Hepatitis C is a potentially serious viral infection that can lead to liver disease and cancer. There is no scientific evidence that homeopathy has any effect, other than a placebo, on this infection.
Sometimes, a person’s immune system can clear a hepatitis C infection, while other people develop long lasting infections that require treatment with antiviral medications.
Treatment options for hepatitis C do not include homeopathic remedies. This alternative medicine uses very diluted doses of substances to treat illnesses. However, there is no sound scientific evidence that this treatment has any effect beyond that of a placebo.
This article looks at hepatitis C, its causes and treatment, and if homeopathy is an effective alternative to mainstream treatments.

The hepatitis C virus spreads through contact with infected blood. It can cause a chronic infection that leads to serious liver conditions, including cancer, cirrhosis, and liver disease.
Hepatitis C is a
Doctors diagnose around
Hepatitis C is a bloodborne virus, this means that a person must come into contact with blood that already contains the virus to contract it.
A person can contract hepatitis C virus
- injecting drugs with shared needles or other equipment
- reusing contaminated medical equipment
- receiving unscreened blood and blood products
- getting a tattoo or body piercing with contaminated equipment
- childbirth and delivery
- exposure to infected blood, including during sexual intercourse
People cannot catch hepatitis C through casual contact, food, or water. Also, breastfeeding or chestfeeding cannot transmit this infection.
People can have hepatitis C for years
Individuals may develop chronic liver disease several years or even decades after the initial infection. This can cause complications, including cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Doctors may not diagnose a hepatitis C infection until it shows on routine blood tests or the person develops liver problems.
If someone has symptoms, they may experience the
Homeopathy is a form of alternative medicine.
Proponents of homeopathy believe that substances such as plants that cause particular symptoms can also treat illnesses that have similar ones. They believe that the lower the dose of the substance, or the more diluted it is, the greater its effectiveness.
However, there is
Homeopathic remedies are
However, homeopathic remedies are not subject to the same regulations as traditional medicine. Manufacturers of homeopathic remedies
Additionally, some products that claim to be homeopathic
People may experience worsening symptoms after using a homeopathic remedy, which homeopaths call homeopathic aggravation. However, researchers in clinical trials have found little evidence of this reaction.
There have been no clinical trials investigating the effectiveness of homeopathy in treating a hepatitis C infection.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Doctors do not use homeopathic remedies to treat hepatitis C infections. Instead, they use oral antiviral medications to attack the virus and cure the disease.
Some people with hepatitis C do not require any treatment, although over
Doctors may prescribe one or a combination of
- daclatasvir (Daklinza)
- elbasvir (Zepatier)
- glecaprevir and pibrentasvir (Mavyret)
- ombitasvir/paritaprevir/ritonavir/dasabuvir (Viekira Pak, Viekira XR)
- sofosbuvir (Sovaldi)
A person may need to use medications for 2-6 months to cure this infection. However, the length of treatment may depend on how much liver damage a person has and the type of hepatitis C virus.
Learn more about hepatitis C medication here.
A doctor monitors a person’s treatment by ordering regular blood tests to see if the treatment is working. Medications can successfully cure the infection for most individuals who complete treatment.
Homeopathy is an alternative medicine that uses extremely diluted amounts of substances. There is no scientific evidence that homeopathic remedies can effectively treat conditions, including a hepatitis C infection.
Hepatitis C is a viral infection that can cause serious liver disease. Doctors may wait to see if the infection resolves itself, or they may prescribe antiviral medications.