I'm considering having interferon injections from a local Peyronie's specialist, Dr. Goldstein in San Diego. He prefers interferon to Verapamil and has also taken part in Xiaflex trials. Experienced uro with a good reputation.
I'm in my 10th month of Peyronie's and still sexually functional, but I have some bending/denting/hourglass/shrinkage that I would like to stop before it becomes incapacitating. My concern is that injections may worsen the situation rather than make it better. Even if it could just halt the progress that would be great, because I could live with this as it stands. I just hate seeing it progress every week and knowing where it may end up.
I'm taking all the usual supplements of course plus Pentox 1600 mg per day. Tried traction briefly but it seemed to irritate scar tissue around the glans at the strap site, so gave it up.
Thanks in advance for any input.
Until you will get a concrete answer, make a search on the home page of the forum for interferon
James
I had alpha interferon injections over ten years ago with little improvement and all the flu like symptoms
that accompanied them.
DanT
Not from Peyronies aspect, did you had blood tests before and after the injections?
Did you had changes in the red blood counts, white blood counts and platelets?
I will appreciate your answer.
James
Hi,
Is there any article about interferon?
Best regards,
Chand
Chand
A search for interferon on the forum home page will give you 47 posts regarding interferon.
James
Hello,
I just wanted to f/u w/ you to see if you ever got the interferon injections. If so, did they produce any desired results? Were you able to rid yourself of the indentation, and/or narrowing you had?
Please get back to me at your earliest convenience.
- Angello E.
I am not familiar with Interferon for peyronies but am of its use as an immunity booster. It can make you quite ill. I've known people that could not go to work for 6 months because they felt weak, tired, sick at their stomach and achey from interferon.
This new study shows that intralesional interferon injections are more effective than HA or Xiafelx ...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30692028
I would advise against interferon.
I'm scheduled to have my first interferon injections in about 4 weeks. My current urologist has had success with her other patients with the use of interferon. And, she didn't seem concerned with the fact that I had gone through 7 rounds of Xiaflex with another urologist (2018). I'm currently taking pentox and using the Restorex traction--and will continue this during the injections as well.
I'll report back in a few weeks with my interferon update.
I want a straight dick just as much as anyone else. But I don't want it this bad. Keep in mind that most Doctors do NOT care about side effect of medicines. Maybe if they were taking the drug they would care. Their job is to Dispense drugs. One long time GP I had came out and told me he didn't care about side effects. These look way worse than Xiaflex side effects warnings. I have had no side effects from Xiaflex. May long term will be different. Don't know . X is just made to treat one thing--Peyrones. Interferon is a lot different. We have to look out for ourselves. Peyrones is not life threatening. What risk are we willing to take for a straight dick?:
https://www.healthline.com/health/hepatitis-c/interferons-long-term-effects
Interferons for Hepatitis C: Understanding the Long-Term Side Effects
Interferons and long-term effects
Common effects
Boxed warnings
Other serious effects
Interferon and ribavirin side effects
More about interferons
Talk with your doctor
Introduction
Interferons are medications that used to be standard treatments for hepatitis C.
However, newer treatments called direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are now the standard of care for treating hepatitis C. This is largely because they've been shown to be more effective than interferons and to cause fewer side effects.
But if you've taken interferons in the past, you might still be seeking information on the side effects that may occur due to long-term hepatitis C treatment with interferons.
If so, read on to learn about possible long-term interferon side effects, including symptoms to watch for. You'll also learn about hepatitis C and how interferons were used to treat it.
Why interferons cause long-term side effects
Interferon treatment for hepatitis C would typically last 24–48 weeks (6–12 months). Interferons caused many long-term side effects partly because of this long treatment time.
Using the drug for this length of time gave side effects a chance to develop and get worse.
Another reason for the long-term side effects was that interferons were often used with ribavirin to treat hepatitis C. Ribavirin further raised the risk of side effects.
More common long-term side effects
The more common long-term side effects of interferons are typically less severe. These side effects can include:
swelling or other reactions at the injection site
flu-like symptoms such as headache, tiredness, and weakness
chills
fever
trouble sleeping
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
irritability or other mood changes
muscle pain
low levels of white blood cells
loss of appetite
itchy skin
If you have these side effects and you're concerned that they relate to your interferon exposure, call your doctor. They can assess you and determine if the interferons or something else is causing your symptoms.
Boxed warning side effects
Some side effects from interferons are serious enough to be included in a boxed warning.
A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Side effects highlighted in the boxed warning include autoimmune diseases, mood disorders, increased infections, and stroke.
Autoimmune diseases
Interferons can boost your body's production of certain antibodies. Antibodies are cells that fight harmful substances in your body. Antibodies may mistake some of your healthy cells for invaders and attack them.
This can cause a range of autoimmune disorders, such as psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus.
Symptoms of autoimmune diseases can include:
decreased or increased energy levels
increased tiredness
fever
rash
changes in urination, such as an increased urge to urinate and a decreased amount of urine output
retaining water, with symptoms such as puffiness in your face, arms, or legs
pain or swelling in your joints
Call your doctor if you have any of these symptoms after having received interferon therapy.
Serious depression and other mood disorders
Interferons can cause or worsen serious depression or other mental illness. The risk for each condition is higher if you've had that condition before. It's not known why interferons can cause mood disorders.
Symptoms may include:
aggressive behavior
hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that aren't real)
mania (feeling highly excited and restless)
thoughts of suicide
Call your doctor right away if you have serious mood changes, depression, or thoughts of suicide.
Increased infections
White blood cells fight infections as part of your immune system. Interferons can change the way white blood cells fight infection.
Interferons can also slow cell growth, which can cause lower levels of white blood cells. Low levels of white blood cells can cause more frequent infections. And if you already have infections, interferons can make them more serious.
Signs of a new infection include:
fever or chills
sore throat
burning feeling when urinating
body aches
flu-like symptoms
skin changes such as bruising, flaking, and redness
You may also experience worsened symptoms — like pain and itching — of old infections such as herpes or fungal infections.
Call your doctor if any of these symptoms appear suddenly or get worse. Levels of white blood cells typically return to normal when interferon therapy is stopped, alleviating the increased risk of infection.
Stroke
Interferons can cause increased blood pressure and heart rate, which a.....
Bubba Dawg, thanks for the information. The potential side effects are definitely a concern. However, keep in mind that EVERY single treatment for Peyronies Disease will involve some degree of risk. The various surgeries certainly have short and long term risks. Xiaflex comes with many warnings. Even strategies involving traction, daily pentox, etc., have potential risks. I have been trying to avoid surgery (in my eyes it's the riskiest of all of the treatments), so I have tried everything (Xiaflex, pentox, supplements, traction, etc.) over the last 5 years--with the exception of interferon. If this doesn't work, then I'm headed to surgery (penoscrotal plication will be my preference, but my urologist hasn't given me her specific opinion yet). After researching the studies involving interferon (mostly positive...some very positive), I feel good about giving it a try...and my urologist does too. If my body has a negative reaction to the injections, then I'll waive the white flag early. Anyway, this is my game plan...and everyone has to decide for themselves what they are willing to risk in order to have regular sex again. I miss it....a lot. I've been divorced and single since the onset of Peyronies Disease (which played a major part in my divorce) and my dating situations have all been negatively affected by this disease. Obviously, sex is important to any long term relationship. I don't consider myself a big risk-taker in life, but at some point we have to have some level of faith...and hope...in the studies, our health team, etc. And, we all have to decide which life battles are important and worth the calculated risks. For me, having a sexual and loving relationship at some point before I die is a battle worth fighting. Interferon doesn't work for everyone (just like all of the other treatments), but it has worked with some guys (see studies). I'm approaching it with my eyes wide open...full of hope. If it doesn't work, then I'll put my hope in surgery. One way or the other, I'm determined to keep fighting for my dream.
PS: In regards to the interferon/hepatitis C article, keep in mind that the author is talking about the treatment of a disease totally different than Peyronies Disease. The amount of interferon, frequency of injections, location of injection, type of interferon (there are three types) will probably differ drastically from the protocol used for Peyronies Disease. The main side effect mentioned in the Peyronies Disease/interferon studies is the possibility of flu-like symptoms lasting 24 hours or so in some patients. Nevertheless, its still good information and I appreciate all the knowledge I can gather beforehand--thanks for finding that!
You cannot compare interferon treatments for hep C with that of Peyronies Disease.
In my experience in health care, I have only encountered one patient who used interferon to successfully cure himself of hep C. They use Harvoni nowadays and even newer ones that work better than Harvoni.
Anyway - for the hep C one - you feel like crap for an entire year. (You have to be on interferon for a full year or so.) Kind of like you have the flu. It is old medicine. No longer used. Different ball game.
Quote from: webfoot35 on January 31, 2019, 10:37:19 PM
I'm scheduled to have my first interferon injections in about 4 weeks. [..] I'll report back in a few weeks with my interferon update.
Would love to get an update about the result of your interferon injections!