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Aerosmith singer delves into battle with hepatitis C on Peginterferon Therapy
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September 26, 2006
BY BILL ZWECKER Chicago Sun-Times Columnist
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler tonight tells Nancy O'Dell on ''Access Hollywood'' (6:30 p.m., WMAQ-Channel 5) interferon treatments for hepatitis C ''about killed me.''
Yet, Tyler says that after 11 months of treatment, hepatitis C ''is nonexistent in my bloodstream ... it's like a complete cure.''
The rocker hopes to bring more attention to the hard-to-detect disease, which afflicts at least 4.5 million Americans.
Long known as a recovering drug addict, the 58-year-old musician says he was diagnosed with the serious viral infection of the blood -- "the silent killer" -- three years ago, but "I've had hepatitis C for a long time, asymptomatic."
Usually associated with the exchange of infected needles, hepatitis C can lead to chronic liver disease. In 2002, Pamela Anderson also revealed she was infected with hepatitis C -- contracted, she claimed, when she and ex-husband Tommy Lee shared needles getting tattoos.
Tyler says that while interferon seems to have aided his recovery, the treatments were brutal. He would ''wake up at 3 in the morning with a nosebleed -- you know, just passed out from the interferon, the treatment. ... But I stood the test of time.''
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