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.