Aa
side effects
do the serious side effects bring on or end up as deseases in our body's. can the treatments and side effects be a precurser to the desease symptoms a person is experiencing?
It sounds like you're still on treatment for hep C. Are you doing the triple therapy ? What is your genotype ?
These meds are enough by themselves to cause huge emotional outbursts.
Although I haven't heard of hep C returning after 2 years, anything is possible or you could have been re-infected.
Please understand that many people have no idea how they contracted the virus.
Being a blood born virus,transmitted blood to blood, sexual transmission is not usual, but it does happen.
You say you had no liver problems but wanted to be free of the virus because it caused serious problems.
Can you share those with us ?
In your earlier post you said you simply wanted to be free of the virus because it scared you.
This is very understandable.
Before beginning treatment I had to sign a form listing all the potential side effects of treatment. It was lengthy and scary but at least I was informed.
Sorry you are alone and frightened.
When you are free from the meds, and your mind has cleared, perhaps you can use this time, to transform your fear into strength.
This happened to me, when I nearly died from this virus. I went deep within, faced my fears and found my center, a loving place, from which I continue to draw strength.
Good luck~
These meds are enough by themselves to cause huge emotional outbursts.
Although I haven't heard of hep C returning after 2 years, anything is possible or you could have been re-infected.
Please understand that many people have no idea how they contracted the virus.
Being a blood born virus,transmitted blood to blood, sexual transmission is not usual, but it does happen.
You say you had no liver problems but wanted to be free of the virus because it caused serious problems.
Can you share those with us ?
In your earlier post you said you simply wanted to be free of the virus because it scared you.
This is very understandable.
Before beginning treatment I had to sign a form listing all the potential side effects of treatment. It was lengthy and scary but at least I was informed.
Sorry you are alone and frightened.
When you are free from the meds, and your mind has cleared, perhaps you can use this time, to transform your fear into strength.
This happened to me, when I nearly died from this virus. I went deep within, faced my fears and found my center, a loving place, from which I continue to draw strength.
Good luck~
i was told i had hep c after i broke up with the love of my life. i didnot have the desease before i met him and was desease free fresh out of college. i had no liver damage but i wanted to get rid of the desease before it caused serious problems. i guess i did not do my homework very well. the first treatments rendered me free of hepc but 2 years later showed that it was returning. i decided to try one one time to rid myself of this.any way i was and am sorry for my outburst on this site. i am still on the treatment program at the end and am really scared. this new problem will not be going away. i am hep c free and only have a few weeks to go to make sure it does not return i am sticking with the entire length. the other chemo is to start after i finish my last few weeks.i am frightened and scared at this point and am going it alone.
i never said i still had hep c cause it is gone, whether it returns a few years from now, who knows but at this time i am hep c free. i am just trying to cope with these new problems and at 61 am devastated.
thankyou for your comment, i am sorry if i sounded so harsh. at first i was shocked, but am wanting to know if anyone elese had effects that did not go away
I realize this is only a matter of semantics but you would have to had to have been diagnosed with "chronic" rather than "acute" Hepatitis C in order to treat. "
Actually we have had a couple of members over the years who have treated in the acute stage, it has a much higher chance of SVR.
Actually we have had a couple of members over the years who have treated in the acute stage, it has a much higher chance of SVR.
As a biologist you must realize your experience is anecdotal. And trust me I agree with you and had a similar horrible experience myself the first time I treated and no doubt I will this time around as well.
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I appreciate your question which to me in essence is:
Does the side effect(s) of (certain) HCV medications (by themselves or together) compound or exacerbate pre-existing or perhaps even genetically predisposed conditions?
To me personally: the answer is an unresounding yes. Unfortunately scientific proof requires more than the warnings of potential averse events that "may" (or may not) happen on the product monograph. I agree it is a start however it also requires extensive long-term follow up in order to prove this is in fact the case.
I have come across lots individual accounts were the cause and effect relationship seems to have been satisfied but nothing in wider scope.
______________________________
I realize this is only a matter of semantics but you would have to had to have been diagnosed with "chronic" rather than "acute" Hepatitis C in order to treat. There is no high end or low end when it comes to that. Do you mean that your liver was in stage 0 or 1 Fibrosis?
_________________________________
I am deeply sorry you had such a terrible go of it when you treated your HCV. I worry those newer to treatment may have a similar traumatic experience while treating with these new Protease inhibitors. Many medical professional are not very adept at preparing patients for the side effects and/or intervening before they worsen. I realize it is a 50-50 kind of thing and the patient should learn as much as possible beforehand - though as you pointed out, it is a tremendous body of knowledge and rather overwhelming for a layman (which is what I consider myself).
_________________________________________
I appreciate your question which to me in essence is:
Does the side effect(s) of (certain) HCV medications (by themselves or together) compound or exacerbate pre-existing or perhaps even genetically predisposed conditions?
To me personally: the answer is an unresounding yes. Unfortunately scientific proof requires more than the warnings of potential averse events that "may" (or may not) happen on the product monograph. I agree it is a start however it also requires extensive long-term follow up in order to prove this is in fact the case.
I have come across lots individual accounts were the cause and effect relationship seems to have been satisfied but nothing in wider scope.
______________________________
I realize this is only a matter of semantics but you would have to had to have been diagnosed with "chronic" rather than "acute" Hepatitis C in order to treat. There is no high end or low end when it comes to that. Do you mean that your liver was in stage 0 or 1 Fibrosis?
_________________________________
I am deeply sorry you had such a terrible go of it when you treated your HCV. I worry those newer to treatment may have a similar traumatic experience while treating with these new Protease inhibitors. Many medical professional are not very adept at preparing patients for the side effects and/or intervening before they worsen. I realize it is a 50-50 kind of thing and the patient should learn as much as possible beforehand - though as you pointed out, it is a tremendous body of knowledge and rather overwhelming for a layman (which is what I consider myself).
Why did you think the hep C would kill you ?
Did you have cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis ?
Who lied to you ?
Your doctors ?
If they lied to you, perhaps you should vent your anger on them rather than on the people here who are struggling with the difficulties of either having hep C or doing the treatment.
Although hep C does kill, there are many who live with it and die with it, not from it.
I'm very sorry for people who have healthy livers, and immediately jump into interferon treatment without first educating themselves about the risks.
We must be our own advocates.
As someone who almost died from hep C of advanced cirrhosis and had a liver transplant, I'm glad I did the treatment. Now my new liver is hep C free.
Otherwise I was headed quickly to a repeat of End Stage Liver Disease.
Did you have cirrhosis or advanced fibrosis ?
Who lied to you ?
Your doctors ?
If they lied to you, perhaps you should vent your anger on them rather than on the people here who are struggling with the difficulties of either having hep C or doing the treatment.
Although hep C does kill, there are many who live with it and die with it, not from it.
I'm very sorry for people who have healthy livers, and immediately jump into interferon treatment without first educating themselves about the risks.
We must be our own advocates.
As someone who almost died from hep C of advanced cirrhosis and had a liver transplant, I'm glad I did the treatment. Now my new liver is hep C free.
Otherwise I was headed quickly to a repeat of End Stage Liver Disease.
Hi no I did not have bone pain or problems with my kidneys
I am confused by your response. Your first question was difficult for me to understand. They way it was written was confusing. I said in my answer I was just trying to provide support.
Then Pooh came along and she gave you a very good answer.
It would appear you did not require any answers as you already have them. Perhaps you should try posting again with the real question you want to ask.
I treated twice, the first time I was UND and relapsed within the first 6 weeks. I then had to wait for 2 1/2 years for the next medication to be approved by the FDA. I am now 4 months post tx and am feeling better than I have in many many years. I never had an acute phase of HCV. I found out I had HCV at the same time I found out I had cirrhosis. The chance of dying from cirrhosis was very real. I would suggest you try again to ask a question or you could just post what you have experienced and learned from your tx's. I am sure we would be interested in reading
Good luck, hope you reach SVR this time.
I am confused by your response. Your first question was difficult for me to understand. They way it was written was confusing. I said in my answer I was just trying to provide support.
Then Pooh came along and she gave you a very good answer.
It would appear you did not require any answers as you already have them. Perhaps you should try posting again with the real question you want to ask.
I treated twice, the first time I was UND and relapsed within the first 6 weeks. I then had to wait for 2 1/2 years for the next medication to be approved by the FDA. I am now 4 months post tx and am feeling better than I have in many many years. I never had an acute phase of HCV. I found out I had HCV at the same time I found out I had cirrhosis. The chance of dying from cirrhosis was very real. I would suggest you try again to ask a question or you could just post what you have experienced and learned from your tx's. I am sure we would be interested in reading
Good luck, hope you reach SVR this time.
You sound like a very educated person. I have been through Chemotherapy
for Cancer. I did it knowing the risks. Now I'm going through this treatment and yes the drugs are also heavy. It sounds like your in a lot of pain due
to the out come. I felt for you in my heart when I read your response.
for Cancer. I did it knowing the risks. Now I'm going through this treatment and yes the drugs are also heavy. It sounds like your in a lot of pain due
to the out come. I felt for you in my heart when I read your response.
I am truly sorry for what you are going through and I am so grateful that the non-interferon drugs are being developed and are on their way. I read the posts of the suffering of the folks on these drugs and it is crushing. It is horrendous. But it is all that is really available now and more people than not get through it and go on to SVR. It is an individual choice.
Again, I cannot even imagine your nightmare. I have my own little hell I suffer but it doesn't touch yours or many of the other folks on this forum. I am so sorry for what you are suffering.
Still, say it plainly-don't ask a question and shoot the very people with the kindness to answer.
Again, I cannot even imagine your nightmare. I have my own little hell I suffer but it doesn't touch yours or many of the other folks on this forum. I am so sorry for what you are suffering.
Still, say it plainly-don't ask a question and shoot the very people with the kindness to answer.
Yes, you are a bit of a livewire, eh?
I don't disagree with you, necessarily but I do take issue with the way you posted your question. It was devious. You had an agenda and set us up so you could preach it. Sorry, Kate but you will not win minds opening to what you want to say by playing games like that.
I don't disagree with you, necessarily but I do take issue with the way you posted your question. It was devious. You had an agenda and set us up so you could preach it. Sorry, Kate but you will not win minds opening to what you want to say by playing games like that.
Pooh answered nicely and intelligently and I too wonder why you ask a question, receive an answer which in my opinion is correct, then come back with a host of diseases that I've never heard of anyone getting from either HCV or treatment and yell at the nice people who have answered you?
I'm sorry to say that you were never clean of this disease and yes you were in fact chronic. If you had been treated and cured or had your own body fight off the virus during the first six months that you had it that would have been in the acute stage but just being UND at the end of treatment does not mean that you achieved systemic virological response - all it means is that it did fight the virus out of your blood but the virus was still present in your body. After the first six months you were chronic.
I'm sorry to say that you were never clean of this disease and yes you were in fact chronic. If you had been treated and cured or had your own body fight off the virus during the first six months that you had it that would have been in the acute stage but just being UND at the end of treatment does not mean that you achieved systemic virological response - all it means is that it did fight the virus out of your blood but the virus was still present in your body. After the first six months you were chronic.
First of all, I am very sorry you had all of these post treatment problems.
"do the serious side effects bring on or end up as deseases in our body's. can the treatments and side effects be a precurser to the desease symptoms a person is experiencing? "
______________________
That was you question. All I was and others were doing was responding to you question (which I thought you posted so you would get some responses and answers). The article addresses both problems from Hep C and problems from treatment. There is no guarantee for any of us that we will not get those diseases from treating. At the same time, not treating Hep C has its own Pandora's box of diseases. No one is telling you what to do. That is your decision. We are only offering information and links for further help.
I think you are misinformed about the definition of chronic Hepatitis C.
Acute Hepatitis C refers to the initial infection. If a person does not clear the virus on their own, then the Hepatitis C becomes a chronic infection. In other words, it persists after the acute phase of the disease is over. You do not have to have symptoms, a high viral load, moderate or advanced liver fibrosis, or abnormal lab work, in order to have chronic Hep C.
"Up to 85% of individuals who are initially (acutely) infected with HCV will fail to eliminate the virus and will become chronically infected. "
http://www.medicinenet.com/hepatitis_c/article.htm#glance
We were all just trying to respond to you question. Most people do post hoping for responses and most people do appreciate our responses.
"do the serious side effects bring on or end up as deseases in our body's. can the treatments and side effects be a precurser to the desease symptoms a person is experiencing? "
______________________
That was you question. All I was and others were doing was responding to you question (which I thought you posted so you would get some responses and answers). The article addresses both problems from Hep C and problems from treatment. There is no guarantee for any of us that we will not get those diseases from treating. At the same time, not treating Hep C has its own Pandora's box of diseases. No one is telling you what to do. That is your decision. We are only offering information and links for further help.
I think you are misinformed about the definition of chronic Hepatitis C.
Acute Hepatitis C refers to the initial infection. If a person does not clear the virus on their own, then the Hepatitis C becomes a chronic infection. In other words, it persists after the acute phase of the disease is over. You do not have to have symptoms, a high viral load, moderate or advanced liver fibrosis, or abnormal lab work, in order to have chronic Hep C.
"Up to 85% of individuals who are initially (acutely) infected with HCV will fail to eliminate the virus and will become chronically infected. "
http://www.medicinenet.com/hepatitis_c/article.htm#glance
We were all just trying to respond to you question. Most people do post hoping for responses and most people do appreciate our responses.
Well let me ask you this? Why did you ask a question and then turn around and answer your own question. No need to bash the responders they were only trying to help. How about some manners here!
Have a great day!
Jules
Have a great day!
Jules
i also had cryolobulinemia and the diabetes, side effects but mine turned to myelodysplastic syndrome. did you have bone marrow problems, did you develope serious skeletal bone pain along with your other side effects. m kidney's are shutting down. did you have this
please read my other reply i just wrote and after being hospitalized and given my last rites.. catholic... and sent home with a stronger dose of morphine 3 times aday. the research speaks for it self. the first 52 weeks never produced any serious side effects. after 2 years you would have thought those chemical compounds would have left but they did not and with the newer treatment second trail the overload of these compounds was to much.please read my responce i posted today.
thankyou for your answer, but if you had really done your homework, the treatment might help the chronic hep C to a point but... there are those of us who were or are not in the catagory of chronic... low end case, who had the treatment and was at a zero viral load,and after off the treatment, speaking for myself.... never got over the side effects. I got the flu and my viral load went up slightly in the low case senairo again.
Freaking out that it would come back, I after 2 years clean, decided to try it again. letting the side affect go in my mind from prior treatment 2 years earilier. My point is that I was never chronic and my liver was normal, but the thought of having this desease scared me.
I began the treatment program again. I had terrible side effects from day 1, unlike before when it took the full 52 weeks, I was deathly sick, had to have a blood transfusion 1 month into the incevik and riboviron, 2 pints of blood from the hospital,. I had serious changes in all my blood work and reached the end treatment finally for the incevik, a total of 12 weeks.. at what cost? I have continued with the treatment and lasted another month. I want you to reread your article carefully. I am an in-depth biologist , (retired) and want you to know that yes those side affects happen, and yes they do cause serious deseases to manifest in your body.the warning from pegasys company states that the medication may CAUSE or WORSEN some serious medical conditions, which include:
immine disorders - thus may CAUSE or WORSEN rheumatoid arthritus, may CAUSE or WORSEN Lupus (the body's circulation problems) or again MAY CAUSE OR WORSEN infections such as BONE MARROW SUPPRESSION... THEN THEY ISSUE A WARNING... seek immediate medical attention if you develop any serious symptoms or side effects. and that these side effects may only occur infrequently, BUT SOME MAY BE FATAL.
would this statement not really get you thinking.I never had any serious deseases but thought that the hep c would kill me. how irronic. those serious side effects are all that occur in our bodies, for some of us. I never experienced any thing like this before on the treatment. I did my research and found that those side effects cause or worsen desease that dvelop from the side effects. look up myelodysplastic syndrome.. this is PRELEUKEMIA, which is a form of MDS that rapidly progresses to AML...upon looking further in my research, I found that the causes can already be in your genetic makeup and the treatment may have worsened those preordained deseases, or that the chemo like drugs that we have ingested over a long period of time compounded with the re-introduction of a newer stronger chemo drug, over a period of 4 months CAUSED a very bad OVERLOAD of toxic chemo compound CAUSED the deases to manifest and I am now with a desease taht is fatal, really is no cure.. so yes, how IRRONIC. I took the treatment to avoid death from hep c but ended up anyway with another life threatning desease that is here to stay. Get the truth before the treatments and make sure the your genetic makeup within the family does not have these precursers for the deseases and for your own sanity.. Please stop if you are having serious effects that lead to that article you published. Those toxins of the chemical residues do not just wash out of our body's with all that water we are told to drink. I almost forgot.. the most important of all of this experience. now the medical field will want you to take another type of chemo that can not cure the desease that developed over the toxic overload to begin with...Now do I want to wait out my death sentence of 2 years or prolong it for 5... who wins. the medical field who keeps us there. I am mad and glad too air out my frustration of being lied to and ending up in this fatal position.Was it worth it NO...
Freaking out that it would come back, I after 2 years clean, decided to try it again. letting the side affect go in my mind from prior treatment 2 years earilier. My point is that I was never chronic and my liver was normal, but the thought of having this desease scared me.
I began the treatment program again. I had terrible side effects from day 1, unlike before when it took the full 52 weeks, I was deathly sick, had to have a blood transfusion 1 month into the incevik and riboviron, 2 pints of blood from the hospital,. I had serious changes in all my blood work and reached the end treatment finally for the incevik, a total of 12 weeks.. at what cost? I have continued with the treatment and lasted another month. I want you to reread your article carefully. I am an in-depth biologist , (retired) and want you to know that yes those side affects happen, and yes they do cause serious deseases to manifest in your body.the warning from pegasys company states that the medication may CAUSE or WORSEN some serious medical conditions, which include:
immine disorders - thus may CAUSE or WORSEN rheumatoid arthritus, may CAUSE or WORSEN Lupus (the body's circulation problems) or again MAY CAUSE OR WORSEN infections such as BONE MARROW SUPPRESSION... THEN THEY ISSUE A WARNING... seek immediate medical attention if you develop any serious symptoms or side effects. and that these side effects may only occur infrequently, BUT SOME MAY BE FATAL.
would this statement not really get you thinking.I never had any serious deseases but thought that the hep c would kill me. how irronic. those serious side effects are all that occur in our bodies, for some of us. I never experienced any thing like this before on the treatment. I did my research and found that those side effects cause or worsen desease that dvelop from the side effects. look up myelodysplastic syndrome.. this is PRELEUKEMIA, which is a form of MDS that rapidly progresses to AML...upon looking further in my research, I found that the causes can already be in your genetic makeup and the treatment may have worsened those preordained deseases, or that the chemo like drugs that we have ingested over a long period of time compounded with the re-introduction of a newer stronger chemo drug, over a period of 4 months CAUSED a very bad OVERLOAD of toxic chemo compound CAUSED the deases to manifest and I am now with a desease taht is fatal, really is no cure.. so yes, how IRRONIC. I took the treatment to avoid death from hep c but ended up anyway with another life threatning desease that is here to stay. Get the truth before the treatments and make sure the your genetic makeup within the family does not have these precursers for the deseases and for your own sanity.. Please stop if you are having serious effects that lead to that article you published. Those toxins of the chemical residues do not just wash out of our body's with all that water we are told to drink. I almost forgot.. the most important of all of this experience. now the medical field will want you to take another type of chemo that can not cure the desease that developed over the toxic overload to begin with...Now do I want to wait out my death sentence of 2 years or prolong it for 5... who wins. the medical field who keeps us there. I am mad and glad too air out my frustration of being lied to and ending up in this fatal position.Was it worth it NO...
"do the serious side effects bring on or end up as deseases in our body's. can the treatments and side effects be a precurser to the desease symptoms a person is experiencing? "
Most people do not have serious residual side effects from the drugs after ending treatment, at least not once the drugs are out of the system, which can take months.
On the other hand, the treatment can sometimes cause autoimmune diseases to manifest themselves.
However, not treating Hep C can also cause autoimmune disorders to manifest themselves.
Personally, I am betting on the treatment (and I am 38 weeks through 48 weeks of treatment). I would rather take my chances with the meds than take my chances with untreated Hep C, especially since I have already had some major problems caused by Hep C itself.
The following article discusses both autoimmune diseases triggered by use of Interferon and autoimmune diseases caused by Hep C itself.
"Patients with viral and autoimmune hepatitis are at increased risk for developing several different autoimmune disorders.
Several different autoimmune diseases are known to occur in persons with viral and autoimmune hepatitis. Patients with hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C are at risk for developing autoimmune hepatitis and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Patients with hepatitis B and C are also at risk for developing conditions of autoimmune glomerulonephritis, vasculitis, and cryoglobulinemia, which is described later in this article. Both vitiligo and Behcet's disease are considered to be extrahepatic (affecting organs other than the liver) manifestations in patients with hepatitis C. In addition, patients using interferon therapy for hepatitis B or C are at risk for developing several different autoimmune disorders such as autoimmune thyroid disease and multiple sclerosis.
Interferon is an immune system chemical known as a cytokine. Normally, when the immune system responds to viral infection, it produces adequate interferon, which promotes recovery from infection. However, in certain infections including hepatitis B and hepatitis C, the immune system becomes overwhelmed and is unable to produce adequate interferon. Consequently, therapies containing interferon alpha or pegylated interferon alpha are effective therapies for hepatitis. Because interferon stimulates the immune system, it's a well known autoimmune disease trigger. Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis are common occurrences in patients using interferon therapy for viral hepatitis.
As many as 40 percent of patients with chronic hepatitis C go on to develop cryoglobulinemia, a condition of elevated cryoglobulin levels. Cryoglobulin proteins precipitate, forming solid compounds in cold temperatures. When patients with cryoglobulinemia are exposed to the cold their blood vessels become clogged and inflamed, which causes a condition of palpable purpura (characterized by small purple bruises), which causes bleeding into the skin. About half of all patients with hepatitis C and cryoglobulinemia experience symptoms.
Patients with cyroglublinemia may develop type I, type II, type III or essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. Patients with type I cryoglobulinemia develop increased blood viscosity and are at risk for lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Waldenstrom's macroglublinemia. Patients with type II and type III cryoglobulinemia are more likely to develop vasculitis, purpura, kidney disease and peripheral neuropathy. Patients with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia are more likely to have vasculitis involving the smaller blood vessels of the skin, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract with symptoms of hyperpigmentation, muscle pain, itching, ulcerations, arthritis and fatigue.
Besides purpura, patients may develop kidney problems such as glomerulonephritis, peripheral neuropathy, Sjogren's syndrome, and arthritic symptoms. Furthermore, patients with chronic hepatitis C and cryoglobulinemia have a higher risk for liver disease that progresses to cirrhosis. Interferon may help reduce this progression. And although interferon is known to trigger autoimmune disease development, patients with hepatitis and extrahepatic autoimmune manifestations such as cryoglobulinemia or vasculitis show improvement in these extrahepatic manifestations when they use interferon therapy. Chronic hepatitis C is also associated with pain syndromes including fibromyalgia."
http://suite101.com/article/autoimmune-diseases-and-hepatitis-a5134
Most people do not have serious residual side effects from the drugs after ending treatment, at least not once the drugs are out of the system, which can take months.
On the other hand, the treatment can sometimes cause autoimmune diseases to manifest themselves.
However, not treating Hep C can also cause autoimmune disorders to manifest themselves.
Personally, I am betting on the treatment (and I am 38 weeks through 48 weeks of treatment). I would rather take my chances with the meds than take my chances with untreated Hep C, especially since I have already had some major problems caused by Hep C itself.
The following article discusses both autoimmune diseases triggered by use of Interferon and autoimmune diseases caused by Hep C itself.
"Patients with viral and autoimmune hepatitis are at increased risk for developing several different autoimmune disorders.
Several different autoimmune diseases are known to occur in persons with viral and autoimmune hepatitis. Patients with hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C are at risk for developing autoimmune hepatitis and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Patients with hepatitis B and C are also at risk for developing conditions of autoimmune glomerulonephritis, vasculitis, and cryoglobulinemia, which is described later in this article. Both vitiligo and Behcet's disease are considered to be extrahepatic (affecting organs other than the liver) manifestations in patients with hepatitis C. In addition, patients using interferon therapy for hepatitis B or C are at risk for developing several different autoimmune disorders such as autoimmune thyroid disease and multiple sclerosis.
Interferon is an immune system chemical known as a cytokine. Normally, when the immune system responds to viral infection, it produces adequate interferon, which promotes recovery from infection. However, in certain infections including hepatitis B and hepatitis C, the immune system becomes overwhelmed and is unable to produce adequate interferon. Consequently, therapies containing interferon alpha or pegylated interferon alpha are effective therapies for hepatitis. Because interferon stimulates the immune system, it's a well known autoimmune disease trigger. Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis are common occurrences in patients using interferon therapy for viral hepatitis.
As many as 40 percent of patients with chronic hepatitis C go on to develop cryoglobulinemia, a condition of elevated cryoglobulin levels. Cryoglobulin proteins precipitate, forming solid compounds in cold temperatures. When patients with cryoglobulinemia are exposed to the cold their blood vessels become clogged and inflamed, which causes a condition of palpable purpura (characterized by small purple bruises), which causes bleeding into the skin. About half of all patients with hepatitis C and cryoglobulinemia experience symptoms.
Patients with cyroglublinemia may develop type I, type II, type III or essential mixed cryoglobulinemia. Patients with type I cryoglobulinemia develop increased blood viscosity and are at risk for lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Waldenstrom's macroglublinemia. Patients with type II and type III cryoglobulinemia are more likely to develop vasculitis, purpura, kidney disease and peripheral neuropathy. Patients with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia are more likely to have vasculitis involving the smaller blood vessels of the skin, kidneys and gastrointestinal tract with symptoms of hyperpigmentation, muscle pain, itching, ulcerations, arthritis and fatigue.
Besides purpura, patients may develop kidney problems such as glomerulonephritis, peripheral neuropathy, Sjogren's syndrome, and arthritic symptoms. Furthermore, patients with chronic hepatitis C and cryoglobulinemia have a higher risk for liver disease that progresses to cirrhosis. Interferon may help reduce this progression. And although interferon is known to trigger autoimmune disease development, patients with hepatitis and extrahepatic autoimmune manifestations such as cryoglobulinemia or vasculitis show improvement in these extrahepatic manifestations when they use interferon therapy. Chronic hepatitis C is also associated with pain syndromes including fibromyalgia."
http://suite101.com/article/autoimmune-diseases-and-hepatitis-a5134
Hi I am sorry no one has answered yet, I will try. I do not think the serious side effects bring on any disease.
Some times after treatment there are lingering side effects however they do slowly or slooowy go away. Everyone is different so it is hard to say how each person will react and who will have lingering side effects.
I have read that some people do think that their arthritis may have been exacerbated or sped up by the treatment but I do not think tx gives you a disease
I hope this helps, for right now. If not please ask and I will try to answer. Perhaps a more knowledgeable person who can speak of these things in medical terms will come along. I am more of a support person trying to help
Some times after treatment there are lingering side effects however they do slowly or slooowy go away. Everyone is different so it is hard to say how each person will react and who will have lingering side effects.
I have read that some people do think that their arthritis may have been exacerbated or sped up by the treatment but I do not think tx gives you a disease
I hope this helps, for right now. If not please ask and I will try to answer. Perhaps a more knowledgeable person who can speak of these things in medical terms will come along. I am more of a support person trying to help
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