After being diagnosed with hepatitis C, you will likely be put on a treatment regimen that involves ribavirin and peginterferon. The goal of these medications is to get rid of the hepatitis C virus completely (also called "clearing the virus"). By doing this, you may be able to:
Reduce the swelling of the liver
Stop any scarring and fibrosis of the liver
Potentially reverse some of the liver damage and reduce the long-term risk of liver cancer.
In addition, those with hepatitis C are more likely to get a more dangerous condition called acute liver failure. To help reduce this risk, your healthcare provider may recommend vaccinating against hepatitis A and B.
(To learn more about combination therapy with peginterferon and ribavirin, click Hepatitis C Medication.)
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