How Can Hepatitis B and C Be Treated Through Internal Medicine?

Hepatitis B and C are considered the world’s chronic viral hepatitis which kills a huge number of people every year. Even though it accounts for massive suffering as well as early death, it could only attract relatively less national and international attention. While the deaths caused by tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS have reduced to a great extent since the early 2000s, deaths stemming from hepatitis B and C are rising at a fast pace. It kills around 1 million people across the world.

Can medicine help in the treatment of hepatitis B and C?
There are numerous FDA approved medications available for the treatment of Hepatitis B and C. Here are some of the best medicines for this, but before you take them, you must consult an expert who can evaluate your symptoms and recommend the right drugs for you.

Medicines for Hepatitis B:

1. Entecavir: It is used in chronic hepatitis B virus infection and can treat active viral replication.
2. Lamivudine: It is used for treating chronic hepatitis B which is associated with Hepatitis B viral replication along with active liver inflammation.
3. Adefovir dipivoxil: This is used for the treatment of the disease in children below the age 12 years.
4. Interferon alpha 2B: It can be used for young children aged 1 year who are affected by the disease along with compensated liver disease.
5. Pegylated interferon: It is used for the treatment of adult patients with HBeAg positive and negative chronic hepatitis. If the patient has compensated liver disease along with liver inflammation and evidence of viral replication, then this medicine is usually given.
6. Telbivudine: When there is chronic hepatitis with adult patients along with persistent elevations in ALT and AST or previously active disease, this medicine may have to be administered.
7. Tenofovir alafenamide: It is indicated for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B virus infection in adults with compensated liver disease.

Medicines for Hepatitis C:

1. Ribavirin: This medicine can be used in combination with other medicines for chronic hepatitis C virus infection. Ribavirin can be utilized for compensated liver disease in patients who have not been treated with interferon alpha.
2. Daclatasvir: This is an NS5A replication complex inhibitor which is often given with sofosbuvir for the treatment of patients with chronic HCV genotype 3 infection.
3. Sofosbuvir and Velpatasvir: The combination of these two medicines is used for the treatment of adult patients with chronic genotype 1 to 6 without any infection. It may be used in combination with ribavirin in patients with compensated or decompensated cirrhosis.
4. Ledipasvir: A fixed-dose of a combination of hepatitis C virus inhibitor and Ledipasvir can be employed in the treatment of hepatitis genotype 1 infection in adults.

Both in the cases of Hepatitis B and C, it is important to diagnose the infection early. Prevention and cure are possible with precautionary measures and prescribed medications.

In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!