What Are The Side Effects Of Hepatitis

What Drugs Interact With Twinrix

Concomitant Administration With Vaccines And Immune Globulin

• Do not mix Twinrix with any other vaccine or product in the same syringe.
• When concomitant administration of immunoglobulin is required, it should be given with a different syringe and at a different injection site.
• There are no data to assess the concomitant use of Twinrix with other vaccines.

Immunosuppressive Therapies

• Immunosuppressive therapies, including irradiation, antimetabolites, alkylating agents, cytotoxic drugs, and corticosteroids , may reduce the immune response to Twinrix.

Interference With Laboratory Tests

• Hepatitis B surface antigen derived from hepatitis B vaccines has been transiently detected in blood samples following vaccination. Serum HBsAg detection may not have diagnostic value within 28 days after receipt of a hepatitis B vaccine, including Twinrix.

Coping With Side Effects Of Hepatitis C Drugs

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Sep 16, 2021.

• Serious side effects

Many people who start treatment for chronic hepatitis C don’t make it through the entire course of therapy because of side effects. New antiviral drugs are replacing hard-to-tolerate medications peginterferon alfa and ribavirin that were, until recently, the backbone of hepatitis C treatment. Even so, peginterferon alfa and ribavirin are likely to remain in use in parts of the world with limited medical resources.

The new anti-hepatitis C drugs also have unpleasant side effects, including flu-like symptoms similar to those affecting most people on peginterferon alfa and ribavirin. These side effects typically aren’t severe enough to lead to stopping treatment, but they may erode quality of life. Fortunately, you can take steps to reduce the impact of hepatitis C treatment side effects. Here are some tips for managing the most common ones.

What Is The Most Important Information I Should Know About Hepatitis A And Hepatitis B Vaccine

Hepatitis A and B vaccine will not protect you against infection with hepatitis C or E, or other viruses that affect the liver. It will also not protect you from hepatitis A or B if you are already infected with the virus, even if you do not yet show symptoms.

You should not receive this vaccine if you are allergic to yeast or neomycin, or if you have ever had a life-threatening allergic reaction to any vaccine containing hepatitis A or hepatitis B.

Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor if you have:

• an allergy to latex rubber or
• a weak immune system caused by disease, bone marrow transplant, or by using certain medicines or receiving cancer treatments.

You can still receive a vaccine if you have a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you get better before receiving this vaccine.

FDA pregnancy category C. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. It is not known whether hepatitis A and B vaccine will harm an unborn baby. However, not vaccinating the mother could be harmful to the baby if the mother becomes infected with a disease that this vaccine could prevent. Your doctor will decide whether you should receive this vaccine, especially if you have a high risk of infection with hepatitis.

If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of this vaccine on the baby.

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Side Effects Of Immunisation Against Hepatitis A

Immunisations against hepatitis A are effective and safe. All medications can have side effects.

For most people, the chance of a serious side effect from a vaccine is much lower than the chance of serious harm if you catch the disease.

Common side effects from the hepatitis A vaccine include:

• localised pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
• low-grade temperature
• headache.

What Are The Side Effects Of Hepatitis A Adult Vaccine

Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction: hives difficult breathing swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.

You should not receive a booster vaccine if you had a life threatening allergic reaction after the first shot.

Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine. When you receive a booster dose, you will need to tell the doctor if the previous shot caused any side effects.

Becoming infected with hepatitis A is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

• extreme drowsiness, fainting or
• high fever .

Common side effects may include:

• low fever, general ill feeling
• nausea, loss of appetite
• headache or
• swelling, tenderness, redness, warmth, or a hard lump where the shot was given.

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

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How Well Do Antiviral Medicines Work

Antiviral medicines can stop or slow the growth of the hepatitis B virus and help prevent serious liver problems.

Interferon stops the growth of the hepatitis B virus over the long term in about 35 out of 100 people.footnote 2 This means that it doesn’t stop the virus in about 65 out of 100 people. Recent studies suggest that peginterferon works a little better than interferon.footnote 3, footnote 4

NRTIs slow the growth of the hepatitis B virus in your body. Studies show that lamivudine and adefovir can reduce liver damage in about half of the people who take these medicines.footnote 5, footnote 6 Entecavir can greatly reduce liver swelling and scarring. Tenofovir is effective at reducing the amount of hepatitis B virus in the body.footnote 7 Some studies show that entecavir works better than lamivudine or adefovir.footnote 8, footnote 9, footnote 10 Tenofovir works better than adefovir against hepatitis B virus that is resistant to lamivudine.footnote 11

Antiviral medicines can have serious side effects that may cause problems throughout your treatment. Some people are not bothered by the side effects, while others stop taking their medicines because they feel too sick to finish them.

If you take interferons, you’re more likely to have side effects than if you take NRTIs.

Side effects of interferons include:

• Fever.
• Depression, which can be severe.

In rare cases, interferons can cause confusion and might affect your heart, thyroid, or kidneys.

What Are The Side Effects Of Antiviral Medicines

Antiviral medicines can have serious side effects that may cause problems throughout your treatment. Some people are not bothered by the side effects, while others stop taking their medicines because they feel too sick to finish them.

If you take interferons, you’re more likely to have side effects than if you take NRTIs.

Side effects of interferons include:

• Fever.
• Depression, which can be severe.

In rare cases, interferons can cause confusion and might affect your heart, thyroid, or kidneys.

Side effects of NRTIs may include:

• Fever.

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Can I Drink Alcohol If I Have Hepatitis C

The combination of any cause of hepatitis, such as alcohol on top of HCV, adds to and accelerates liver damage. Both hepatitis B and C can cause chronic hepatitis and progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer, although the disease is much more likely to become chronic in the U.S. Therefore, people with chronic HCV should not drink alcohol and should talk to a doctor about vaccines for other hepatitis viruses.

How Do Doctors Treat The Complications Of Autoimmune Hepatitis

If autoimmune hepatitis leads to cirrhosis, doctors can treat health problems and complications related to cirrhosis with medicines, surgery, and other medical procedures. If you have cirrhosis, you have a greater chance of developing liver cancer. Your doctor may order an ultrasound or other types of imaging tests to check for liver cancer.

If autoimmune hepatitis causes acute liver failure or cirrhosis with liver cancer or liver failure, you may need a liver transplant.

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History And Physical Exam

To diagnose hepatitis, first your doctor will take your history to determine any risk factors you may have for infectious or noninfectious hepatitis.

During a physical examination, your doctor may press down gently on your abdomen to see if theres pain or tenderness. Your doctor may also feel to see if your liver is enlarged. If your skin or eyes are yellow, your doctor will note this during the exam.

How Is Hepatitis B Diagnosed

There are three main ways to diagnose HBV infection. They include:

• Blood tests: Tests of the blood serum shows how your bodys immune system is responding to the virus. A blood test can also tell you if you are immune to HBV.
• Abdominal ultrasound: An ultrasound uses sound waves to show the size and shape of your liver and how well the blood flows through it.
• Liver biopsy: A small sample of your liver tissue is removed though a tiny incision and sent to a lab for analysis.

The blood test that is used to diagnose hepatitis B is not a test that you get routinely during a medical visit. Often, people whove become infected first learn they have hepatitis B when they go to donate blood. Blood donations are routinely scanned for the infection.

The virus can be detected within 30 to 60 days of infection. About 70% of adults with hepatitis B develop symptoms, which tend to appear an average of 90 days after initial exposure to the virus.

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What Treatments Are Available For Chronic Hepatitis B If Medications Dont Work

If you have advanced hepatitis B, you might also become a candidate for a liver transplant. This path does not always result in a cure because the virus continues in your bloodstream after a transplant. To prevent being infected again after your transplant, you may be prescribed hepatitis B immunoglobulin with an antiviral agent.

Complications Of Hepatitis A

Around 10% of people who have had hepatitis A experience a relapse . Most people who have a relapse fully recover.

Hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease.

The severity of the disease is more severe in older age groups.

Complications of hepatitis A are rare, but the infection can lead to fulminant hepatitis. This is an acute form of hepatitis that can cause liver failure. The risk of death from fulminant hepatitis increases with age.

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Pregnancy And Hepatitis A Immunisation

Hepatitis A immunisation is not usually recommended for women who are pregnant although vaccination might be recommended in some situations.

Speak with your doctor if you are not immune to hepatitis A and you are at increased risk of infection or if you have a pre-existing medical condition such as liver disease.

How Can I Cover Medication Costs

New therapies called direct-acting antivirals are effective and can achieve cures of over 90%. Because these new therapies are very new, they remain very expensive. As such, drug coverage from both government and private companies may require that your liver disease has progressed to a certain stage before they are willing to cover the cost of these drugs.

Talk with your healthcare provider about financial support that may be available.

Below are useful resources when looking for financial assistance:Private health insurance or drug plansIf you have private health insurance or a drug plan at work, you may be able to have the medication paid through your plan. Please consult your private health insurance or drug plan provider to see if your drug is covered.

Publicly funded plansEach provincial and territorial government offers a drug benefit plan for eligible groups. Some are income-based universal programs. Most have specific programs for population groups that may require more enhanced coverage for high drug costs. These groups include seniors, recipients of social assistance, and individuals with diseases or conditions that are associated with high drug costs. For more details, please contact your provincial or territorial health care ministry, or click on the appropriate link below.

Yukon

Available Patient Assistance Programs for Hepatitis C treatment Holkira Pak Maviret

MerckCare Hepatitis C Program 1 872-5773 Zepatier

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What Is Involved In A Liver Transplant

A liver transplant is considered necessary when the liver is damaged and cannot function or in some cases of liver cancer. Your liver is very important. It is responsible for many functions related to making sure that your body stays healthy and is able to digest foods.

You may be eligible for a transplant if you have chronic hepatitis B infection or some of the diseases that may result from it, including liver cancer and cirrhosis. You will have to complete testing and be evaluated before being approved for a transplant. It is likely that you will be placed on a waiting list while an appropriate organ is found.

Donated livers come from two types of donors: living and deceased. Because the liver can regenerate, it is possible to use part of a liver for transplant. The remaining sections in both the donor and the receiver will grow into livers of adequate size.

People who get liver transplants must take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of their lives. These drugs make you more susceptible to infection. However, liver transplants have become more successful over time and continue to improve.

Can I Take Hepatitis A And Hepatitis B Vaccine If Im Pregnant Or Breastfeeding

FDA pregnancy category C. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. It is not known whether hepatitis A and B vaccine will harm an unborn baby. However, not vaccinating the mother could be harmful to the baby if the mother becomes infected with a disease that this vaccine could prevent. Your doctor will decide whether you should receive this vaccine, especially if you have a high risk of infection with hepatitis.

If you are pregnant, your name may be listed on a pregnancy registry. This is to track the outcome of the pregnancy and to evaluate any effects of this vaccine on the baby.

It is not known whether hepatitis A and B vaccine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.

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Interferons For Hepatitis B

How interferons work

Interferons are naturally occurring proteins in the body that help the body’s natural defense system fight viruses. Interferon alfa-2b and pegylated interferon alfa-2a are proteins specifically designed to attach to the surface of the hepatitis B virus. Once attached, the proteins start a cascade of events leading to increased viral cell death. Pegylated interferon works in the same way as interferon alfa-2b, but it has an added structure that enables it to stay in the body longer and does not need to be administered as often. For this reason, and because studies have shown increased effectiveness, pegylated interferon is usually the agent of choice when an interferon product is used.

Who should not use interferons?

• Individuals who have experienced an allergic reaction to interferons should not take this medication.
• A “black box” warning has been issued by the FDA warning patients and clinicians to watch for serious psychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, or infectious disease disorders that may be side effects of interferons. Caution is especially urged if patients already have a history of depression or another serious psychiatric condition.
• Pegylated interferon is not used in newborn infants , in patients with autoimmune hepatitis, or in those with severe liver failure .
• The safety and efficacy of pegylated interferon has not been established in patients under the age of 18.

Dosing of interferons

Drug or food interactions of interferons

How Is Autoimmune Hepatitis Diagnosed

Your healthcare provider will look at your health history and give you a physical exam.

Some lab blood tests used to diagnose autoimmune hepatitis include:

• Liver function tests. These check for inflammation or damage to your liver.
• Complete blood count or CBC. Looks at the number and types of cells in your blood.
• Coagulation panel. This test looks at how well the clotting proteins are working.
• Electrolyte panel. Checks to see if you have an electrolyte imbalance.
• Autoimmune antibodies. These are used to see if you have autoimmune hepatitis or another liver disease with similar symptoms.
• Other liver tests. These are done to check for other possible types of liver disease.

You may also have imaging tests such as:

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What Is The Outlook For People With Hepatitis B

The outlook for people with HBV is better now than ever before. You are certainly able to live a full life and help yourself stay healthy. You should make sure to have regular check-ups with a healthcare provider who is qualified to treat hepatitis B, possibly a liver doctor.

Make sure you are vaccinated against hepatitis A. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking other medications or over-the-counter products, including supplements and natural products. These could interfere with your medication or damage your liver. For instance, taking acetaminophen in large doses may harm your liver.

Follow the usual guidelines for living a healthy life:

• Eat nutritious foods, choosing from a variety of vegetables, fruits and healthy proteins. It is said that cruciferous vegetables are especially good at protecting the liver.
• Exercise regularly.
• Dont smoke and dont drink. Both tobacco and alcohol are bad for your liver.
• Do things that help you cope with stress, like journaling, talking with others, meditating and doing yoga.
• Avoid inhaling toxic fumes.

What Other Drugs Will Affect Hepatitis A And B Vaccine

Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor about all other vaccines you have recently received.

Also tell the doctor if you have recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:

• an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine
• medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders or
• medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection.

If you are using any of these medications, you may not be able to receive the vaccine, or may need to wait until the other treatments are finished.

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with hepatitis A and B vaccine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible interactions are listed in this medication guide.

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