liver and gallbladder disorders
Hepatitis B, Chronic
Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B
Antiviral drugs Sometimes liver transplantation Antiviral drugsare used when people have one or a combination of the following: Abnormally high levels of liver enzymes A high viral load (the amount of hepatitis B virus DNA in the blood) Symptoms of worsening disease Biopsy results indicating that liver damage is continuing Treatment of hepatitis B with antiviral drugs can prevent further damage to the liver and allow any already damaged areas to heal. Most people treated for chronic hepatitis B must be treated indefinitely. However, these drugs cannot cure the disease. Stopping treatment prematurely can lead to relapse, which may be severe. However, treatment may be stopped if blood tests no longer detect any active hepatitis B virus infection. One of the following antiviral drugs is usually used first: Entecavir Tenofovir (two forms are available) Pegylated interferon-alfa These drugs are taken by mouth, are very effective, and have few side effects. Some people may be able to stop taking these drugs, but many have to take the drugs indefinitely. . However, these drugs are no longer used first because they have an increased risk of side effects and can lose their effectiveness (called Tolerance and Resistance to Drugs ). Liver Transplantation None People with chronic hepatitis B have been taking antiviral drugs for a long time. They are treated with hepatitis immune globulin before and often after transplantation. Hepatitis B immune globulinis obtained from the blood of people who have high levels of antibodies to hepatitis B. It is given by injection into a muscle or into a vein. It helps the body fight infection. 