Hepatitis C Management

Ask The Experts

Question:

Are there any recommendations regarding the length of time that is efficacious for the use of antidepressants after completing a course of interferon?

Antidepressants used during antiviral therapy may take a few weeks to become effective. Most clinicians would recommend a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks of an adequate dose of antidepressant before determining its efficacy or lack thereof.

There are no strict rules on how long to continue antidepressants after discontinuation of anti-HCV therapy. For those patients without a previous history of depression, antidepressants should continue for at least 6 months after discontinuation of interferon. After discontinuation of antidepressants, patients should be carefully monitored for development of signs of recurrence of depression or neuropsychiatric problems.

For more information, see the section on depression in the Hepatitis C Management monograph.