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By taking action and working with your healthcare team, you may help address some of the side effects of treatment:
- Ask your healthcare team for their recommendations about how to handle side effects. For people taking interferon treatment, some healthcare professionals recommend taking their injection at night or taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen before treatment. Find out what parts of your treatment must be done in a certain way, and what parts of your treatment have some choices involved.
- Use the whole healthcare support team available to you. The experiences of patients taking antiviral therapy are enhanced when nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and psychologists are included as part of a unified team.
- Use a journal to record how you are feeling each day. Looking back on your entries can serve as a reminder to you before you visit your doctor or nurse. You may also be able to see patterns in how you feel and make changes that could help.
If you have been active in getting information about treatment and possible side effects, you may have heard some confusing or contradictory advice along the way.
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