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Building a Support Team
Family and Friends Checklist If a family member or friend has hepatitis C, here are some things you can do to help. Print out this page and save it to refer to later and to share with others who are also involved in his or her care.

Stress the potential benefits of hepatitis C treatment and the possibility of avoiding serious complications of liver damage. Emphasize the importance of staying on treatment and following the instructions of their healthcare professional. Your compassion will be very helpful during this period.
Encourage your family member or friend to stop using substances that may damage the liver, such as alcohol and certain drugs. One of the liver's primary functions is to eliminate these substances from the body. Cutting out or reducing consumption of these substances can significantly reduce the amount of stress you put on your liver.
Make sure they understand that, in many ways, it does not matter how you contracted hepatitis C. The body's experience of the disease will not be different if it was transmitted through “risky” behavior rather than via blood transfusion or a workplace accident. There is no “judgment” made by the disease itself.
Join your loved one in following a healthy diet so that he or she can meet daily nutritional needs and maintain weight and energy levels. Have him or her check with the doctor or nurse about any special dietary instructions.
Talk to your family member or friend about the benefits of exercise. Physical exercise may help to strengthen the body and improve how we feel about ourselves and our lives. If your loved one is interested, physical training may be a good investment. In fact, some physical trainers specialize in helping people with chronic illnesses. Have your family member or friend check with the doctor or nurse before starting an exercise plan.
Set a good example by practicing healthy behaviors. It may be much easier for your loved one to adopt a healthier lifestyle if he or she has you for a role model, and has someone to turn to for motivation and encouragement.
Hepatitis C and depression are often linked. Be aware of the signs of depression in you or your loved one, and realize that depression can be expressed in many ways, including anger and rage. It is common for people close to those with a chronic illness to feel sad or angry because of their responsibilities or a sense of helplessness when confronted with a serious medical condition.
Chronic illness can be a challenging event in anyone's life. If your loved one is depressed, anxious, or having trouble coping emotionally, encourage him or her to seek help from a qualified mental health professional.

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.

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