Hep C treatment trigger for relapse?
 

I have a few questions about hep c treatment. I'm not an addict, and I do not have hep c. However, my boyfriend is a recovering heroin addict and will be starting treatment for hep c soon.
He's been clean for 4 months, and is living in a sober house right now. He works a 12 step program as well. He starts treatment in a couple of months. From what the doctors tell him, the treatment for hep c involves injecting yourself with a needle. The doctors wanted to wait until he's had 6 months clean so that the self injection and handling needles will not be a trigger.
I know that he needs to do this treatment, however, this whole thing just spells trouble to me. Aside from the self injecting and handling needles, I've read that the sick feeling the patient gets during treatment is similar to that of heroin withdrawals. I've read that treatment also causes depression. All of these things seem like triggers to me.

Like I said, I'm not an addict and have never had any experience with hep c treatment so I'm a little lost here. My boyfriend says that he hates needles...yet he was a heroin addict. I don't understand that.

Has anyone had any experience with hep c treatment and have any of you noticed that the self injection is triggering you to pick up again? Also, are there any heroin addicts that hate needles?? Strange concept to me ...

Hi again...:wave:

I have no idea....never been in the situation he finds himself in.
I sure hope he and his doctors will find something beneficial.

I hope the two of you will continue to move forward
with your recoveries.
Blessings to both of you

I don't know but i know people who us needles that get triggered whenever a medical treatment happens that involves needles. I know myself I've never used needles but i really got close to it one time and it was because I was getting desperate and the reason i didn't was I hated needles, but i have a feeling if I kept using, I would have been using needles, despite hating it because it's a natural progression from where I was at.

All of those things sound realistic to me. It naturally makes sense that if someone has a problem with shooting any drug and then they are in a situation where they need to inject a medicine (even one as important as hepatitis c medicine) it would logically bring up memories of said drug use. However, I would imagine the doctors are weighing 2 factors such as how sick will he become with prolonged exposure and inadequate treatment to hep c, vs his likelihood of relapsing when exposed to needles. I cannot give any advice on if the risk is worth it but hopefully with support and the proper environment he will be able to work through those urges!! Best wishes!