Pegassist
HOME ABOUT PEGASSIST PEGASSIST.COM TOUR SITE MAP PRODUCT INFORMATION SAFETY INFORMATION
FAQs Add to My Folder Print This Page Bookmark This Page E-mail a Friend Text Size A A A
Where Patients Matter
Type a Question Go
Brought to you by the makers of PEGASYS® (Peginterferon alfa-2a)
Healthcare Professionals
Patient Education Materials
24-7 Nurse Support
Support Specifically Designed for Your Use During Treatment with PEGASYS
Already a Member? Login Now
Forgot
Password?
Not a member? Sign up is simple
Quick Quote
"Be not afraid of growing slowly, be afraid only of standing still." —Chinese Proverb
Learning About Hepatitis C
How Do People Get Hepatitis C? The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread through contact with infected blood. Common routes of infection include injection drugs (for example, sharing needles), blood transfusions (before 1992), needlestick accidents among healthcare workers, and any other blood-to-blood contact, such as may occur during sexual activity. Each of these routes of transmission is discussed in further detail below. Because hepatitis C is often not detected for many years after infection, it may be difficult to pinpoint the exact event that caused your infection.

If you don’t know how you got hepatitis C, you’re not alone. About 30% of people with chronic hepatitis do not know how they contracted the virus. Find out more.

Ways Hepatitis C Can Be Transmitted

  • Blood and Blood Product Transfusions: Until the early 1992, tests for detecting the hepatitis C virus in donated blood were not available. Before this time, many infections resulted from certain medical conditions or procedures that required donated blood or blood products (such as packed red blood cells or platelets).
  • Needlestick Accidents Among Healthcare Workers: Needlestick injuries can occur from handling hypodermic needles, blood collection needles, and needles used to connect intravenous (IV) delivery systems. These accidents typically happen when workers are recapping needles or when needles are not disposed of properly. There is also a risk of infection due to injury while transferring body fluids from one container to another. (There have been a handful of cases in which a patient was infected by a healthcare worker—but the risk of this is very low.)
  • Injection Drug Use: Today, sharing needles for injection drug use is the most common cause of new hepatitis C infection in the United States, accounting for over two thirds of all new cases. Although repeated use of shared needles significantly increases a person's chances of getting hepatitis C, people can become infected through occasional experimentation with injection drugs or even one-time use.
  • Other Blood-to-Blood Contact: Any other activity that involves blood-to-blood contact may allow for the transmission of hepatitis C. Examples include:
    • Acupuncture, body piercing, or electrolysis with unsterilized or improperly cleaned needles.
    • Tattooing with needles that have not been sterilized or that have been dipped into contaminated ink. (If ink is not in individually wrapped packets, there is a potential for blood to be transferred from one person to the ink and then to another person.)
    • Sharing certain personal care items (for example, razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers, or nail files) and other household items that might have blood on them. These items may come into contact with small amounts of blood that may not even be visible.
    • Healthcare workers' or other professionals' occupational accidents: fire, police, or emergency medical service workers as well as doctors and nurses (low risk).
    • Transmission from mother to her unborn child (4% to 7% risk for children of women with detectable virus at time of delivery).
    • Transmission during hemodialysis treatment.
    • Blood-to-blood contact during sexual activity between an infected and uninfected partner. (In this context, menstrual blood should be treated as any other kind of blood.) The risk of transmission is not precisely known but is thought to be quite low. The risk of transmission is less than 3% for partners of hepatitis C infected persons involved in a monogamous relationship.
    • Intranasal cocaine use through the sharing of straws or other instruments—sharing straws to "snort" cocaine may lead to contact with small amounts of blood through nasal ulcers or scrapes.

Back to Top

Safety Information

What is PEGASYS?

PEGASYS is a medicine used to treat some adults who have hepatitis C and signs of liver damage. PEGASYS works to reduce the amount of virus in your blood, helping your body fight the virus.

PEGASYS® (Peginterferon alfa-2a), like other alpha interferons, can cause fatal or make life-threatening problems worse (like mental, immune system, heart, liver, lung, intestinal and infections). Your doctor should monitor you during regular visits. If you show signs or symptoms of these conditions, your doctor may stop your medication. In most patients, these conditions get better after you stop taking PEGASYS (see medication guide for more information and warnings).

What is COPEGUS?

COPEGUS is a medicine that works by slowing down the growth of the virus. COPEGUS should be taken with PEGASYS to fight the virus. Do not take COPEGUS by itself.

COPEGUS® (Ribavirin, USP) can be extremely harmful and cause birth defects in an unborn baby. Female patients and the female partners of male patients should avoid getting pregnant. Ribavirin is known to cause anemia (low red blood cells), which can make heart disease worse. Also, ribavirin can harm your DNA and possibly cause cancer (see medication guide for more information and warnings).

Who should not take PEGASYS and COPEGUS?

Do not take PEGASYS alone or with COPEGUS if:

  • You are pregnant or your partner is pregnant
  • You or your partner plans to get pregnant during therapy or within 6 months after treatment ends
  • You are breastfeeding
  • You have hepatitis caused by your immune system (autoimmune hepatitis)
  • You have unstable or severe liver disease before or during treatment
  • You are allergic to alpha interferons or any of the ingredients in PEGASYS and COPEGUS
  • You have abnormal red blood cells (caused by conditions like sickle-cell anemia or thalassemia major)

What if I am pregnant or thinking about having a baby?

If you are a woman who could get pregnant, you must take pregnancy tests before, during and for 6 months after treatment ends to make sure you are not pregnant.

During treatment and for 6 months after treatment, female and male patients must:

  • Use two forms of birth control (one being a condom with spermicide)
  • Tell your doctor right away if you or your partner becomes pregnant. You or
    your doctor should also call the Ribavirin Pregnancy Registry at 1-800-593-2214

What medication should I avoid when I am taking PEGASYS and COPEGUS?

You should not take didanosine with COPEGUS. Talk to your doctor about all medications that you are taking.

What are the possible side effects?

The most common side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS are:

  • Flu-like symptoms (including fever, chills, muscle aches, joint pain, headaches)
  • Tiredness
  • Upset stomach (like nausea, taste changes, diarrhea)
  • Blood sugar problems (may lead to diabetes)
  • Skin problems (like rash, dry or itchy skin, redness and swelling at injection site)
  • Hair loss (temporary)
  • Trouble sleeping

The most serious side effects of PEGASYS and COPEGUS are:

  • Risks to pregnancies
  • Mental health problems (such as irritability, depression, anxiety, aggressiveness, trouble with drug addiction or overdose, thoughts about suicide, suicide attempts, suicide and thoughts about homicide)
  • Blood problems (like a drop in blood cells leading to increased risk for infections, bleeding and/or heart or circulatory problems)
  • Infections (which sometimes cause death)
  • Lung problems (like trouble breathing, pneumonia)
  • Eye problems (like blurred vision, loss of vision)
  • Autoimmune problems (such as psoriasis, thyroid problems)
  • Heart problems (including chest pain and, rarely, a heart attack)
  • Liver problems (rarely, liver function worsens). Patients with both the hepatitis C virus and HIV can have an increased chance of having liver failure during PEGASYS treatment. Change in a blood test that measures liver inflammation occurs more often in patients with hepatitis B. If you have a rise in this blood test you may need to be watched more closely with additional blood tests.

Tell your doctor immediately if you think you or your partner may be pregnant or if any of these symptoms occur.

This information does not take the place of talking to your healthcare professional about your medical condition or your treatment.

Please see the medication guides and complete product information for PEGASYS and COPEGUS.

HOME ABOUT PEGASSIST PEGASSIST.COM TOUR SITE MAP PRODUCT INFORMATION SAFETY INFORMATION
FAQs Add to My Folder Print This Page Bookmark This Page E-mail a Friend TextSize A A A
 

THIS SITE INTENDED FOR U.S. AUDIENCES ONLY

For more information about PEGASYS, contact your physician or other healthcare professional.
Roche
Copyright © 2003-2008 Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. All rights reserved. Use and access of this site is subject to the terms and conditions as set out in our Legal Statement and PRIVACY Statement. Because Pegassist.com offers some unique features and options, Roche provides additional protection tailored to those items. Click here to read Additional Details about your Privacy.
   
eHealthcare Leadership Awards 2004 Winner, Gold Award: Best Care/Disease Management Site Brought to you by the makers of PEGASYS® (Peginterferon alfa-2a)
Gold Award:
Best Care/Disease
Management Site