How Is Hep C Treated?
Almost all cases of Hep C could be cured if treatment with interferon was started very soon after infection. Unfortunately most people don’t have any signs of hepatitis, or can mistake them for the flu. Most cases are not diagnosed until years later. The first step in treating Hep C is to find out which type of Hep C you have. There are at least six types of Hep C. Most people with Hep C in the US have type 1. Some have type 2 or 3. Type 4 is less common in the US. Types 1 and 4 are harder to treat than types 2 or 3. The usual treatment for Hep C is a combination of two drugs, pegylated interferon (PEG_IFN) and ribavirin (RBV). PEG-IFN is injected once a week. RBV is a pill taken twice daily. These drugs have some serious side effects, including flu-like symptoms, irritability, depression, and low red blood cell counts (anemia) or white blood cell counts. Talk with your health care provider about how to deal with side effects. Ribavirin can cause severe birth defects. Women should not
