Ajax Harwood Clinic
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a virus that infects the liver and, left alone, inflames it slowly over years — usually with no symptoms at all until damage has accumulated, which is why it is so often found on a blood test rather than because someone felt unwell.
Get help straight away if
These are uncommon, but they need same-day care — go to an emergency department, do not wait for an appointment.
- Vomiting blood, black tarry stools, new confusion or drowsiness, or a rapidly swelling abdomenGo to an emergency department.
- Yellowing of the eyes or skin that is new
Contact us promptly if
Not an emergency, but worth being seen sooner rather than waiting it out.
- A positive hepatitis C test that has not yet been followed upWorth an appointment soon. A positive antibody test is not the whole answer — a second test decides whether the virus is still present.
What usually happens
Hepatitis C is now curable in the great majority of people, with a course of tablets usually lasting eight to twelve weeks. If your picture of treatment involves interferon injections, a year of feeling terrible and poor odds, that picture is roughly a decade out of date and it is the commonest reason people do not come forward.
The treatment is generally well tolerated. Most people carry on working through it, and side effects tend to be mild — which is a genuine change rather than optimism.
A positive antibody test means you were infected at some point, not necessarily that you still are. A second test looking for the virus itself settles it, and some people clear it on their own.
Curing the infection stops further damage but does not undo scarring that is already there. If the liver is significantly scarred, monitoring continues after cure — which is not a sign the treatment failed.
Being cured does not make you immune. It is possible to catch it again if you are exposed again, and that is worth knowing rather than discovering.
At your appointment
A blood test to confirm the virus is actually present, and tests to work out how much the liver has been affected — often including a scan that measures stiffness rather than a biopsy.
A check for hepatitis B and HIV, since they share routes of transmission and finding them changes the plan.
A conversation about your other medications, because a few interact with the antiviral tablets and need adjusting for the course.
A test after treatment finishes to confirm cure, which is the point at which we can say the infection is gone.
Worth asking
- Is the virus still present, or did I clear it?
- How much has my liver been affected?
- How long is the course, and what side effects should I expect?
- Will I need any monitoring after I am cured?
Curious what your doctor is weighing up? The clinical tool we use for hepatitis C is open to anyone — it is detailed and written for clinicians, and you are welcome to read it.
Open the clinician reference →General health information for Ajax Harwood Clinic patients and the public — not medical advice, and not a substitute for seeing your own doctor. In an emergency call 911.