After treatment

Your doctor will recommend blood tests at the end of treatment and six months later.

If both of these tests do not find any Hep C virus in the blood, treatment was successful—the virus is cleared from your body. This is called a sustained virological response (SVR).

• It is possible to get another Hep C infection even after successful treatment. Taking steps to protect yourself from the virus will help you stay safe.
• Depending on the health of your liver, your doctor may want to continue monitoring for liver cancer. He or she may recommend an annual screening test, for example.
• You may still feel symptoms of liver damage, such as tiredness or difficulty concentrating. For many people, the liver heals itself over time.

If treatment did not clear the virus, focus on doing what you can to reduce liver damage and to live and feel well.

• Continue to follow up with your doctor to monitor your liver status and because new medications may become available in the future. For more information on living well with hepatitis C, see Living With Hep C.
• There may be other options for you, such as:
  • A liver transplant is an option for people whose livers are so damaged they don't function anymore. This does not get rid of the virus. The new liver will also get damaged by the Hep C virus.
  • You can try treatment again, especially when there are new medications. It may be difficult to access financial help to do treatment again with the same medication unless you are able to pay for it yourself. If you are interested, talk to your healthcare provider about the possibility of being treated again.

What support is available after treatment?

People can have many different emotions when treatment is over. You may want to talk about your feelings with someone, such as a friend, family member, counsellor, support group, support worker, nurse or local hepatitis organization.

Revised 2012.