Are there side effects from Interferon or Ribavirin?
Side effects caused by Interferon therapy will vary from patient to patient, but may include “flu-like” symptoms, depression, headache and decreased appetite. Interferon may also cause or aggravate fatal or life-threatening neuropsychiatric, autoimmune, ischemic, and infectious disorders. Patients should be monitored closely with periodic clinical and laboratory evaluations. Patients with persistently severe or worsening signs or symptoms of these conditions should be withdrawn from therapy. In many, but not all cases, these disorders resolve after stopping Interferon therapy. In addition to the side effects of Interferon therapy, Ribavirin can also cause shortness of breath, coughing and anemia. Ribavirin also causes a marked reduction in certain blood cells so patients with a history of heart attacks or significant heart disease should not take Ribavirin-based combination therapy.
