What special precautions should I follow?  

Before taking ribavirin,

• tell your doctor and pharmacist if you are allergic to ribavirin or any other medications. If you are taking ribavirin tablets, tell your doctor if you are allergic to corn.
• tell your doctor and pharmacist what other prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products you are taking. Be sure to mention the medications listed in the IMPORTANT WARNING section and any of the following: medications for anxiety, depression,or any other mental illness; medications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) such as didanosine (Videx), stavudine (Zerit), and zidovudine (Retrovir); and medications that supress the immune system such as cancer chemotherapy, cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Prograf). If you are taking ribavirin capsules, tell your doctor if you are taking antacids. Your doctor may need to change the doses of your medications or monitor you carefully for side effects.
• tell your doctor if you drink or have ever drunk large amounts of alcohol, if you use or have ever used street drugs, if you have ever thought about killing yourself or planned or tried to do so, and if you have ever had an organ transplant. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had a mental illness such as depression, anxiety, or psychosis (loss of contact with reality); cancer; psoriasis (an inherited skin condition); HIV or AIDS; diabetes; sarcoidosis (a condition in which abnormal tissue grows in parts of the body such as the lungs); Gilbert's syndrome (a mild liver condition that may cause yellowing of the skin or eyes); gout (a type of arthritis caused by crystals deposited in the joints); any type of liver disease other than hepatitis C;or thyroid, kidney, pancreas,eye, or lung disease.
• tell your doctor if you have ever taken any medication to treat hepatitis C. Be sure that your doctor has your complete medical records and knows how well you responded to other treatments for hepatitis C.
• tell your doctor if you are breast-feeding. You should not breastfeed while you are taking ribavirin.
• you should know that ribavirin may make you drowsy, dizzy, or confused. Do not drive a car or operate machinery until you know how this medication affects you.
• do not drink alcoholic beverages while you are taking ribavirin. Alcohol can make your liver disease worse.

What special dietary instructions should I follow?     

Be sure to drink plenty of fluids while you are taking ribavirin.

What should I do if I forget a dose?     

If you remember the missed dose that same day, take the medication right away. However, if you do not remember the missed dose until the next day, call your doctor to find out what to do. Do not take a double dose to make up for a missed one.