Currently there are several possibilities to treat hepatitis C. The most effective medical treatment is a combination of an antiviral drug called ribavirin (taken orally), pegylated interferon, a drug that is punctured and subcutaneously administered once a week for 24-48 weeks, depending on viral genotype. The number of patients who respond to treatment (the virus disappeared from the blood) is approximately 54%.
When patients do not respond to treatment, if initial therapy was not included pegylated interferon retreatment is indicated using this drug. But if this drug has already been used, today is not indicated a new cycle of treatment and indications must be individualized, considering options such as the inclusion of patients in clinical trials.
The main problem is its poor tolerance treatment, many patients develop a flu-like, ie feeling like they have the flu, with muscle aches, fever, chills etc. the day of injection of interferon. To reduce these symptoms, patients must take drugs such as paracetamol.
Response to treatment depends in part on how advanced it is the infection. Patients who have cirrhosis are less likely to respond, or the improvement is less spectacular than that of patients who are in earlier stages of the disease. Yet even in cirrhotic patients respond to treatment, and use of these drugs may reduce the risk of developing cancer in the future.
In patients who develop cirrhosis or liver cancer can be treated with liver transplantation. The risk of infection in liver transplant patients is high, but improved and the time it takes to develop new complications is long.
In addition, patients may receive treatment for symptom control: diuretics if they held liquid vitamins to prevent bleeding, pressure-lowering drugs to reduce the risk of bleeding from esophageal varices etc.
Tags: antiviral drugs, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis C Treatment, liver, liver cancer, medications, pegylated interferon, ribavirin, symptoms of hepatitis C, the infection