1.Incivek is a protease inhibitor: it suppresses viral replication. Under regular conditions, the little buggers make about 1 TRILLION copies of themselves each day; for each one there is a possibility that it will mutate and evolve from under the treatment: one example. So suppressing replication rates prevents that from happening.
2.Ribavirin attacks viruses directly (in fact, it is often the only hope for people who contract such nice diseases as ebola and Marburg hemorrhagic fever). Yes, it makes you feel like crap in the process: it IS a bloody poison, after all.
3.Interferon boosts viral-fighting properties of your immune system, allowing your body to stomp the virus after it's been kicked in the balls by (1) and knocked down to the curb by (2).
Got it?
So it pisses me off when I see blogs and reports by the people who claim that the treatment is "this long" only to give pharmaceutical companies a chance to make more money (no, it is long because an attempt is made to eradicate ALL viruses in your bloodstream, and ending it early is functionally equivalent to ending your course of antibiotics early: you are essentially breeding new, resistant bugs). Or when people claim that the treatment is not doing anything to heal their liver and that they do not need it: it is NOT SUPPOSED to! The purpose of the treatment is to wipe out the virus, which is the main agent damaging your liver (often aided and abetted by alcohol). Or people who make startling claims that they know what's good for their body better than any doctor. When they learn a bit about virology and biology (most of them seem to be completely clueless on those) and when they figure out how to observe a virus with the naked eye, they can talk to me. Until then, they should stop whining.
Phew. One of the side-effects is irritability. Obviously. :)
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