice, I had it badly in 1989 and have lived to tell the tale.

I was in a coma for 2 months and a very weak stick man (thin) for 5 months and had to take life very easy.

I gave up all alcohol and fatty foods for 18 months.

But now I am fine and not a carrier of the virus.

So do not worry life goes on very happily.

Try and find the cause it is not only sexually transmitted

Mine was contracted from the dentist I visited (not in Thailand).

Good luck

[sirchai]

You shouldn't be to worried as that will also affect your immune system. Caught Hep.C many years ago, but was one out of 10,000 where my immune system capsuled the virus in my liver and prevented me from dying through a cirrhosis.

You shouldn't drink alcohol now and eat only healthy food. No fat, as that will effect your liver as well.

There're people out there who caught a Hep.B without even knowing it. The more serious ones are the Hep C,D,E,F etc...stay healthy and keep smiling.-

[wombat]

you could have been a Hep B carrier yourself and something triggered it to show, albeit a mild showing?

[marquis22]

I once got dandruff in the USA. I know you all want to know about it. Have you gotten dandruff in the US of A.?

Nup, never been to USA, and not had dandruff since being bald

[stopthegreed]

This can lead to Cirrosis of the Liver. get checked out.

[Lostpack3t]

I was diagnosed with Hep C about 8 years agi by my local (Australian) doc. When he checked the second blood samples it was a misdiagnosis and I had glandular fever.

Maybe run a second test if you haven't already just to be sure.

And to others I thoroughly recommend hep B shots and for those who have had them get a blood test to confirm your resistance to the strain. Not all people after the shots have gained the resistance.

[pizzachang]

Hi,

My sympathies, it is not nice, I had it badly in 1989 and have lived to tell the tale.

I was in a coma for 2 months and a very weak stick man (thin) for 5 months and had to take life very easy.

I gave up all alcohol and fatty foods for 18 months.

But now I am fine and not a carrier of the virus.

So do not worry life goes on very happily.

Try and find the cause it is not only sexually transmitted

Mine was contracted from the dentist I visited (not in Thailand).

Good luck

So that is how the Slim Up centers guarantee weight loss....

[Ken7899]

A US Marine that was not immunized for hepatitis B, sounds strange.

[how241]

That is why I got immunized before I set foot in Thailand. It was a series of thee shots over a period of time.

+1....I did the same thing.

[Catoni]

It's always good idea for travellers to visit a travel health clinic and get vaccinations before travelling our of your home country. Whether it's to Thailand, or anywhere else for that matter.

I recently spent four months in Thailand and Cambodia and Laos, not just in the cities… but in remote mountainous tribal villages also... and many months before I left, I arranged for vaccinations at our local Travel Health Clinic.

For protection against Hep-B, I had a series of three shots of Engerix-B… which is one of the longest lasting vaccines. It's considered to give life long immunity. 25 years + I also got Vivaxim and Havrix for Hep-A… and also get life long immunity against Hep-A. There is currently no vaccine for Hep-C . Vivaxim also is a Typhoid shot. But the Typhoid immunity is good for only two years from that shot. I even got vaccinated against rabies.

I'm not going to list all of the vaccinations here… There are many more vaccines I've had….. and I keep my vaccine records up to date.

Some people say I must be paranoid…. but so what ? I'm very sorry for the person that got the Hep-B…but as we can see from the original post…. it's better to be safe than sorry.

[Ulic]

Just out of interest did your Doctor test you for Hep B or did she tell you you had Hep B. I had similar symptoms

and it was gall bladder related. I have had the Twin Rix vaccination and have been tested a number of times

and the tests have all come back negative.

[bra]

I contracted Hep A in Malaysia some time ago- probably from uncooked food e.g. salad but apart from jaundice and not drinking for 6 months it had little impact on my health and I am now immune. I had Hep B vaccine and would recommend this to anyone.

My son contracted Hep C from a blood transfusion in Australia (thank God not HIV!) when he was a teenager but was not aware of this until he went to donate blood - he is still Ok many years later. My understanding is that Hep B is much more virulent than the others and also HIV. So please get your vaccination!

[BudRight]

Make sure to get a TB vaccine. I didn't and now I have TB. It's the passive kind, skin test.

[ntg187]

I once got dandruff in the USA. I know you all want to know about it. Have you gotten dandruff in the US of A.?

I got dandruff in the USA... now I have to use this medicated shampoo for the rest of my life. I'd rather have Hep-B!!!!