My husband has 3 more shots out of the 48 to finish treatment for his Hep C. Needless to say this past year has been extrememly difficult for him as well as the rest of the family. He suffered from depression, but wouldn't treat it. His mood swings were awful - he would often yell at me for nothing other than I'm younger and not sick! I'm just wondering, how will he feel when the treatment is done? How long does it take for the headaches to stop? All of blood tests from 12 weeks on show "undetectable", so hopefully he's cured. But when will I get my husband back?? Will he be able to have a social glass of wine then? Or is it no alcohol for the rest of his life? Thanks! LG

It is unfortunate that your husband wouldn't accept medications for his mood swings. My patients do very well with additional medications which address these common side effects. He would have fared much better if he had allowed them.

As for "when will you have your husband back" - I would say in about 10 days after finishing treatment you will see a major improvement. I hope he has a sustained response.

As for alcohol, I would still keep it to mild drinking, ie 1-2 drinks daily since alcohol can lead to damage on its own. The exact amount should be discussed with his provider since he or she knows how much disease he already had on biopsy. Also noone knows what constitutes "safe" amounts of alcohol.

Dr. McGovern