Breathing problems & ears clogged once started treatment

[TonydNJ]

Dear Dr. Dietrich,
    I started treatment 7 weeks ago pegintron 2b and ribavarin. My concern is the breathing problems i have been having and constant ear clogging. I have had chest xrays, cat scans on the lungs and everything is ok. last lab work didnt' show any king of anemia. I have been seeing a pulmonary doctor and was tested for asthma and was told i had asthma, was put on advere for 2 weeks and had another asthma test done and then was told i dont have asthma and was referred to have sinus cat scan. pulmonary doctor then tells me i have chronic sinusitis on the right side and prescribed antibiotics zithromax for 14 days. withing this time i decided to see a ENT and he was able to view the cat scan of my sinuses and claimed there was no sinusitis, just a deviated septic. I also decided to go to an allergy/asthma specialist and allergy test was done and don't have any allergies, he then took an asthma test and said i don't have asthma, i then had to take 2 pumps of a inhaler for the 2nd round test where you blow into the machine as hard as you can, and the 2nd test came back better and he then is telling me that i do have a slight case of asthma, he then prescribed a lower dose of the advere and an emergency pump which i have not yet filled. Also to add to all this, 2 weeks ago i had a echo cardio done on my heart and my doc calls me a few days ago and now told I have a leaky heart valve on the right side. So these are pretty much all my concerns, can you link all of these issues to the meds, interferon/ribavarin. I really appreciate you taking the time to read all this and thank you so very much in advance. I just don't know what to do at this point. Thank you Tony

[Douglas Dieterich, MD]

The heart is certainly not related to interferon. The asthma allergy symptoms are there with you and the interferon makes it worse, because it revs up your immune system to get rid of the HCV, but in the process it also causes some auto immune diseases to get a little worse.
Use the inhalers and advair and you should be able to get through this and out the other side! Feel better!
DTD

[TonydNJ]

Thanks so much for the positive feedback. I will be seeing my doctor tonight for the leaky heart valve, just concerned if i should be on the interferon with this type of problem, i would also be seeing a cariologist at the end of the week. Just the ears clogging every morning, i've had my ears checked multiple times and there is no infection or blockage, just woondering if you can link this anywhere with the meds. Thanks so much again. Tony