As an example, people taking amiodarone (brand names: Cordarone, Nexterone, Pacerone) should not take Sovaldi or Harvoni due to serious risks of a slow heart rate deaths have been reported. If not available, he or she can talk to your other healthcare providers about the possibility of changing your current medicines before Hepatitis C treatment begins. If available, your Hepatitis C provider will select a treatment option with no interactions. There can be risks of toxicity if too high, or the medication may be less effective if too low. What medications do you currently take? Some medicines interact with Hepatitis C medications, which can affect the level of either one – meaning that the level of the Hepatitis C medicine or your other medicine may become too high or too low.Some things your Hepatitis C provider will want to know when discussing your eligibility for treatment, as well as deciding which treatment regimen is best for you, include the following: However, with the current availability of interferon-free treatment regimens, many of these people can now receive treatment for their Hepatitis C infection. In the past, when treatment for Hepatitis C basically consisted of interferon and ribavirin, side effects precluded many patients from being eligible. Discuss the risks and benefits of pursuing treatment with your healthcare provider. In fact, with the advent of shorter, easier, and more effective treatment regimens, everyone should consider getting treated. 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. If you have severe scarring (cirrhosis), treatment with antiviral medications will generally be recommended. Your healthcare provider will evaluate you to determine how much damage, or scarring, is present in your liver. Many people already have chronic Hepatitis C when they’re first diagnosed because they were unknowingly infected with the virus many years ago. Chronic (long term) Hepatitis CĬhronic Hepatitis C is defined by the presence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) for 6 months or longer. You must see your doctor regularly for follow-up blood tests to make sure your body has fully recovered from the virus. However, if a person realizes that they may have been exposed to the virus – like a healthcare worker who gets a needle stick – an acute Hepatitis C infection can be identified early and medication may be recommended.ĭoctors sometimes just recommend bed rest, drinking lots of fluids, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding alcohol. Your response to any previous treatments for Hepatitis CĪ majority of people with an acute Hepatitis C infection often do not know they have the virus and therefore do not get treated.If you have liver damage, such as cirrhosis.The genotype or strain of Hepatitis C you have.How much virus is in your body (your viral load).Treatment for Hepatitis C depends on several factors, including: They work in a medical care team, and can provide a wide range of health care services, including the diagnosis and management of common, as well as complex medial conditions. Nurse practitioners are registered nurses who are prepared – through advanced education and clinical training – to assume some of the duties formerly assumed only by physicians. Nurse practitioners whose practice concentrates on people with liver diseases.Doctors who specialize in infectious disease.Doctors who specialize in stomach and intestinal diseases ( gastroenterologist).Doctors who specialize in liver diseases ( hepatologist).Specialists who work with people with Hepatitis C include the following healthcare providers: Once you’ve been diagnosed with Hepatitis C infection, you may want to see a specialist. If you think you are at risk of having Hepatitis C, talk to your current healthcare provider about getting tested. Explore options, learn the questions to ask, and find out what to expect during your treatment for Hepatitis C.
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