While there is no cure for chronic hepatitis B, there are medications to treat hepatitis B.1 However, not all people infected with the hepatitis B virus need medication.1 Only your doctor can decide that.
If you do need medication, your doctor can explain what medication will be right for you and why. He or she will also explain any side effects that you may expect from your hepatitis B treatment. It is important to use your medications as directed by your doctor.
Effective hepatitis B treatments are only available through your specialist. You should never take any other products to treat hepatitis B, including herbs and vitamins, unless you talk to your doctor, as some herbs and vitamins can cause liver damage.2
There are two types of medications approved for the treatment of hepatitis B: oral antivirals and interferons.3
Alternative therapies that are sometimes promoted for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B include Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) or herbal remedies. Unlike the two types of approved treatments, there is no good-quality scientific evidence that these alternative treatments are effective.4
1 Hepatitis B Foundation. Available at http://www.hepb.org/patients/acute_vs_chronic.htm. Accessed 30 July 2007.
2 Hepatitis C. Available at http://www.epidemic.org/theForum/managingHepC/nutrition/herbsAndVitamins/. Accessed 30 July 2007.
3 World Health Organization. Available at http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/HepatitisB_whocdscsrlyo2002_2.pdf. Accessed 30 July 2007.
4 Liu JP, et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2000;4:CD001940.
