Intron A

Description

Side effects

(Don't be unduly alarmed. All drugs cause side effects for some patients)

Warnings

(These are standard cautions but may not be applicable to your case)

Comments

I have battled RSD for 12 years. It started with a ruptured achilles tendon and spread to all four limbs. You name it, I tried it. I was down to a choice of a morphine implant or brain implant stimulator and I didn't care for either choice. I entered a drug study program for fibermyalgia because I didn't have anything to lose. I was almost completely bedridden, could barely walk on a good day and was experiencing tremor attacks with more and more frequency throughout the day. It was a living hell of pain and I spent most of my days curled up on the floor in a ball, crying. The drug they tested was Alpha-Interferon. By week two of the study I could sense a drastic change in my pain level (6 as opposed to 9 or 10) and within the next six months the tremors stopped almost completely. I started back to work 2-3 hrs a day (after not being able to work for 10 years) and slowly over the following 12 months I was gradually able to work up to an 8 hour day. I take the Alpha Interferon three times a day and double up on a really bad day. I'm also taking Vioxx. My doctor is not sure why the Interferon is working, but who cares! I work at a hospital and have spoken with our Spinal Cord Clinical Pharm D. and she says they are having great results with Interferon on some of their MS patients. I just know I got my life back when all hope was gone. Von - USA

As a patient on Intron A for nine years at a daily dose of 9mill iu I suffered heart failure and Kidney failure due to the use of interferon. I do not see this mentioned in your side effects. I know this is very rare but it happened to me at the age of 34. After the first month pf taking Intron I had flu like symptoms, which everyone said was normal. The aches and pains lasted throughout the nine years. After about three years I became increasingly tired and again this was said to be normal, it was also after about three years that I gave up work. I was getting so called panic attacks that started with palpitations and progressed to full blown panic attacks, for which I was given counselling. Still my heart was never checked, I complained of cold fingers and toes and visited my doctor with puffy eyes (things that would usually suggest heart problem!) My heart was still not checked in connection to the interferon. It wasn't until 19th Jan 2001 when my husband called 999 and I was rushed to hospital suffering from heart failure, I was given 24 hours then 48 hours and transferred from New Cross Hospital Wolverhampton to Queen Elizabeth Birmingham for a heart transplant. Thankfully, this never had to happen as the doctors at QE got me sorted out. Whilst I was so ill I also suffered 'end stage' kidney failure.
My doctors at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham now put my near death as IntronA induced. Please make people aware of this risk as I was not monitored for my heart at all, even though I complained of palpitations and poor circulation for years beforehand. Sonia - Birmingham, England
As Sonia states, this example is a rare response to this medication and we do not wish to cause alarm by publishing her story here. Many useful drugs may have bad effects sometimes for some patients. In all such cases you need to recognise the unusual symptoms and make sure that your doctor takes notice.