Hepatitis C Symptoms

Most people don’t automatically feel sick when they first get infected with hepatitis C – and if they do, the symptoms are usually mild or are mistaken for the flu or dope-sickness. Unfortunately, people can have hepatitis C for decades without knowing it. Some people develop symptoms right away, but usually, symptoms don’t appear until the liver is already seriously damaged, ten to twenty years after infection.

Symptoms can include:

weight loss
low-grade fever
headaches
loss of appetite
nausea
stiff or aching joints
pain in the right side, over the liver area
dark brown urine; or pale feces
fatigue and/or depression
jaundice (the whites of the eyes and skin become yellowish)

The only way to know for sure if you have Hepatitis is to have a blood test. Ask your doctor or syringe access provider where you can get tested.