Hepatitis C is a virus, and like all virus, there is no way to vanish the virus from your body. For instance Herpes, once you have it, you are stuck with it. There are at least six viruses known to cause liver disease: hepatitis A, B, C, D, E, and G, which vary in their severity and characteristics. Hepatitis C can lead to serious, permanent liver damage, and in many cases, death.
Hepatitis attacks only the liver, because many viruses only attack certain cells, like pneumonia – it only attacks the human lungs. It causes some flu-like symptoms for a short period of days; so many victims are unaware that they are experiencing the effects of Hepatitis C, because they pass it off as the flu. In the beginning of the attack of Hepatitis C, it is referred to as acute hepatitis C. But it begins to slowly worsen to chronic Hepatitis where the symptoms are so severe that a liver transplant is needed. According to John Henkel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “Hepatitis C is the major reason for liver transplants in the United States, accounting for 1,000 of the procedures annually. The disease is responsible for between 8,000 and 10,000 deaths yearly.”
Those with acute Hepatitis C have a 75% chance of developing chronic hepatitis C.|
Hepatitis C was not discovered until 1989, but the patients whom I have spoke with mentioned contracting the disease in the early 80’s. This means that most of the people that I have spoken with has chronic Hepatitis. Most of them sounded horrible, they were so restless, and it was if I was speaking to someone in their death bed, this is primarily due to the interferon treatment.
2. The treatment to clear the virus is like going through hell. The two treatments of interferon I was to interview the Hepatitis patients on were, Pegasys and Peg-Intron. We interviewed to find out what was better, which one had less side effects, because the two were made by to separate companies. My job requires me not to speak of actual results for each interferon, but they were very close with satisfaction. I have been praised for working for such a company that made this wonder drug, and I have been screamed at for working for a drug that is “killing my wife.” Here is the story; I am supposed to speak to the patient and patient only for confidentiality reasons. The husband answered and knew immediately who I was because the patients were asked months ago to participate. He said that this drug was destroying his wife and making her worse. What this man failed to realize was that these were the effects of the drug.
Patients may face any of these symptoms from the treatment: aches and pains in muscles or joints, anemia, decreased appetite, autoimmune problems, bleeding gums, brain fog, the flu, depression, problems with digestion, dry mouth, taste changes, fatigue, hair loss, head aches, insomnia, menstrual problems, diarrhea and nausea, rage, rashes, shortness of breath, and the list goes on. I actually had to ask people on a rated scale the effects of most of these during treatment, and it varied from person to person, really just how lucky you are.