Hepatitis C treatment has improved immensely over the last decade. There are more treatment options available for Hepatitis C than ever before. No longer is Interferon used in Hepatitis C treatment and many treatments now can be taken without Ribavirin. DAA’s (direct-acting antivirals) have ushered in improved targeted treatment with fewer side effects.

Each Hepatitis C treatment is uniquely formulated to work on a specific genotype (virus strain), and liver condition (depending on the level of liver damage and viral load).  While hepatitis C treatment needs to be considered carefully for each patient’s condition, side effects are a main concern of the patient.

With today’s improved Hepatitis C treatment, the majority of patients report being able to function very well while working full time, and maintaining their normal routines. Many patients report experiencing very little to no side effects while other patients report experiencing some side effects at the onset of treatment and side effects decreasing after a few weeks.

These are the most common treatment side effects reported for the majority of Hepatitis C treatment today;

*Fatigue

*Headache

*Mild Nausea

*Diarrhea

*Insomnia

If Ribavirin is used in addition to other Hep C treatment, side effects from Ribavirin can possibly include;

*Anemia

*Fatigue

*Nausea

*Headache

*Insomnia

*Diarrhea

*Irritability/Anxiety

Hepatitis C treatment experience is different for each patient, while liver condition and other medical conditions need to be considered, the majority of patients report fatigue and headache to be most common side effects experienced throughout treatment.

Standard treatment time is 12 weeks for the majority of today’s treatment. Some treatment can be done in 8 weeks and some treatment for certain genotypes and liver condition can be 24 weeks.

Cure rates for all Hep C treatments today range between 95% to 99%.

This entry was originally published on Life Beyond Hepatitis C, and is reprinted with permission.