What should you know about hepatitis C after treatment?

Treatment can clear hepatitis C virus, but an antibody test may stay positive after clearance. The useful follow-up test looks for viral RNA at the time recommended by your clinician. Liver health may also need attention, especially if there was scarring before treatment. A person can be infected again after clearing the virus, because treatment does not create lasting immunity. Ongoing tiredness does not automatically mean treatment has failed; fatigue may come from sleep problems, anaemia, mood, medicines or another condition.

Keep the follow-up appointment and ask when your blood tests are due. Share every medicine, supplement and alcohol use with the clinician so your liver care is based on the full picture. Do not share needles, razors or toothbrushes, and use safer practices if blood exposure is possible. If you had advanced liver scarring, ask whether regular liver monitoring should continue even after the virus is no longer detected. A GP Consultation can help with persistent symptoms. A Liver Function Test may be part of ongoing assessment but cannot by itself prove that the virus has cleared.

Get prompt medical advice for yellow skin or eyes, increasing abdominal swelling, unusual bruising or bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood, confusion or severe sleepiness. Seek emergency help for collapse or difficulty staying awake. New possible blood exposure should also be reported promptly because repeat testing may be needed.

Ask which test confirms clearance, whether your liver needs continuing surveillance, and how previous scarring changes your care. Ask what to do if fatigue continues, how to reduce reinfection risk, and when to contact the clinic about a new exposure.