New or not sure what I have

[nancyjo]

Hello my name is Nancy.I am currently on week 44 of a 48week treatment of Interferon for Hepatitis C.I started constantly itching then sores lesions came on my skin.My drs blame it on my treatment they handle many interferon patients but have seen this before.I feel like i am losing my mind with worry and it is driving me nuts.It is all over my body except face and front of neck and back of thighs.I have scratched of much it is just making it worse.I did see a little piece of string or what i thought was a tail on the end of the sore.I have tried everything for the itching nothing works.I am very frightened so read about this online and see if someone could help me.The itching started after 7 months of interferon so that makes no sense to me.

[Sadsack]

Nancy -

There were many points along a long road for me and my condition. It was like hitting a lot of bumps in the road, all contributing to a breakdown.
I believe my 3 months on Interferon (betaseron injections for MS) was one of the biggest bumps. I got very sick at the end of it, and stopped the injections against my doctor's recommendations. Soon after, the classic M symptoms began to manifest.
I definitely think there is a connection.
For whatever reason, many who develop M have Hep C first; maybe because of the treatment for it?
Wasn't clear what you meant - "My drs blame it on my treatment they handle many interferon patients but have seen this before." - The doctors have or have not seen this before? I think you meant have not.
But your docs don't think you are delusional? That's a plus!

SS

[tcmgpt13]

Hi Nancy and welcome to the forum.

There is some meager evidence that interferon use caused bulbous lesions in one hepatitis C patient treated with this drug so it seems possible to have lesions caused by this drug:

Lupus syndrome, hypothyroidism and bullous skin lesions after interferon alfa therapy for hepatitis C in a haemodialysis patient -- Pouthier et al. 17 (1): 174 -- Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation (excerpt )

The occurrence of bullous skin lesions has been reported in only three patients undergoing IFN-{alpha} therapy. Two patients were being treated for Kaposi's sarcoma [4] with 3 MU weekly. The lesions appeared during the eighth week of treatment. In one of them, direct IF revealed IgG and C3 deposits in the epidermal intercellular substance and C3 deposits at the dermo-epidermal junction consistent with pemphigus/pemphigoid features. The third patient [5], treated with IFN-{alpha} 2a, 9 MU 3 times weekly, for hepatitis C, developed bullous lesions consistent with pemphigus foliaceus with IgG and C3 deposition on the surface of keratinocytes under direct IF. Indirect IF performed on human skin revealed circulating IgG AB that bound to the epithelial cell surface. A skin biopsy was not performed in our patient but the occurrence in the blood of anti-intercellular-substance AB suggests an autoimmune process.

Interferon-alpha-associated development of bullous lesions in mycosis fungoides (another tye of infection, but interferon was associated with bulbous lesions here as well):

R È s u m È / A b s t r a c t
W e r e p o r t a 6 7 - y e a r - o l d w o m a n w i t h m y c o s i s f u n g o i d e s ( M F ) w h o w a s r e c e i v i n g s u b c u t a n e o u s i n j e c t i o n s o f r e c o m b i n a n t i n t e r f e r o n ± - 2 b ( I F N - ± ) . A f t e r 2 m o n t h s o f I F N - ± t r e a t m e n t , b u l l o u s l e s i o n s a p p e a r e d o n h e r t r u n k a n d e x t r e m i t i e s . A s k i n b i o p s y s p e c i m e n f r o m t h e t r u n k r e v e a l e d h i s t o p a t h o l o g i c f e a t u r e s o f b u l l o u s M F . B u l l o u s l e s i o n s w i t h s p e c i f i c i n f i l t r a t e s o f M F a r e v e r y r a r e ; t o t h e b e s t o f o u r k n o w l e d g e , t h i s i s t h e f i r s t c a s e s h o w i n g s p e c i f i c b u l l o u s l e s i o n s o f M F d e v e l o p e d u n d e r I F N - ± t r e a t m e n t .
R e v u e / J o u r n a l T i t l e

Excerpt which mentions hepatitis alone may cause itching if cirrhosis which develops from the hepatitis :

Clinical Symptoms and Signs if cirrohosis is involved with hepatitis C:

Once a patient develops cirrhosis or if the patient has severe disease, symptoms and signs are more prominent. In addition to fatigue, the patient may complain of muscle weakness, poor appetite, nausea, weight loss, itching, dark urine, fluid retention, and abdominal swelling.

Interferon alfa-2b Side Effects | Drugs.com

Other possible side effects/allergic reactions with interferon:

Side Effects of Interferon alfa-2b - for the Consumer
Interferon Alfa-2b Powder

All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome when using Interferon Alfa-2b Powder:

Constipation; diarrhea; dizziness; dry mouth; hair thinning; increased sweating; loss of appetite; mild flu-like symptoms (eg, headache, muscle aches, mild fever or chills); mild redness, swelling, or itching at the injection site; nausea; tiredness; vomiting; weight loss.

Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur when using Interferon Alfa-2b Powder:

Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue; unusual hoarseness); black, tarry, or bloody stools; bloody diarrhea; chest pain; confusion; dark urine; decreased concentration; decreased urination; fainting; fast or irregular heartbeat; hearing problems or loss of hearing; high or persistent fever, chills, or sore throat; mental or mood changes (eg, aggressive behavior, anxiety, depression, hallucination, irritability, nervousness); one-sided weakness; pain or numbness of an arm or leg; pale stools; persistent feeling of being unusually cold; reddened, blistered, swollen, or peeling skin; severe lower back pain; severe or persistent cough; severe or persistent dizziness or headache; severe or persistent muscle pain or weakness; severe or persistent nausea, vomiting, or stomach pain; shortness of breath; slurred speech; symptoms of high blood sugar (eg, increased thirst or urination, unusual drowsiness, flushing, fruit-like breath odor); thoughts of killing yourself or others; unusual bleeding or bruising; vision problems or changes (eg, blurred or double vision, decreased vision, or loss of vision); yellowing of the skin or eyes.

[Sadsack]

Hmmm...I don't see anything about fibers, larva, black specks, or flies in the side effects. Let's hope the description fits Nancy's symptoms.

SS

[tcmgpt13]

Well, ss, Nancy does not seem to have mentioned most of these as symptoms (fibers, larva, black specks, or flies), except for a tail like area on a lesion which is why I looked up what could be happening as far as the medication (interferon) or the effects which could be found from the disease itself, including the possibility of lesions (rare, but it seems the medication may do this in some patients).

[Sadsack]

And that is why I said: "Let's hope the description fits Nancy's symptoms."
I was speaking about my own experience and symptoms.

SS

[tcmgpt13]

Sorry for the misunderstanding ss. Usually I am thinking of the original poster when I reply and don't apply others' experiences with Morgellons to the answer. It kind of sounded as if Nancy may not have Morgellons (I hope not as it sounds as if her hands are full enough), at least not yet and so I made an effort to respond to her symptoms alone. I surely hope something will be of help to her since she sounds so worried. A lot of itching comes from the blood being what herbalists describe as not clean but which normally would be called toxic in Western medicine terminology. I am sure drugs only add to the body's burden when the liver is not right.

[jonsi]

48 weeks of Iterferon? That's almost a year of taking toxins! What in this pharmaceutical?

I think the "morgellons" feeds on toxins or anything our bodies do not recognize as natural.... that includes most of the food we are eating now (GMO's, preservatives, sodas, fast food).

Everybody better wake up! Change your diet and habits. Modern pharmaceutical medicine isn't the cure all. I'm going to zip my lip now....

In the white light,
~jonsi

[Sadsack]

Originally Posted by tcmgpt13

Sorry for the misunderstanding ss. Usually I am thinking of the original poster when I reply and don't apply others' experiences with Morgellons to the answer. It kind of sounded as if Nancy may not have Morgellons (I hope not as it sounds as if her hands are full enough), at least not yet and so I made an effort to respond to her symptoms alone. I surely hope something will be of help to her since she sounds so worried. A lot of itching comes from the blood being what herbalists describe as not clean but which normally would be called toxic in Western medicine terminology. I am sure drugs only add to the body's burden when the liver is not right.

I hope she "only" has Hep C, also.
I remember when I was on Betaseron just a week (every other day self injections), one night I had the most horrible sensations in my body. I can't even describe it. I couldn't get comfortable, couldn't sleep, couldn't even feel soothed mentally. It was like there was something in my body fighting with the interferon. I think it was a turning point, a precipitation of a somewhat dormant "Morgellons infection", whatever the hell that is.

I don't like taking RX meds anymore, and very seldom do. But when faced with an issue like viral hepatitis, or even a bladder infection, how do you get around it with them? Hep C can kill; bladder infections that aren't brought under control using cranberry juice, Uva Ursi, corn silk tea, etc, can spread to kidneys and eventually lead to very serious kidney disease. It's a real dilemma, and a decision that can't be made lightly.

SS

[nancyjo]

I Want To Thank You All For Your Replies.i Have Been Undectable With The Viruse Since May.so It Is Killing The Virus But Now What Other Damage Has It Done I Am Not Sure.at Age 54 And Viral Load Count At 3million I Did Not Feel I Had A Choice But To Do Treatment.the Side Effects Are So Great.with Failing Vision From Fuchs Cornea Dystrophy And All This Blurriness And Itching And Nausea And Anemia.for A While Suicide Was Adaily Thought.then I Thought Why Go Through This And Then End My Life.depression Is Beyond Belief.i Am Sorry I Was Unclear But I Find It Weird My Drs Treat Interferon Patients And Never Saw Anyone With My Itching And Sores.i Cannot Get Into A Dermotoligist Till March 22nd.i End Treat The 20th Of Jan.reading The Posts Has Been A Big Help.is There Any Place I Can Go To Find Out Exactly What I Have?do You Think The Health Dept Might Be Able To Help? Nancy