2nd day: combo & back pain

  The prescribed dose is 5MU's daily for the induction period
  of a month, along with 1,000mg daily of the Ribavirin.  After the
  induction, the IntronA dose will be standard at 3MU's 3 x week.
  If the lab's are all okay at week one and again at week three,
  then there will be no adjustment to the Ribavirin dose.
  The first dose, my sides were awful: excrusiating headache, a pain
  in my neck, hips ached, the bottom of my feet hurt.  I am positive
  for cryoglobulin's.  Could this be the reason the joint problems
  are exacerbated?
  Last night I may have overdosed the IntronA.  As directed, I am to
  use the 3MU vials first, adding some from the 5MU vial to dose at
  the 5MU's.  The syringe filled with the emptied 3MU vial read: .75
  and I added some from the 5MU vial, as shown to do.
  My sides were brutal.  Every flu like system along with incredible
  pain from my hamstrings and glutes, foot pain, bones ached, spinal
  pain, headache.
  Tylenol Flu did nothing to aleviate my symptoms.  The treatment
  nurse says to take 2 Advil, 2 x day for the spinal/muscular pain.
  Here are my questions:
  With the cryoglobulin's, is this the way treatment is going to
  continue to feel?  Are the cryoglobulin's the reason I am having
  such a tough time?  Please explain:  2MU's out of a 5MU vial is
  equal to how many units?  And how many ml's?  
  Thank you very much.  

[HFHSM.D.-D.M.]

Dear BW:
Well, it certainly sounds as if you had a lot of side effects with your first dose of interferon and you have a lot of questions about it.  Let me try to make some comments that might be helpful to you.
First and foremost, the first dose of interferon is very difficult and I