Interferon refers to a group of proteins that are naturally produced by your body which stimulate your immune system to fight infections and tumors. It also refers to a class of drugs used as an antiviral treatment and to treat certain cancers and other health conditions.
Essentially, interferon slows virus proliferation and tumor growth. When a cell gets invaded it makes interferon to provide uninfected cells more resistant to many viral infections. How it works is the interferons released by the infected cell prompts its neighboring cells to produce their own protective antiviral enzymes. Interferon is also a part of the process for innate immunity. As with cancer, interferon interferes with cancer cell division.
However, a highly negative issue with interferon treatment is it can cause some relatively severe drug side effects. So, its effects on your health can make it a very difficult drug regime to tolerate.
Different types of interferons are used to treat varying health conditions, specifically interferon alpha, beta and gamma. Alpha-interferon has been used as standard or experimental treatment for:
- melanoma
- kidney cancer
- Kaposi sarcoma
- Castleman’s disease
- human papillomavirus
- Churg-Strauss syndrome
- viral hepatitis B & hepatitis C
- hairy cell, chronic myelogenous leukemias
- cutaneous T-cell, follicular non-Hodgkin lymphomas
Treatment side effects of interferon-alpha may cause symptoms similar to influenza, coupled with other symptoms, like:
- fever
- chills
- fatigue
- edema
- diarrhea
- alopecia
- irritability
- headache
- chest pain
- palpitations
- paresthesia
- stomach pain
- taste changes
- loss of appetite
- nausea, vomiting
- hemolytic anemia
- weight loss, anorexia
- sore throat, runny nose
- low white blood cell count
- skin rash, dry skin, pruritus
- myalgia, arthralgia, bone pain
- cough, difficulty breathing, dyspnea
- depression, anxiety, other mental changes
Yep, many of these side effects can cause you to feel rather uncomfortable.
Beta interferon is a medication used to treat multiple sclerosis. Although interferons don’t cure this health condition, it offers a chance for fewer flare-ups.
Interferon-beta may cause some of these treatment side effects:
- dry eyes
- arthralgia
- dizziness
- dry mouth
- runny nose
- paresthesia
- tight muscles
- stomach pain
- nausea, vomiting
Interferon beta sometimes causes flu-like symptoms as well.
Gamma interferon is used to treat chronic granulomatous disease and osteopetrosis. Again, this drugs most common side effects are influenza type symptoms. Injecting your dose of interferon gamma treatment at bedtime might lessen these effects. And you’ll need to contact your health care provider ASAP should you experience:
A a general rule, always inform your health care provider anytime your side effects from alpha, beta or gamma interferon treatment are severe or don’t subside. Thyroiditis may also become a health issue during interferon treatment.
Pegylated interferon is different from the other interferons because it has molecules of polyethylene glycol attached. They have an effect of keeping interferon in your body longer. Therefore, pegylated interferon prolongs interferon effects and effectiveness.
