as a decrease or loss of vision (blindness) may happen in some patients. You should have an eye exam before you take INTRON A. If you have eye problems or have had them in the past, you may need eye exams while you are taking INTRON A. Tell your healthcare provider or eye doctor right away if you have changes in your vision while taking INTRON A.
Heart problems. Some patients taking INTRON A may develop problems with their heart, including low blood pressure, fast heart rate, and very rarely, heart attacks. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had any heart problems in the past.
Blood problems. INTRON A commonly lowers two types of blood cells (white blood cells and platelets). In some patients, these blood counts may fall to dangerously low levels. If your blood cell counts become very low, you could get infections or have bleeding problems.
If you are taking INTRON A and REBETOL combination therapy, REBETOL can cause a drop in your number of red blood cells (anemia). A very low red blood cell count can be dangerous, especially if you have heart or breathing problems.
For other possible side effects of INTRON A, see "What are the possible side effects of INTRON A?" in this Medication Guide.
Body organ problems. INTRON A may cause lung problems including: trouble breathing, pneumonia, inflammation of lung tissue, and new or worse high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), which can be severe and may in some cases lead to death. Certain symptoms like severe stomach pain may mean that your internal organs are being damaged. Cases of weakness, loss of coordination, and numbness due to stroke have been reported in patients taking Intron A, including patients with few or no reported risk factors for stroke.
What is INTRON® A?
The INTRON A product contains a man-made protein called interferon. Interferon is a protein that is part of the body's immune system that "interferes" with the growth of viruses or cancer cells.
It is not known if INTRON A or INTRON A/REBETOL® combination therapy can cure hepatitis B or C (permanently eliminate the virus) or if it can prevent liver failure or liver cancer that is caused by hepatitis B or C infection.
It is also not known if INTRON A or INTRON A/REBETOL combination therapy will prevent one infected person from infecting another person with hepatitis B or C.
Who should not take INTRON® A?
Do not take INTRON A alone or in combination with REBETOL® if you:
are pregnant, planning to get pregnant, or breast-feeding
are a male patient on combination therapy and have a female sexual partner who is pregnant or plans to become pregnant while you are being treated with REBETOL or during the 6 months after your treatment has ended
have autoimmune hepatitis (hepatitis caused by your immune system attacking your liver) or unstable liver disease (yellowing of the skin and eyes, swelling of the abdomen)
had an allergic reaction to another alpha interferon or ribavirin or are allergic to any of the ingredients in INTRON A or REBETOL
If you have any of the following conditions or serious medical problems, tell your healthcare provider before taking INTRON A alone or in combination with REBETOL:
depression or anxiety
eye problems
sleep problems
high blood pressure
previous heart attack, or other heart problems
liver problems (other than hepatitis B or C)
any kind of autoimmune disease (where the body's immune system attacks the body's own ce
