Interferon Alfacon-1 (Subcutaneous Route)

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Side Effects

Along with its needed effects, a medicine may cause some unwanted effects. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention.

Check with your doctor immediately if any of the following side effects occur:

• Anxiety
• Black, tarry stools
• Blood in the urine or stools
• Body aches or pain
• Burning, crawling, itching, numbness, prickling, "pins and needles", or tingling feelings
• Chest pain
• Confusion
• Congestion
• Cough or hoarseness
• Crying
• Delusions
• Dementia
• Depersonalization
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Difficult or labored breathing
• Dryness or soreness of the throat
• Dysphoria
• Euphoria
• Feeling unusually cold
• Fever or chills
• General feeling of discomfort or illness
• Headache
• Increased sweating
• Joint pain
• Loss of appetite
• Lower back or side pain
• Mental depression
• Muscle aches and pains
• Nausea
• Nervousness
• Painful or difficult urination
• Paranoia
• Pinpoint red spots on the skin
• Quick to react or overreact emotionally
• Rapidly changing moods
• Redness at the place of injection
• Runny nose
• Shivering
• Shortness of breath
• Sore throat
• Sweating
• Tender, swollen glands in the neck
• Tightness in the chest
• Trouble with sleeping
• Trouble with swallowing
• Trouble with thinking or concentrating
• Unusual bleeding or bruising
• Unusual tiredness or weakness
• Voice changes
• Wheezing

• Irregular heartbeat

• Blurred vision or loss of vision
• Skin rash, hives, or itching

• Abdominal or stomach pain
• Bleeding gums
• Bloody or black, tarry stools
• Change in walking and balance
• Clay-colored stools
• Clumsiness or unsteadiness
• Confusion
• Constipation
• Coughing up blood
• Dark-colored urine
• Decreased urination
• Difficulty with breathing or swallowing
• Dizziness
• Dry mouth
• Fainting
• Fast heartbeat
• Full or bloated feeling
• Increase in heart rate
• Increased menstrual flow or vaginal bleeding
• Lightheadedness
• Loss of consciousness
• Muscle cramps or spasms
• Nosebleeds
• Paralysis
• Pressure in the stomach
• Prolonged bleeding from cuts
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Red or black, tarry stools
• Red or dark brown urine
• Seizures
• Severe stomach pain
• Shakiness and unsteady walk
• Shakiness in the legs, arms, hands, or feet
• Sunken eyes
• Swelling of the abdominal or stomach area
• Thirst
• Trembling or shaking of the hands or feet
• Unpleasant breath odor
• Unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination
• Vomiting of blood or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Wrinkled skin
• Yellow eyes or skin

Some side effects may occur that usually do not need medical attention. These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects. Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about them:

• Acid or sour stomach
• Aching muscles
• Back pain
• Belching
• Decreased appetite
• Difficulty with moving
• Feeling of warmth
• General feeling of discomfort or illness
• Hair loss
• Heartburn or indigestion
• Lack or loss of strength
• Loss of memory
• Muscle pain or stiffness
• Pain in the back or joints
• Pain in the limbs, muscles, or neck
• Pain or tenderness around the eyes and cheekbones
• Problems with memory
• Redness of the face, neck, arms, and occasionally, upper chest
• Sleeplessness
• Stomach discomfort, upset, or pain
• Stuffy nose
• Sudden sweating
• Swollen joints
• Thinning of the hair
• Unable to sleep
• Weight loss

• Being forgetful
• Bleeding, blistering, burning, coldness, discoloration of the skin, feeling of pressure, hives, infection, inflammation, itching, lumps, numbness, pain, rash, redness, scarring, soreness, stinging, swelling, tenderness, tingling, ulceration, or warmth at the injection site
• Blistering, peeling, or loosening of the skin
• Bone pain
• Burning feeling in the chest or stomach
• Change in vision
• Difficulty with moving
• Difficulty with speaking
• False beliefs that cannot be changed by facts
• Hearing loss
• Pain, swelling, or redness in the joints
• Red, irritated eyes
• Red skin lesions, often with a purple center
• Seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there
• Sores, ulcers, or white spots in the mouth or on the lips

Interferon alfacon-1 may cause a temporary loss of some hair. After treatment has ended, normal hair growth should return.

Other side effects not listed may also occur in some patients. If you notice any other effects, check with your healthcare professional.

Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report side effects to the FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

Copyright © 2013 Thomson Healthcare Inc. All rights reserved. Information is for End User's use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.