What should I do Before I stop taking my hepatitis C medications?
Before you stop taking any of your Hepatitis C medications, contact your doctor. The goal is to avoid the situation of needing to reduce the dose and/or discontinue Hepatitis C medication, if at all possible.
What is the best treatment for hepatitis C?
Treatment Antiviral medications. Hepatitis C infection is treated with antiviral medications intended to clear the virus from your body. The goal of treatment is to have no hepatitis C virus detected in your body at least 12 weeks after you complete treatment.
Should I get Hepatitis C treatment if I have scarring?
If you have little to mild scarring (early stage fibrosis ), you should still consider Hepatitis C treatment to avoid the long-term complications of the disease, even though you may not be at risk for many years. In fact, with the advent of shorter, easier, and more effective treatment regimens, everyone should consider getting treated.
Should I tell my doctor about my hepatitis C medications?
Also, if you become sick and need to see a doctor in an emergency situation or are hospitalized, it is very important to tell them about your Hepatitis C medications and to immediately contact your Hepatitis C doctor as well. In the past when interferon was used, management of side effects was critical to have success with Hepatitis C treatment.
How long before hep C causes liver damage?
After many years some people will have minimal liver damage with no scarring while others can progress to cirrhosis (extensive scarring of the liver) within less than ten years. On average it takes about twenty years for significant liver scarring to develop.
How long does it take for hep C to cause damage?
After many years some people will have minimal liver damage with no scarring while others can progress to cirrhosis (extensive scarring of the liver) within less than ten years. On average it takes about twenty years for significant liver scarring to develop.
Can you beat hep C without treatment?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports less than half of people who contract the hepatitis C virus may clear it from their bodies without treatment. For this group of people, the virus will be a short-term acute condition that goes away without treatment.
How long can you live with untreated hep C?
People with hepatitis C can live many years after diagnosis, but the range varies. A 2014 study showed that patients infected with hepatitis C virus died on average 15 years sooner than people who did not have the illness. With hepatitis C, the liver becomes seriously damaged due to inflammation.
What does hep C pain feel like?
Many chronic HCV sufferers also complain of getting aches and pains. Large numbers get sharp pains over the liver (found in the upper right corner of the abdomen) which can sometimes be very alarming. These pains are not necessarily connected with severe liver disease.
How do you know what stage of hep C you have?
stage 1: mild fibrosis without walls of scarring. stage 2: mild to moderate fibrosis with walls of scarring. stage 3: bridging fibrosis or scarring that has spread to different parts of the liver but no cirrhosis. stage 4: severe scarring, or cirrhosis.
Can I live a normal life with hep C?
There are now several effective medications that treat hepatitis C. If the disease is caught early and treated, people with hepatitis C can live a normal life. Approximately 3 to 5 million people in the United States are living with chronic hepatitis C, an infection that causes inflammation and scarring in the liver.
How can I live a healthy life with hep C?
Over time, hepatitis C can damage your liver....To keep the damage as low as possible:Don't drink or do drugs.Don't take medications or supplements that can damage your liver.Get plenty of rest.Eat healthy food.Get moderate exercise.
Can hep C be 100% cured?
Hepatitis C can be cured, and today's drug therapies are very effective and easier for patients to take, says Jeffrey S. Murray, M.D., an internist at the FDA who specializes in infectious diseases.
Which hepatitis is worse B or C?
Hepatitis B is certainly more virulent and contagious than hepatitis C. Hepatitis B is prevalent around the world and it causes more liver cancer than hepatitis C. People with hepatitis B are more likely to die from complications to their liver than people with any of the other hepatitis infections.
What are the early warning signs of hep C?
Signs and symptoms include:Bleeding easily.Bruising easily.Fatigue.Poor appetite.Yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (jaundice)Dark-colored urine.Itchy skin.Fluid buildup in your abdomen (ascites)More items...•
Can you clear hep C on your own?
Like the human papillomavirus (HPV), early acute hepatitis C can clear on its own without treatment; this happens about 25% of the time. However, it's more likely that the virus will remain in your body longer than six months, at which point it's considered to be chronic hepatitis C infection.
Diagnosis
Treatment
- Antiviral medications
Hepatitis C infection is treated with antiviral medications intended to clear the virus from your body. The goal of treatment is to have no hepatitis C virus detected in your body at least 12 weeks after you complete treatment. Researchers have recently made significant advances in treatmen… - Liver transplantation
If you have developed serious complications from chronic hepatitis C infection, liver transplantation may be an option. During liver transplantation, the surgeon removes your damaged liver and replaces it with a healthy liver. Most transplanted livers come from decease…
Clinical Trials
- Explore Mayo Clinic studiestesting new treatments, interventions and tests as a means to prevent, detect, treat or manage this condition.
Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- If you receive a diagnosis of hepatitis C, your doctor will likely recommend certain lifestyle changes. These measures will help keep you healthy longer and protect the health of others as well: 1. Stop drinking alcohol.Alcohol speeds the progression of liver disease. 2. Avoid medications that may cause liver damage.Review your medications with your doctor, including o…
Preparing For Your Appointment
- If you think you may have a risk of hepatitis C, see your family doctor. Once you've been diagnosed with a hepatitis C infection, your doctor may refer you to a specialist in liver diseases (hepatologist) or infectious diseases.