no treatment

[fredo8]

have chronic hep c, if i refuse treatment and live a healthylifestyle, go with herbal. do i stand a chance

[Trinity4]

Chronic hepc left untreated can cause liver damage and cirrhosis.  Some people never reach advanced stages of liver disease.  It depends on the individual, lifestyle, medical history etc.  
I would advise you have a liver biopsy to know what condition your liver is in.  You may not need to treat at this time.  Better drugs will be out in several years.  Currently, the only way to cure hepc is with interferon and ribavirin.  If you choose not to treat, you will most definitely run the risk of the virus causing more damage to your liver.  It is a personal choice only you can make.  Research the disease and the current treatments.
A very informative website is:  www.janis7hepc.com
Good Luck
Trinity  

[nygirl7]

Just know that herbal medications can raise your liver enzyme levels SIGNIFICANTLY - this means in effect they can do more harm than good. If you do decide to begin on them you will need to make sure you have a good doctor on hand to monitor these liver enzyme levels!

Without a biopsy to know where you stand none of us could possibly advice you on this question at all.  Once you DO know how much damage you have IF it is little you can choose to "watch and wait" meaning monitor closely by having a yearly biopsy to determine how much more damage you are getting and then wait for the new drugs.

But you have to be responsible about it and do the monitoring as well as the waiting or one day you might find out it's too late. They don't call this disease The Silent Killer for nothing!

[cindyh113]

Amen to the above. In my case I found out I had it Jan. 06. Took me some time to try to figure out what to do. I had a biopsy March 06. No damage but slight inflamation and mild fatty liver. I knew I did not feel good! Supplements and eating right did help, but will not get rid of it. My viral load went up. I had decided right off the bat to try treatment but was concerned how to do it since I am self employed. I finally had my class back in March this year on the treatment but waited till after a busy work time to start. On April 26th I had a large job and was up all night preparing and then took all day on the Saturday do set it up. My that evening I could not walk. I still had to go back and take it down late that night. On that same night I started the pill ribavirin, but somehow got it mixed up about how to start. I thought I was suppose to do the pills for a week and then start the shot, interferon. Brain malfunction, another sign! Started shot on May 3. I stopped taking supplements even though my dr. said I could take them. My whole point is because I was still in pretty good shape, if I was going to put my body through this treatment then don't wait. The anxiety of not knowing really what was happening inside bothered me. And the point about the work was I put my body through a lot sometimes and can feel inside that its not working like it should. I may slowly add some supplements with this treatment, but I am more concerned about keeping the drug in me and letting it do its job. Week 17 cleared at 12 weeks praying it stays that way. I feel pretty good today so far. Do my shot on Saturday and the Neupogean on Sunday. So, Mondays can be up and down.
I personally say if you got it try to get rid of it. I'm not a doctor just a person wanting to live and be healthy.
More than you wanted to hear. Hope the best for you.

[nena5878]

For people that believe in holistic treatment try maximum milk thistle from NATURAL WELLNESS it works for me.

[desrt]

Chances are you'll probably die of something else, but get the biopsy to help you decide whether to treat or not. If you decide to watch and wait, you won't need a biopsy every year - every 3-5 years is what you'll normally hear from your doc. I chose to treat after being infected for almost 30 years and only mild fibrosis, but that's just me. Most people with my stats could probably wait for better drugs and a shorter tx duration.
But get the biopsy.