Treating Hepatitis C: Medicine

How antiviral medicine works

Antiviral medicine stops a virus from reproducing in the body. You need to take the medicine as prescribed for 8 to 12 weeks. How long you take the medicine depends on which one you were given. A blood test may be done 12 weeks after treatment. If the virus can’t be found in the test, the infection is thought to be cured. This is called sustained virologic response (SVR). At that point, you can also no longer spread the virus to other people.

In some cases, the hepatitis C virus is still found in the blood after treatment. Staying on a strict medicine schedule can help prevent this.

There are different kinds of antiviral medicines for hepatitis C. And there are different types of the hepatitis C virus. The types of virus are called genotypes. And they are numbered 1 through 6. Your genotype is found with a blood test. Genotypes 1, 2, and 3 are the most common. Most can be treated with the same antiviral medicines. But sometimes a different medicine is needed.

Creating your treatment plan

Usually, you will take one dose of medicine daily by mouth for 8 to 12 weeks. Sometimes more than one medicine is needed. And each medicine may have different treatment schedules. Your doctor will let you know which treatment plan is best for you.

Your treatment plan will depend on:

• How much hepatitis C virus is in your body.

• Your hepatitis C genotype.

• How much liver damage you have (such as if you have cirrhosis and how severe it is).

• If you have any thyroid or kidney problems.

• If you were treated for hepatitis C in the past, and with what medicines.

• If you had a liver transplant.

• What medicines you take, including supplements and over-the-counter medicines.

• What other health conditions you have.

During treatment, you’ll have visits with your doctor every few weeks or months. You’ll have blood tests to check the amount of virus in your body. You’ll also have blood tests to see how well your liver is working. The medicine will likely help your liver work better. Make sure to tell your doctor about any side effects you have from the medicines.

Staying on track with your medicine

It’s important not to miss any doses of your medicine. Missing doses may cause the medicine not to work as well. To remind yourself of your daily dose:

• Set reminders. Put reminders in a digital calendar. Or use alarms or timers. Put a sticky note next to the coffee maker or on the bathroom mirror. Figure out what will work best for you.

• Use a pill organizer. You can buy a pill organizer at most drugstores. They have small compartments labeled by day of week or time of day.

• Tell family and friends. They can help you stay on track with your medicine schedule.

• Join a support group or go to counseling. Hepatitis C support group members or a counselor may have other ideas for staying on schedule.

• Ask about support programs. Ask your doctor if the company that makes your medicine has a support program. They may have resources to help you stay on top of your medicine schedule.

After treatment

After treatment, you’ll have follow-up visits with your doctor every few weeks or months. You’ll have tests such as:

• Blood tests. These are to see if the virus is being cleared from your body. You’ll also have tests to check how your liver is working.

• Imaging tests. If you have liver scarring, you may have a test every 6 months to check for signs of liver cancer. You may have an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI test.

• Upper endoscopy. This is done if you have cirrhosis. It looks for swollen blood vessels in the stomach or esophagus. These can bleed and cause serious health problems.

In some cases, you may still have the virus in your blood after treatment. You may have another course of medicine in the future. Your doctor will talk with you about your options.

Using birth control

If you haven't gone through menopause, take special care in these cases:

• Treatment with ribavirin. You’ll need to prevent pregnancy with at least 2 types of birth control. You'll need to do this during treatment and for 6 months after treatment.

• Treatment with a protease inhibitor. Don’t use hormonal birth control during treatment. These medicines cause this type of birth control not to work well. This includes birth control pills, injections, patches, implants, and hormone ring.

Protecting your health after treatment

To help prevent damage to your liver after treatment:

• Don’t drink alcohol.

• Don’t use drugs.

• Use condoms during sex.

• Talk with your doctor before taking any new medicine.

• Ask your doctor about vaccines for hepatitis A and B. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C.

Even if you are cured of hepatitis C, you can be infected again. You can get the virus again through contact with blood from someone who has the virus. Talk with your doctor. Ask about how to protect yourself from another infection.