Questions to Ask Your Doctor

Throughout your journey to regaining your health, you will have many questions about hepatitis C, your particular condition, your treatment and their effect on your life. Your questions about hepatitis C can most likely be answered at this Web site or at All About Hepatitis C.com.

More specific questions about your situation and treatment, like these below, may come to mind. To get you started, here are some questions that you may want to ask your doctor or other trusted health care provider. For your convenience, download these questions to bring on your appointment. You may want to watch our video "Visiting Your Doctor".

What can my doctor tell me about my condition?

• What is my virus and genotype?
• Should I be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B?
• Do I need a liver biopsy?
• Do I need to receive treatment?
• Do I have any other conditions that will complicate treatment?
• Do I have liver scarring that puts me at risk for liver cancer? If so, how should it be monitored?

What can my doctor tell me about my treatment?

• Is peginterferon/ribavirin treatment right for me?
• Do you recommend that I be treated with a medicine that is based on my weight?
• How long will my treatment last?
• How often do I need to visit the doctor?
• What tests do I need to take? Will these tests be repeated? How often?
• What side effects can I expect? Whom do I contact about any side effects I am having?

What can my doctor tell me about my lifestyle?

• What changes should I make in my everyday life?
• What other medications can I take and which should I avoid?
• Should I talk to my friends and family about my condition?

It is important for you to feel comfortable asking your doctor these or other questions about your disease. The more questions you ask, the more you will learn, and the better prepared you will be to fight hepatitis C.

Nurse Counselors are also available through Schering's free The Be In Charge® Program to answer your questions via telephone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Learn more about the Be In Charge program.

You can turn to Be In Charge for a vast amount of additional information and support as you manage your hepatitis C treatment. Sign up now for this tremendous support tool.