Can you catch a cold on tx

[Jenge]

I was wondering if you can catch a cold while on tx. If your taking anti virals, and doesn't interferon boost your immune system as well? I feel a sore throat and sinus cold coming on. Before starting tx I never got sick, not for years, never.
Thanks, Jen

[mremeet]

You would think the IFN would help prevent you from getting a cold, I always wondered that myself. Like you said, I almost *never* got colds while I was actively infected (SVR for 5 years now). I assumed that was because my immune system was always ramped up to one degree or another because it was always fighting the HCV virus. Any other potential invaders would be mopped up in sort order before they could get a foothold. That was my layman's theory anyway.

Anway, once on combo treatment, you would think you would be even more protected from flu bugs. Ribavirin and the two PI's you can take now are not known to effect rhino-viruses in any way. Not sure about interferon. There are several different types of interferon, so I'm guessing the peglyated  IFN we take for hepatitis C virus is not the same type that our body normally produces to fight a rhino-virus (flu bug). That's probably why some people cmplain of getting sick, even on combo treatment.

[SusieS2010]

I was teaching first grade when I treated. I had a zillion colds and pink eye constantly. Ugh!

[Bovary73]

I had a cold in the beginning of treatment (week 5 or 6) and got it through my daughter who's 3 years old and she got it from kindergarden. The difference between mine and her's, is that I was stuck with this cold for 3-4 weeks. At first I thought it was side effects from tx, but realized it was a cold I got. It seemed to me that getting rid of the cold took a lot longer for me while on tx than if I hadn't been on tx. I was so happy when I finally got rid of it and realized that my sx's weren't that tough after all. I wasn't suppose to feel that bad through all tx..
Good luck to you and hope you'll feel better soon.

[suezeeque]

The only way that I'm aware of for interferon to help prevent colds is intranasal use.

I had two colds while on treatment.  I *never* get colds.  I got one after not even fully recovering from the first.

[ceanothus]

I think it is still possible to catch a cold while on tx, but in my own personal experience I've never come down with one while on tx - and that covers a lot of time. This is my third tx and counting all three times, I've spent about 24 months on tx, all with no colds. The interferon can cause SX that can seem like a beginning of a cold though. I have a perpetual cough, wheezing, and some sore throat from drying out - perhaps that is what you are getting? I hope it's not really a cold, you don't need any extra challenges while doing this tx!
-Saelon