My brother is a disabled Vietnam Vet with hepc and rheumatoid arthritis. He doesn't have cirrhosis. He's bed ridden because he took interferon and the RA kicked in. He's 50 years old and has a leg that was badlly damaged in Vietnam. He can't bend it. He use to get around until some ankle and knee operations and RA. My question to you is : How do you treat the Hep c ? Can it be done even though he has rheumatoid arthritis. What course of treatment do you recommend? He lives in Tarrytown NY with access to NYC and Westchester. Can you recommend a doctor? Thank you
 

If his RA flared on interferon before, i would hold off on treatment for the HCV, which still requires interferon. the most important issue is how much liver disease there is - if he has mild to moderate disease he may be better off waiting for therapies (in a few years) that work with fewer side effects. in the meantime, i think having occasional liver biopsies to monitor his liver makes sense. he can see any of the doctors at Mount Sinai, Columbia or New York Hospital.