Over the years, we have become much more aggressive in managing the side effects of interferon and ribavirin therapy. For the discussion of the web site, I will not be making a distinction between the commercially available products (Peg-Intron versus Pegasys) because their side-effect profiles are very similar.
The recommendations below are general guidelines that have been pooled from numerous sources and shown to work in most situations. The goal has been to reduce the side effects and make them more manageable, rather that expecting that they will be fully alleviated. Management of the side effects to treatment includes medical and psychiatric intervention, comfort measures, and possibly dose reduction.
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Comments for How are the side effects of hepatitis C therapy managed?:
I have been on the Peg-Intron/Ribavirin treatment program for 6 weeks. It cannot be stressed enough how important it is to consume mega amounts of water...at least 1/2 your weight in ounces, i.e., if you weigh 140 lbs, you need at least 70 ounces of water daily...preferably 100 oz to more effectively manage your side-effects.