is interfelon and ribavarin a cure for hep c?

Question

How long can treatment with these drugs clear the virus for, 10 years or more? or for life in some people??

Answer 1

Hi Stephanie

Here are some ideas to heal your condition.

Cause
The most common cause of hepatitis is a virus that can occur in five potential forms: A, B, C, D, or E. Other causes include excessive alcohol consumption, drug abuse (including pharmaceutical drugs, such as acetaminophen), overexposure to chemicals, and, sometimes, as a reaction to properly prescribed medications.

In recent years, hepatitis C has been on the increase. It is most frequently caused as a result of blood transfusions. Typically, people with hepatitis C are identified either because they have abnormal liver tests or because of a hepatitis C antibody test. A positive test does not necessarily mean serious liver disease, however. People with hepatitis C may have no liver disease, a mild form of chronic hepatitis, or a more serious form of hepatitis that may progress over a number of years to cirrhosis. The usual indications are a positive antibody test for the hepatitis C virus, abnormal liver tests for more than six to twelve months, and a liver biopsy that shows chronic active hepatitis. Approximately 20% of patients chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus will go on to develop cirrhosis.

Note: Infectious hepatitis can be easily spread two weeks before and one week after jaundice appears. The feces of people with hepatitis contain the virus. Therefore, very strict toilet hygiene and hand and cloth washing should be observed during this time.


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Natural Cures

Aromatherapy: Rosemary can help stimulate liver function.

Diet: Follow a diet low in protein and high in fresh vegetables to minimize stress on the liver. Also eat small meals throughout the day, and avoid foods such as refined sugars, alcohol, and caffeine, which cause stress on the liver, and be sure to drink plenty of filtered water. Drinking fresh lemon juice water every morning and evening followed by vegetable juice is also recommended to help liver function. Easily digested grains, such as millet, buckwheat, and quinoa, are also good food choices.

Enemas: Three warm enemas administered daily can help boost liver function.

Herbs: The liver-cell regenerative properties of herbs such as milk thistle and licorice can be helpful. Take 1/2 teaspoon of this mixture three times a day. Tumeric combined with milk thistle has also been shown to help alleviate the symptoms of hepatitis B.

Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is the application of water, ice, steam and hot and cold temperatures to maintain and restore health. Treatments include full body immersion, steam baths, saunas, sitz baths, colonic irrigation and the application of hot and/or cold compresses. Hydrotherapy is effective for treating a wide range of conditions and can easily be used in the home as part of a self-care program. Many Naturopathic Physicians, Physical Therapists and Day Spas use Hydrotherapy as part of treatment. I suggest several at-home hydrotherapy treatments.

Juice Therapy: The following juice combinations can be helpful: beet, carrot, and wheat grass juice; or garlic, burdock, flax, and black currants.

Nutritional Supplementation: Supplement with vitamin C, beta carotene, liver glandulars, milk thistle extract, vitamin B complex, adrenal glandulars, lipotropic factors, pantothenic acid, free-form amino acids, betaine hydrochloric acid (HCL), multi-enzymes, and evening primrose oil.

Alternative Professional Care
If your symptoms persist despite the above measures, seek the help of a qualified health professional. The following professional care therapies have all been shown to be useful for treating hepatitis: Ayurveda, Acupuncture, Detoxification Therapy, Magnetic Field Therapy, Naturopathic Medicine, and Oxygen Therapy

Best of health to you

Answer 2

It is a cure for SOME people. Type 1 - 48 wks treatment has a cure rate of about 45 -50%. Types 2 + 3 - 24 wks treatment have a cure rate of about 65 - 80%. After treatment is finished, after 6 months, you will have a PCR test to see if any virus is still present. That test will be repeated again at one year and if no virus is present then - you are cured. Once you are clear of the virus - you are clear for life UNLESS you put yourself at risk again. You can catch Hep C again.

Treatment is difficult and even f you do not clear the virus from your body - you have given your liver a rest. Many people live with Hep C and don't have treatment, just because you have the virus does not mean you will have liver damage. Talk to your consultant and see if this is a viable option for you. If not, there are things you can do for yourself - no alcohol, low fat diet, keep your stress level low, and generally take care of your body. You can live a long and healthy life - even with the virus.

Answer 3

THERE IS NO CURE FOR HEP C!!!!!
In spite of what others are telling you about being cured, there is no cure. You can clear the disease (less than 50 viral count per cubic ml of blood) and it may never become active again in your life, but there is no cure. Easy way to prove it is call Red Cross and tell them you are cured of hepatitis C and were wondering where you could go to donate blood! They may tell you where to go, but not for a blood donation. Try a life insurance company, have one person call in and give the basics without mentioning the HCV and get a quote, have another person call in and give the basics but tell them about a hepatitis C infection and ask for a quote, lastly call up and tell them that you had hep C, but are cured. If they will even quote you in the last two instances you sure won't find much differance, if any, in the last two instances. The first one will be about half as much as the last two.
Yes, inteferon works for about half the people with type 1 Hep C, types 2, 3, etc. respond much better about 80 % achieve SVR (sustained viral responce referred to as clearing.) Some show viral activity within a year of tx, most who clear stay that way for 3 - 5 years or more, some people 10 years+ and some never show HCV viral activity again. THEY ARE NOT CURED though. Please respond to this message with an e-mail and I'll be happy to give you some addys for HCV support groups, and even ex-Surgeon General Koops HCV site. You should check this out for yourself, education is our best defense for stopping the spread of this disease.

Answer 4

It depends on your genotype of hep c. There are quite a few. Side effects are serious, but if you have liver damage and a high viral load, I would recommend trying the therapy. I did, it wasn't that bad.

Answer 5

yes it is in about 50% of patients , the side effects are not that pleasant and you will need to take a antideppresant coinciding with this therapy once you show no viral load in your bloodwork and maintain that for 2 years you are considered clear of the virus

Answer 6

Not everyone can get the viral load down with this medication. Depending on what group it it. 1A is the hardest to cure. Good Luck in your recovery. It is not easy.

Answer 7

Yes it is , there are better treatments though . Ribavarin and the new antiviral Sovaldi by Gilead Sciences is superior to the old Interferon and Ribavarin treatment.

Answer 8

If u meant interferon then yeah its a treatement not a cure there is no cure for hepc they can only slow the progress of the desease. those medications have som serious side effects though

Answer 9

hey
they r recent additions
data is incomplete

Answer 10

Better not to take them.