Hepatitis D

October 2007     View PDF     En español

How do you treat hepatitis D?

Hepatitis D is usually not treated on its own. For people living with both HIV and HBV, it’s important to keep HBV disease under control. This, in turn, can help keep hepatitis D under control since HDV needs HBV to live. In theory, less HBV equals less HDV. Keeping CD4+ cell counts above 200 or higher can also help.

Interferon-alpha, which can be used to treat hepatitis B and C, has not been helpful in treating hepatitis D. Some studies suggest that a higher dose than what is usually used for HBV may work better.

It’s important to drink lots of water and other fluids, especially if you have vomiting, diarrhea or a fever. It’s also important to eat even though you may not feel like it. Eating smaller meals more often may help. Another thing that helps is to stop taking or cut down on alcohol, drugs and herbs. These can make your illness worse and last longer. It also helps to rest and match what you can do during a usual day to your energy level. More information can be found in Project Inform’s publication, Towards a Healthy Liver.