The drug "Interferon alpha" is an antiviral immunomodulating drug for topical and external use. This is a mixture of several subtypes of alpha interferon from blood leukocytes. The drug has an antiviral, antiproliferative and immunostimulating effect.
The drug "Interferon alfa": instructions for use (indications, contraindications, dosage)
The medicine is prescribed for parenteral use in diseases such as:
- hepatitis B and C;
- genital warts;
- multiple myeloma ;
- hairy cell leukemia;
- lymphoma;
- mushroom mycosis;
renal carcinoma, etc.
Very often, the drug is used rectally to treat chronic or acute viral hepatitis. Intranasally used for the prevention and treatment of colds and flu.
Interferon alfa is contraindicated in people with severe organic heart diseases, severe renal or hepatic impairment, epilepsy, central nervous system impairment, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis. You can not take the drug also to those patients who suffer from chronic hepatitis, and receive treatment with various immunosuppressants (except for GCS), people with thyroid diseases and with confirmed increased sensitivity to the main active ingredient of the drug (interferon alfa).
As for the dosage, the dose, frequency of use and its duration are set individually. All this is directly influenced by such factors as the degree of the disease, indications, route of administration and individual patient response.
The drug "Interferon alfa": instructions for use (side effects, drug interactions and special instructions)
With parenteral use of the drug, side effects are more common than with other methods of administration. Such various flu-like phenomena (headache, fever, weakness), as well as digestive disorders (nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, sometimes diarrhea) can be observed; cardiovascular system (arrhythmia, arterial hypotension); CNS (impaired consciousness, drowsiness, ataxia). Less commonly, after treatment with Interferon Alfa, skin reactions (dry skin, alopecia, skin rash, erythema) may occur.
If we are talking about the drug’s drug interaction with other drugs, it should be noted that interferons tend to inhibit oxidative metabolism in the liver, so biotransformation of drugs that are metabolized in this way may be impaired. It is not recommended to use Interferon Alfa together with ACE inhibitors, since synergism is possible with respect to the hematotoxic effect, as well as with paracetamol (liver enzyme activity may increase).
During pregnancy, the drug can be used only on the advice of a doctor, and only if the possible benefit to the woman outweighs the likely risk to the baby.
Very carefully, the drug is used by people who have had a myocardial infarction. In older people, side effects from the central nervous system can be observed. In such cases, treatment is usually discontinued.
Patients with hepatitis C who receive therapy with Interferon alfa may notice thyroid dysfunction, which is expressed in hyper- or hypothyroidism. So, before starting a course of treatment, it is necessary to determine the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone in the blood and start using the drug only in the case of a normal hormone content in the blood serum.
Attention! This instruction is provided to familiarize you with the drug. Before taking it, consult your doctor, who will individually determine the necessary dose and duration of treatment. Read the manufacturer's annotation carefully.