Hep C and Autoimmune Diseases

I was diagnosed with Hep C about 2 years ago, and genotyped 1b.  Because I have juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis my doctor recommended I do not have Interferon treatment.  Are there any other options at this point or do I just wait until another treatment becomes available?  Are there any other drugs in clinical studies at this time? My ALT and AST's are in the 70's.

[troggs]

How long after exposure will it take for a person to show positive for hep c?

[pigeonca]

A lot of us here have autoimmune diseases - possibly caused by the hep c itself.  Nonetheless, we have treated, often with difficulty.  I had to stop halfway through tx, but will know Monday if I'm SVR (I think I probably am, because my liver enzymes have been normal since week 4 of tx).  My hepatologist worked closely with my rheumatologist, and I took non-steroidal meds for my condition (a form of scleroderma).  Tx may be possible for you, but you have to work with real experts.  Good luck.