The most common early symptoms include fatigue and right upper abdominal discomfort. Occasionally, patients may develop flares in hepatitis with symptoms like that of an acute hepatitis. Patients who have developed cirrhosis are more likely to have symptoms. The most reliable way to check for hepatitis B is a blood test. Individuals with hepatitis B lasting more than 6 months are considered to have chronic infection.
Some individuals remain well with no symptoms and normal liver enzymes.
But others may develop cirrhosis, liver failure and have an increased risk of liver cancer. There is no cure for Hepatitis B at this time. Both drugs can suppress the virus and decrease inflammation in the liver. Unfortunately, not all patients will respond to these treatments. See clinical trials and drug information for more details.