What kinds of treatment are available for hepatitis C?
Medications are available to treat chronic hepatitis C. If successful, they reduce the amount of virus to a level that is undetectable by the PCR test. If the virus levels remain undetectable for at least 24 weeks after a person stops taking the medications, the individual is considered to have a “substantial response” and may be cured of the disease. Currently, treatment consists of taking two medications: injections of a drug called interferon and pills called ribavirin. This is called combination therapy. A usual treatment schedule involves injecting interferon one to three times a week, and taking the ribavirin pills two times per day. Pegylated interferon is a new form of interferon that is injected only once a week. Pegylated interferon treatment is more convenient, is easier to take, and is more effective in some people than regular interferon. Is it necessary to be treated right away? For most people with hepatitis C, getting treatment is not an emergency. You do not have to ru
