- What does it mean when I am chronically infected with hepatitis C?
- When do I need treatment?
- What about alternative treatments?
Hepatitis C is a curable infection. The cure rates are at least 50%, and can be as high as 80%-90%, depending on the genotype of hepatitis C (click here to learn about the genotypes). Treatment of hepatitis C is with a combination of two drugs, Pegylated Interferon and Ribavirin. These medicines are still very expensive (over $2000/month) and still have a lot of side effects, especially psychiatric side effects. However, the current treatments represent a very real chance of curing the infection to stop further damage from happening to the liver. Everyone with hepatitis C should consider getting treatment. Those with a lot of liver damage, especially cirrhosis or a platelet count under 150, should definitely get treated. Those with complications of hepatitis C, such as symptomatic cryoglobulinemia, should be treated. Everyone else should still consider getting treatment, but should discuss the pros and cons with your doctor.
Click here to learn more about the specific treatments for hepatitis C.