What is treatment like to live with?

Treatment for Hepatitis C can be tough. So it's worth thinking how it might affect your life before deciding to go ahead. This is because you really need to commit yourself to it.

Make plans

Try to prepare for the effects, whatever they may be. Think about any symptoms your Hepatitis C gives you now, and imagine those getting worse as a result of starting treatment. Add to that the possible side effects of the drugs you'll be given and you may want to make some changes to the way you run your life to help you during treatment. For instance, you might set up your treatment appointments so that you don't suffer any side effects on your busiest days. You might need to talk to your employer about more flexible hours.

Treatment can cause a lack of concentration, so even remembering to take your pills can be hard. Would a pill box or checklist help? Tell your family and friends that you might get mood swings or depression. If they know this is a side effect, it helps them understand.

You'll have to make frequent visits to hospital for tests and treatment. How will you get there, and what will it cost?

Get support

Talk to others who have been through treatment and find out about how they coped day to day. Some will recommend asking a dependable friend to be there to talk things through, come along to key appointments such as results, or tuck you up and take over on really rough days. Find out what support you can put in place to keep you on the treatment track.

Help yourself

The fitter you are, the easier it is to get through treatment. So give yourself time before treatment to improve your diet and exercise habits if necessary.