What is the treatment?
There are many treatment options now available for hepatitis C,
with all treatments offering at least 90% chance of clearing the
virus completely.
The good news is that the treatment available nowadays
consists of all-oral medications, and treatments which included
PEGylated interferon injections are no longer
recommended.
Current treatments usually involve taking a combination of two
or three medications to fight the virus. This is called combination
therapy.
Treatment can last between 8 to 16 weeks, depending on which
treatment you are given.
Before you start treatment, your doctor will assess the health
of your liver. This will include blood tests and a fibroscan, a
non- invasive scan specifically for your liver.
The decision on which treatment you will be given will depend on
what genotype of the virus you have, the level of damage the virus
has caused to the liver, whether you have had treatment before, and
the treatment most suitable for you.
As there are many individual factors relating to treatment
choice you will be given further information about your treatment
options after you have attended your initial appointments and your
doctor or consultant has all the information needed.
Living with treatment
You can improve the chances of your treatment being effective,
as well as your general well-being, if:
- You take all the treatments you are asked to take, at the right
time, and attend all your hospital appointments.
- You consider making lifestyle changes that can prevent further
damage to your liver.