Side Effects
Whether or not you experience certain side effects while undertaking combination anti-viral treatment is extremely varied.
Side Effects from Interferon
IInterferon is naturally produced by our bodies to stop the progression of a viral infection. However, in doing so it can make you feel unwell eg. headaches, fever, muscle aches.
Consequently, after injecting with either pegylated or unpegylated interferon, you may feel as if you have flu (eg. headache, sore muscles, fever, depression and so on).
Side Effects from Ribavirin
Ribavirin is thought to stimulate the immune system and may therefore increase your experience of some of the flu like symptoms induced by your interferon.
However, the main side effect of ribavirin is a lack of iron in your blood (anaemia) so your haemoglobin level will be monitored carefully.
Other symptoms experienced by some patients include insomnia, depression, anxiety or irritability. Consequently, any history of previous depression should be discussed with your specialist or nurse before starting ant-viral treatment.
Monitoring of your Side Effects
Your experience of any side effects during treatment and your ability to cope with them will be monitored. In some instances, your treatment many be modified or suspended in a side effect is proving intolerable or is putting your health at an unacceptable risk.
How to Help Your Body
- Keep your body well hydrated - make sure you drink enough water
- Stop drinking or try to limit the amount of alcohol that you drink
- Try to maintain a healthy weight for your height. It has been shown that those with hepatitis C who are overweight may increase the likelihood of fatty deposits in their liver, which could worsen their condition.
- Maintaining a healthy weight means that you are likely to respond more positively to treatment for hepatitis C
- Stop smoking - smoking has been shown to be a negative factor in treatment success