Former Baywatch actress Pamela Anderson is to take a year out of the limelight to undergo potentially debilitating treatment for hepatitis C.

The star is planning to take a powerful combination of injections to treat the virus she says she caught from sharing a tattoo needle with her ex-husband, former Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

Hepatitis C in certain cases can be fatal because of the effect it has on the liver, sometimes leading to liver cancer or cirrhosis.

Anderson compared the treatment to chemotherapy because it can cause hair loss, mood swings, depression and low blood count.

Anderson is engaged to Kid Rock

"I want to do it for my kids, because I don't want to die, basically," she told the Larry King Live show.

She said a recent scan had shown her liver was still relatively healthy.

Earlier in the year Anderson, 35, announced she was engaged to hellraising music star Kid Rock.

But she admitted that the relationship was not all smooth sailing.

Denial

"I could say right now we're in the trenches. We're just working on things... we love each other very much but it's a difficult life, a difficult life," she said.

"And I want what's best for my kids. And he has a son."

But she was less restrained when talking about her former husband.

Lee has denied he has hepatitis C and that Anderson caught it when sharing a needle with him but she says he is in "denial".

The pair, who were married twice, are locked in a fierce custody battle over their two children, Brandon, six, and Dylan, four.

Pamela Anderson was speaking on the Larry King Live show

Anderson said that Lee was unable to look after their children and that they were not interested in being with him.

"They've never had a relationship with their father since they were born," she said.

The actress said her failed relationship with Lee had left her emotionally scarred.

"I need to resolve a lot of issues... I think, before I can really move on and have another serious commitment," she added.