Tips on managing side effects of drugs
Flu-like Symptoms
Flu-like symptoms, such as headache, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and chills, are the most common side effects of interferon therapy. They usually resolve after a few months of treatment. Starting therapy using a low dose and gradually increasing the dose may help minimize these symptoms.
Tips for Preventing Flu-like Symptoms
- Take injections in the evening to sleep through some of the possible side effects
- Talk to your clinician about taking an antipyretic, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), before and, if needed, several hours after injections
Skin Reactions
Immune therapy is injected into the body using a long (intramuscular) or short (subcutaneous) needle. Injections can cause skin reactions that include redness, swelling, pain, and allergic reactions. Changing the injection site with each administration gives irritated skin time to heal.Tips for Preventing Skin Reactions
- Keep skin area at the injection site clean and dry
- Make sure the drug is completely dissolved before injecting and is at room temperature- body temperature is preferable
- Get proper injection training from a registered nurse or other health care professional
- Avoid injecting into areas where there are lumps, firm knots, depressions, pain, or discoloration
- Avoid applying perfumed soaps and creams, self-tanning agents, or any other substances that may irritate the skin at the injection site
- Avoid exposing areas of newly injected skin in sunlight. (Consider using sites such as the abdomen or buttocks during the summer months.)
- Report any break in the skin or drainage of fluid from the injection site
- Talk to your clinician about using an auto-injector for subcutaneous (under the skin) interferon injections
