Las Vegas NowDoctor Says Hepatitis-C Can be Difficult to Treat

Doctor Says Hepatitis-C Can be Difficult to Treat

Hepatitis-C is a difficult disease to treat. A local infectious disease specialist told Eye on Health, the options are very limited and some people may not be able to stand the treatment.

Hepatitis-C is a liver disease caused by a blood-borne virus. It's spread by contact with the blood of an infected person. Las Vegas infectious disease specialist, Eugene Speck says of the various forms of hepatitis, the C-type is more common and more likely to result in a sustained, chronic infection.

"Probably the number one reason for a liver transplant in the United States is hepatitis-C," said Dr. Speck.

There is no cure-all drug for hepatitis-C. The standard treatment to stop the virus is a combination of two drugs, which some patients find difficult to tolerate.

"The treatment itself, which is Interferon and a drug called Ribavirin, is fraught with a lot of side-effects," said Dr. Speck. 

Interferon is derived from a natural anti-viral protein. Ribavirin is a synthetic compound that also helps irradiate the virus. The two may be used in combination as long as the side effects are tolerable. Otherwise, Interferon would be used by itself.

Side-effects range from flu-like symptoms, to hair loss, to anemia. And after all that, the therapy may not work.

"People may relapse, have to be re-treated. It can be a long drawn-out affair," said Dr. Speck.

Dr. Speck says on average, 1 to 3-percent of hepatitis-C patients will die from it.