Hepatitis C is another commonly listed “qualifying condition” in state medical cannabis programs.  Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver and can be caused by many things like infection, chemicals and medications, and bile duct blockage.  

Infectious hepatitis is caused by a virus and there are several named A-E.  Hepatitis A causes nausea and vomiting and diarrhea and, while it can rarely be fatal, mostly it goes away on its own.  Also there’s a vaccine to prevent it.  Hepatitis B used to cause long-term infection leading to destruction and scarring of the liver (called cirrhosis) that could be fatal over time.  However, it too can be prevented with a vaccine and there are effective treatments to eliminate the virus from the body.  Hepatitis C remains the big disease for which we have limited treatments and no vaccine.  

Hepatitis C is transmitted by blood contact.  For many years this was thought to be particularly the case for IV drug users which led to significant stigma applied to the diagnosis.  Subsequently it was recognized that Hepatitis C can be transmitted sexually (in either direction) and through maternal-fetal transmission.  Hepatitis C is among the most common infections worldwide and infects more than 400,000 new people each year.  In addition to chronic Hepatitis C leading to cirrhosis, it can increase the risk of liver cancer (called Hepatocellular Carcinoma, HCC) by 20 fold leading to roughly 40% of untreated patients to develop this type of cancer.  HCC is poorly treatable at present.

Hepatitis C can be treated.  Treatment at present is accomplished with medications called Direct Acting Antivirals (DDA).  These are 90%  effective if used early and are generally well tolerated. 

With current treatment of Hepatitis C, the need for cannabis treatment is less than it once was.  However, in cases that were not discovered until later or in which treatment was not successful, symptoms like nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, ascites (uncomfortable fluid build-up in the belly), and neuropathic pain can develop.  

Further, in cases that progress to HCC, treatment of the cancer will likely produce symptoms like fatigue, nausea and vomiting, and neuropathic pain similar to treatment of other cancers. 

All of these symptoms are amenable to treatment with cannabis medicine and have been shown to increase quality of life.  There is some evidence that cannabinoids can help prevent the development of cirrhosis – though this evidence is not sufficient to warrant cannabinoid treatment at present.  

If you have Hepatitis C, treatment is crucial and time is of the essence.  Do not delay.  Contact your PCP or GI specialist right away.  Depending on what’s going on with your liver, you may have or develop symptoms that can be treated with cannabis medicine.  You should consult a Cannabinoid Specialist to determine whether cannabis can be helpful and safe for you.