My platelettes have been low for about 6-9 mos, my spleen is enlarged, i just saw a hematologist/oncologist and he said that i have cirhossis, my AIDS doctor has been holding off on the interferon until my platelettes came back up, and my liver levels have never been that alarming....now that i have cirhossis, what are the chances the interferon will work, and what does this mean to my active life, i dont feel well very often, and have chalked it up to the pnehumonia which caused shingles infection of my inner ear.....ramsay hunt syndrome, which i suffered through for 8 weeks and still have residual effects...i feel like it is downhill from here and not sure about my longevity.

You will need to be treated jointly by your AIDS doctor and a hepatologist.

If you have compensated cirrhosis, you may still be able to be treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin. It is hard for me to comment further without knowing your platelet count, viral load or HCV genotype, but I would certainly recommend evaluation by a liver specialist.

You should also have endoscopy to look for varices; if you have these enlarged blood vessels in your esophagus, you will need to be on a special medication.

You should also have an ultrasound of your liver with an alfa feto protein for routine surveillance about every six months.