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An exhausted woman in a dark room (which is in contrast to the bright world outside her window) pauses in eating her meal to rest her head in her hand.

Why Hepatitis C Causes Fatigue 

Karen Hoyt's avatar image

By Karen Hoyt

1 min read

Most of us want to know why hep C causes fatigue. Hep C can cause fatigue before, during, and after treatment. The virus itself causes a lot of fatigue, brain fog, and weakness. During treatment, your body is working with the medications to help kill the virus. After treatment, it may take time for you to recover.

Before treatment

Hep C attacks your liver. The liver becomes inflamed, but your whole body takes a hit from the virus. Think about a temporary stomach or respiratory virus. The doctor can’t get rid of it, so they treat the symptoms, or "let it run its course". In the meantime, your whole body feels the effects of stomach or respiratory virus.

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During treatment

During treatment, your body is going through a lot to allow the medication to take direct action against the virus, and keep it from replicating again. Those wonderful meds are working hard to kill Hep C. You may feel some battle fatigue.

After treatment

After treatment, you will need some recovery time. Just as a cold or cough may linger, or your tummy can be sensitive after a short flu virus – your liver, and your whole body will need time to feel better. Knowing the reasons why hep C causes fatigue can help you relax and stay calm. Things are going to get better soon. Your doctor can always advise you about why hep C causes fatigue for you and how to beat it.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The HepatitisC.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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