Harmful Brain Effects of Interferons

[Guest guest]

I would advise anyone to seek alternative therapy and

to NOT put these poisons in your body. Example:

Hepatitis C is cured by high doses of Vitamin C

administered by IV. The only side effects are

beneficial ones like cleaning out chemicals and heavy

metals, making your organs healthier, etc. F.

 

http://www.mercola.com/2004/jul/14/interferons.htm

 

Harmful Brain Effects of Interferons

 

 

Dr. Mercola's Comment:

 

Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon

and author of the highly recommended books Health and

Nutrition Secrets That Can Save your Life and Natural

Strategies for Cancer Patients, contributed this

outstanding article about interferons, which are used

widely for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS),

hepatitis, cancer and more. If you, or someone you

know, are taking these drugs, this article will help

you decide if the benefits outweigh the many risks.

 

By Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/

 

Interferons are used in clinical medicine for a number

of medical conditions including:

 

* A wide range of cancers

* Chronic hepatitis

* Multiple sclerosis

* Chronic granulomatous disease

* AIDS-related disorders

 

Rarely considered are the effects of large doses of

this immune cytokine on brain function. For example,

the conventional treatment of chronic hepatitis is

interferon-alpha-2b. Despite poor results in

controlling the disease and the existence of safer,

more effective natural treatments, physicians continue

to use this toxic treatment. Of major concern are the

neurologic effects of the treatment.

 

Acute Problems

 

It is known that interferons have two patterns of

injury to the brain. One is acute and occurs within

hours of treatment, often lasting for the first one to

three weeks of the treatment. This usually includes

fever, chills, headache and fatigue.

 

Chronic Problems

 

This is followed by a chronic phase in which more

serious injuries to the nervous system result. Chronic

symptoms can include malaise, lethargy, somnolence,

headaches, low-grade fevers, anorexia (loss of

appetite) and more serious symptoms such as

psychomotor symptoms, cognitive problems, psychiatric

behaviors and even delirium and coma.

 

Brain Toxicity

 

The severity of symptoms depends on the dose of the

interferon and manner of administering the medication.

Continuous infusion of high-dose interferons is

associated with more severe neurologic problems. It is

known that chronic brain toxicities occur at all doses

but more so after doses higher than 18 million to 20

million units a day. Most common is severe fatigue.

 

Even lower doses have been associated with a lack of

drive and disinterest in participating in normal

activities, a process called psychomotor retardation.

This occurs in anywhere from 47 percent to 80 percent

of patients. Changes in the ability to think clearly

(cognitive changes) are frequently seen in patients

treated with as little as 9 million units of

interferon per week. The difficulty with thinking

reaches a peak at one to three months. This can

include a decreased attention span, difficulty

concentrating, defective short-term memory and mental

clouding.

 

Studies have described frequent periods of silence and

vacant staring, occurring even in mid-sentence.

Objective testing for recall and cognitive function

have shown an incidence of 17 percent to 50 percent in

patients receiving standard doses of interferons. Most

of these cognitive difficulties do improve, yet there

are reports of persistent impairments lasting up to

two years following cessation of treatment.

 

In some patients the effect is so severe on the brain

that patients sleep up to 20 hours a day and during

waking periods experience disorientation and

confusion. Speech difficulties (expressive dysphasia)

and problems with balance have also been reported. On

rare instances, these neurological effects have

progressed to a demented state. Hallucinations have

also been reported.

 

It is important to appreciate that the patients in the

first two categories to be described had no previous

psychiatric history. Renault and co-workers, who

examined many of these patients, divided the

neurobehavioral effects into three syndromes: organic

personality syndrome, organic affective syndrome and

delirium effects. Patients with organic personality

syndrome frequently experience uncontrollable

overreaction to minor frustrations, are very irritable

and have a short temper.

 

Depression Common

 

Those with the organic affective syndrome often

describe feelings of depression and hopelessness. They

cry easily and have difficulty interacting socially

with others. Patients experiencing delirium have a

clouding of their thinking, have short-term memory

problems and have frequent mood changes. Many become

severely agitated, abusive, withdrawn and may exhibit

suicidal thoughts, delusions of being persecuted and

phobias. Patients having delirium symptoms often had

co-existing liver disease, history of psychiatric

disorder or previous brain injury.

 

Severe Reactions in Cancer Treatment

 

The most severe effects have been seen in patients

treated for cancers. In these patients death due to

encephalopathy (widespread brain injury) and

associated seizures have been described. This may be a

result of combined toxicities of radiation,

chemotherapy and interferon.

 

Interferon-gamma is less toxic than the alpha or

beta-interferons. With higher doses one can see

chronic neurotoxicities, which can include dizziness,

slowed thinking, confusion, crying spells, and even

symptoms resembling Parkinson's disease.

 

How Interferon Ruins Your Brain

 

The mechanism of this injury to the brain appears to

involve the brain's special immune cell called the

microglia. Normally, these cells remain dormant in the

brain. That is, they are sleeping. Microglia cells can

be activated by numerous factors, including mercury,

aluminum, iron, overvaccination, and brain trauma,

strokes, infections (viruses, bacteria, rickettsia)

and cytokines such as interferons.

 

Once activated, microglia can move about the brain

secreting very toxic compounds, which include two

excitotoxins (glutamate and quinolinic acid). These

excitotoxins dramatically increase free radical

generation in the brain as well as oxidation of lipids

(called lipid peroxidation). These radicals damage

synaptic connections, interfere with neurotransmitters

and can even kill neurons. In addition, these

activated microglia generate other toxic compounds

such as prostaglandins (PGE2), which increase brain

inflammation.

 

If the microglia activation is short lived, the damage

to the brain is minimal and recovery takes place. Yet,

should the activation continue, which would occur with

high-dose and long-term use of interferons, the damage

could be substantial and irreversible. Protecting the

brain with high-dose and varied antioxidants as well

as certain metabolic stimulants can substantially

reduce this damage. Certain nutrients, such as malate,

pyruvate, DHA, ascorbate, magnesium and

methylcobalamin inhibit excitotoxicity.

 

Physicians Frequently Miss Side Effects

 

Physicians often ignore patient complaints of

neurological difficulties during interferon

treatments, assuming they are benign and reversible.

As stated in the beginning, natural alternatives have

been shown to be much more effective and dramatically

safer than interferon treatments.

 

Related Articles:

 

MS Drugs 'a Waste of Money'

 

Hepatitis Drug Interferon Linked to Depression

 

Amazing Recovery From Multiple Sclerosis

 

Is Glutamine Supplementation Helpful or Harmful?

 

Is it Hepatitis C or Iron Toxicity?

 

Modified Interferon Reported to be Effective

Against Hepatitis C

 

References:

 

Turowski RC, Triozzi PL. Central Nervous System

Toxicities of Cytokine Therapy. In, Plotnikoff NP, et

al (eds): Cytokines: Stress and Immunity. CRC Press,

Boca Raton,1998. pp 93-114.

 

Adams F, et al. Neuropsychiatric manifestations of

human leukocyte interferon therapy in patients with

cancer. JAMA 252: 938, 1984.

 

Iaffaiolo RV, et al. Neurotxic effects of

long-term treatment with low-dose ab interferon.

Current Therapy Research 48: 403, 1990.

 

Meyers CA, et al. Persistent neurotoxicity of

systemically administered interferon-a Neurology 41:

672, 1991.

 

Renault PF, et al. Psychiatrc complications of

long-term interferon-a therapy. Arch Internal Medicine

147: 1577, 1987.

 

Kurzock R, et al. Phase I study if IV

administrated recombinant g interferon in cancer

patients. Cancer Treatment Reports 70: 1357, 1986.

 

Blaylock RL. Chronic Microglial activation and

excitotoxicity secondary to excessive immune

stimulation: Possible factors in Gulf War Syndrome and

autism. Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons.

9: 46-51, 2004.