Posted by HFHSM.D.-D.M. on June 06, 1999 at 19:19:34
Dear MaryS
Thanks for your questions. I’ll try to give you some information that you may find helpful.
Combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin is two to three times as effective as interferon alone. In the absence of contraindications to ribavirin, we would look to treat patients with combination therapy. I rarely use interferon alone any more. Your situation is more complex, however. You did start on interferon alone and you say you are responding. You want to know if you should switch to combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin. Clearly, you will want to discuss this with your physician but I feel you should at least consider this. One of the benefits of combination therapy is that patients seem less likely to relapse once treatment is stopped. The side effects are a little greater with combination therapy but if you are tolerating interferon alone and anemia is not a problem, you should do all right with combination therapy.
Joint pain in the setting of hepatitis C and interferon are complicated issues. I have seen joint pain both get better and worse when interferon is started. It’s hard for me to know if some of your improvement was due to the interferon.
I hope this information is helpful to you. If you have additional questions or concerns, I invite you post them back through MedHelp. The direct number to our Liver Clinic at Henry Ford is (313) 916-8865. We have an active group of liver specialists with an interest in the care and research of hepatitis C.
This response is being provided for general informational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Always check with your personal physician when you have a question pertaining to your health.
