Is there a new treatment for HCV?
138288
Currently available Hepatitis C treatment includes Pegylated Interferon - an immunomodulator (stimulated the immune system) and Ribavirin (a nucleoside agent - unknown mechanism). Pegylated Interferon is taken once weekly via subcutaneous injection and the ribavirin is taken orally, usually twice a day (dose varies based upon body weight and HCV genotype).\n\nThere are several Hepatitis C genotypes or varietes of HCV. Genotypes 1 and 4 generally require longer treatment (usually a minimum of 48 weeks) while genotypes 2 and 3 can be treated for 6 months or less - new studies have examined 14 or 16 week regimens.\n\nInterferon can be difficult to tolerate - it causes tiredness, muscle aches, decreased blood cells to name a few side effects. Ribavirin can also cause side effects and sometimes the dose needs to be reduced.\n\nThe liklihood of response is around 50% for genotypes 1 and 4 (meaning that about half the people treated for 48 weeks will clear the Hepatitis C virus). For genotypes 2 and 3, the response rates are higher and can approach 90% (many more people are able to clear the virus.\n\nFactors such as genotypes 1 or 4, high viral load (amount of virus in the body), alcohol use, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), older age, male sex, and heavey body weight may contribute to a worse response.\n\nThere are investigational agents currently being studies, including VX950 and SCH 503034 (HCV protease inhibitors) as well as polymerase nucleoside inhibitors (NM283 or valopicitabine). Currently, these are all being studied in combination with Pegylated Interferon. Contact an academic medical center or visit http://www.clinicaltrials.gov to find studies for which you may be eligible.\n\nIf you need treatment, be sure to get plenty of rest, drink lots of water, and take your medication EXACTLY as prescribed. Contact your doctor immediately if you experience any side effects.
128915
There are no medications available for recently acquired (acute) HBV infection. Hepatitis B vaccine is available for the prevention of HBV infection. There are antiviral drugs available for the treatment of chronic HBV infection.
981215
Hepatitis C can not be cured.  Talk to your doctor and keep an eye on your liver.
240317
See:\nhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000621.htm#Treatment
1184852
What is it for?\nIf it is not subscribed by a doctor for a necessary treatment, try some good and healthy food, some dry red or white wine with good company, this is how we treat life, ourselves and family and friends!
185745
No cure yet exists, but symptoms are often treatable with various medications, behavioural therapy and alternative treatments. It should be noted that there is not any peer reviewed scientific evidence, yet, of success with "alternative therapies." Even results of behavioural therapy are unclear long-term, and are going to be studied on a well-designed TSA grant possibly starting in 2004.
55589
If you haven't had a tetnus shot in a while may wanna do that now. Get checked for hepatitis too. Never know where that needle was. Call your MD.
977805
Hepatitis is a group of viral infections that affect the liver causing acute/chronic inflammation which eventually may lead to liver failure or cancer and ultimately death. The B, C, and D group are blood borne and/or sexually transmitted or by vertical transmission from mother to child. Hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) is notoriously known to cause chronic liver disease and the risk for liver hepatoma/cancer is much higher than for HBV.\nJust like most viral infections, there is no definite cure by antiviral or antibiotic therapy. However, some antiviral drugs such as lamivudine (sometimes used to treat HIV) may hold some promise but no definite cure. It is important to note that most people do not die eventually from chronic hepatitis since it is a chronic disease. They may die of other causes. If you are sexually-active, also consider protecting your spouse/partner from picking up the infection by using appropriate barrier methods. \n\nI would advice you go on a high carbohydrate diet/low protein diet; take multivitamins supplements. have your doctor keep an eye on your liver function tests say on a yearly basis. Most other drugs used as supportive therapy are fraught with bad side effects.
687036
A cure (which means hep C virus levels are no longer detectable during and after six months of finishing treatment) is dependent on which genotype of virus you have, whether you follow your dosing instructions correctly, and then luck. For genotype 1, the most common type found in the US and also the hardest to treat, a cure can be achieved in 40-60% of cases. Other genotypes have a higher response rate. Even if you don't completely get rid of the virus the treatment will greatly slow the rate of damage the hep C virus is causing to your liver. The treatment will cause flu like symptoms and fatigue so be prepared. good luck\n\nhttp://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/faq.htm
489566
Yes, the new pegelated interferon and ribavirin combo treatment (available from Schering or Roche) have greatly increased the response rate from the older 3X week interferon only treatment regimen. If you are symptomatic or have a high viral load, you should see your hep Dr and ask about the new treatment regimens.\n\nhttp://www.pegintron.com/peg/application\n\nhttp://www.pegasys.com/?SOURCE=GOOG&KEYWORD=p\n\nThese links are for the new types of interferon. You also have to take pills along with the shots. Both interferon manufacturers have their own proprietary name for the ribavirin (generic drug name) pills but if you read these links you will learn about the full treatment regimen.
1004979
I do not agree with that statement.  ARV is antiretroviral therapy, and is used to treat HIV/AIDS.  Where did you get that statement from?
880733
There currently is no cure for Hepatitis B or C. They do have interferon treatment that you can go through, that does greatly reduce the viral load, but in many cases it will return. \nThe treatment is a form of chemotherapy, and is rough on you. I have went through it twice. It reduced the viral load both times, but did not fully eradicate it, and it quickly multiplied again. I'm told by doctors that it was not wasted effort, as it gave my liver a chance to at least rest a bit. The liver can regenerate itself if it is not scarred too much. The danger with Hepatitis B and C, is that they can so greatly damage your liver that it can not regenerate itself and can turn to liver cancer or cirrohhisis. For a lot of people, it will never cause problems and they can live a normal lifespan. If you have it, I wish you well, and my only advice is to weigh your situation carefully before jumping into any course of treatment. And very importantly, get a doctor that you trust and that will answer any and all questions you have. There are so many that will not, or that seem indifferent to what you are going through. It can be life altering. Request a complete Liver panel to see your ALT levels (these tell you how hard your liver is working), and stay away from all drugs and alcohol, as they are very toxic to your liver. Also, I have been told that tylenol is very, very hard on your liver. Use aspirin instead, if your stomach can tolerate it. As for being more dangerous than aids. I'd say they are both equally dangerous, as each can eventually kill you in a different way. But you hear of more research being done on aids treatment than for hepatitis.  I wish you all the best.
913729
hcv is ONLY contracted via blood to blood transmission. Sex is almost NON existant.\n\nas far as working with someone with hcv, you'd be surprised to find this person is not the only one who has it!\n\nthere are many ways of getting hepatitis c....hcv is a tricky disease...even tho a regular liver panel may not show elevations in the ALT and AST levels, you could be infected! (long before the person in question even!) ever done drugs? shared utensils after someone like a cocaine straw? ever been to the dentist? had a peircing or tatoo? every had surgery of any kind prior to 1994? ever had your nails or toenails done? ever cut yourself on something someone else could of cut themselves on? how bout sharing a toothbrush or razor? \n\nhcv usually comes on very slow, it can take decades before something serious happens.\n\nthey claim hcv is a-symptomatic, but many who find they have the disease, look back and figure out that the doc, unknowingly, treated each symptom as a seperate disease, without being able to treat the cause due to simply not knowing what to treat. (these symptoms are called bi-directional diseases).\n\nif you want to be sure you don't have hcv yourself, regardless of risk factors or not, get tested for antibodies.\n\nhcv corpuscles found in bodily fluids are not transmittable.\nagain, hcv is ONLY acquired through a blood to blood transmission of some kind.\n\nnow, if you suggest to your boss to lay a person off just because he has a disease, your spelling trouble. it's discrimination...hcv is something that i grew up with and has kept me from working do to brain fog and short term memory, but this doe's not affect everyone who has hcv. \n\ni would also like to add if kids can go to school with hepatitis c like i did from the age of 8 and on, one can certainly have job security. i think you would benefit from being a little more kind and understanding as anyone can be unhealthy at any given time. the treatment for hepatitis c is very expensive (over 60 thousand dollars for a years worth of antiviral chemotherapy), so let it alone, chances are this person may need the job....
158440
I must say there is no treatment,,the best thing although most cronical liver disease are incurable  but it takes long time to really cause disaster and death...since a person get them
547137
I don't really know much about Hepatitis A and B but I do know that they treat Hepatitis C with interferon.  It usually consists of 1 shot a weeks and Ribavirin pills daily.  Some people do treatment for 24 weeks and some do 48 weeks, depending on your genotype (the strain of the virus). Treatment can be very tough for alot of people.  You have to eat right, drink 1/2 your weight of water and get plenty of rest.  Alot of people have to get on antidepressant before treatment as it can cause depression in alot of people. Some people work or go to school while doing treatment and some are not able to.  You are monitored while you are on treatment with regular blood tests to make sure you are doing okay while on treatment.  I don't really know if there is a cure.  This is very controversial as some doctors say there is a cure and some say it just goes into remission.
587223
What do you want to know, any treatment?
118371
There are several alternative treatments that have been yielding encouraging evidence in controlling the virus.\n\nYou may visit the source website below for further description of these.