Find medication information including related drug classes, side effects, patient statistics and answers to frequently asked questions. Welcome to the hep forums, a roundtheclock discussion area for people who have hepatitis b, c or a coinfection, their friends and family and others with questions about hepatitis and liver health. Ribavirin can cause birth defects andor fetal death. Sideeffects, further information side effects listed are reported when oral ribavirin is used in combination with peginterferon alfa or interferon alfa, consult product literature for details. Side effects, further information side effects listed are reported when oral ribavirin is used in combination with peginterferon alfa or interferon alfa, consult product literature for details. If you take harvoni with ribavirin, you should also read the ribavirin medication guide for important pregnancyrelated information. These may be signs of a serious side effect of copegus treatment.
Managing side effects of harvoni and ribavirin ledipasvirsofosbuvir harvoni cough ribavirin. Commonly reported side effects of ribavirin include. Interferon alfa2b is made from human proteins that help the body fight viral infections. You may report side effects to health canada at 18662342345. For patient 3, the ribavirin concentration was maintained at 50 to 200. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of a particular drug is. These are not all the possible side effects of ribavirin. Jan 11, 2019 ribavirin may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how ribavirin works. Treatment medications and side effects harvoni is a fixeddose combination tablet containing ledipasvir 90mg and sofosbuvir 400mg. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take. Side effects of virazole ribavirin, warnings, uses rxlist. In canada call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.
Get emergency medical attention if you have chest pain. Virazole for inhalation solution is an antiviral drug used to treat infants and young children who have a severe lung infection caused by the respiratory syncytial virus. Interferon alfa2b and ribavirin are packaged together as a capsule. Ribavirin must be used together with an interferon alfa product such as pegasys, pegintron, sylatron, or intron a to treat chronic hepatitis c. Pdf use of ribavirin for hepatitis c treatment in the. Serious side effects include red blood cell breakdown, liver problems, and allergic reactions.
Read this medication guide carefully before you start taking copegus. In addition, ribavirin has a multiple dose halflife of 12 days, and it may persist in nonplasma compartments for as long as 6. Before taking ribavirin, tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are allergic to it. To improve the pharmacokinetic profile and reduce side effects, a ribavirin prodrug was considered for development. The risk for anemia from rbv is higher for people over 65 and women. See below for a comprehensive list of adverse effects. Rebetol ribavirin side effects, images, uses, dosage. If you are having a serious side effect such as chest pain, please seek immediate medical attention. The present metaanalysis study assessed the psychiatric side effects of peg ifn and ribavirin in iranian patients with chronic hepatitis c infection. Iv dosage n12 received iv ribavirin at the end of the trial when the iv became available for patients unable to tolerate oral ribavirin. The large registration trials of directacting antiviral daa agents used for the treatment of chronic hcv infection have generally excluded patients with significant renal impairment, frequent side effects that were likely directly related to the ribavirin, including anemia, fatigue, nausea, and diarrhea, and 9 of patients interrupted. Apr 25, 2016 ribavirin is a drug used to treat hepatitis c.
Ribavirin side effects, dosage, interactions drugs. The interferon alpha and ribavirin tail, with 180mcg of interferon weekly and a ribavirin dose of about 1200mg daily based on body weight has caused some really bizarre long term side effects in a small minority of patients, many of whom insist they were not warned of the possibility of such ill effects. If experienced, these tend to have a severe expression. Ribavirin, once a staple of hepatitis c treatment, has significant drawbacks, including treatmentlimiting side effects, the requirement for intensive laboratory monitoring, the need for frequent.
There were no major side effects or mortality associated with ribavirin. Ribavirin may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide. The dosage regimen was 30 mgkg iv as a loading dose, then 16 mgkg iv every 6 hours for 4 days, followed by 8 mgkg iv every 8 hours for 3 days. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. Gastrointestinal side effects associated with oral ribavirin in combination with peginterferon alfa2a, peginterferon alfa2b, or interferon alfa2b have included nausea up to 47%, nausea and vomiting up to 29%, diarrhea up to 22%, vomiting up to 14%, abdominal pain up to %, dry mouth up to 12%. When used longterm, ribavirin can cause serious side effects. Lassa fevercomplicationsdrug therapy, ribavirinadverse effects. Although its usage has been associated with a number of adverse effects, most of them are.
Medication guide copegus copeguhs ribavirin tablets. You may also report side effects to genentech at 18888352555. Hemolytic anemia is a very low level of red blood cells. Ribavirin rebetol, copegus, ribasphere, ribapak, moderiba is a drug used in combination with interferon for the treatment of chronic hepatitis c. Significant teratogenic andor embryocidal effects have been demonstrated in all animal species exposed to ribavirin. Ribavirin represents a nucleotide analogue of guanosine and a broadspectrum direct antiviral agent. Ribavirin must be used together with an interferon alfa product such as pegasys, pegintron, sylatron, or intron a. It comes as an oral tablet, oral capsule, oral liquid solution, and inhalant solution. To avoid pregnancy, use at least 2 forms of contraception that includes a barrier method such as condoms plus an iud or diaphragm during treatment and for at least 6 months after treatment has inished.
Some medicines can cause serious side effects if taken while you. Ask your health care provider if there are interactions between ribavirin and the other medicines you take. Jan 28, 2020 hypersensitivity side effects have included reactions such as urticaria, angioedema, bronchoconstriction, and anaphylaxis in patients treated with alfa interferon and ribavirin the active ingredient contained in rebetol severe skin reactions including vesiculobullous eruptions, stevensjohnson syndrome, erythema multiforme, and exfoliative. Ribavirin may slow growth and weight gain in children. Common side effects of virazole include chest soreness, rednessirritation of the eye or eyelid, pinkeye conjunctivitis, breathing problems, irregular. Notify your provider of any adverse efects during treatment. Ribavirin oral tablet drug information, side effects, faqs. Managing side effects of sofosbuvir and ribavirin hepatitis. Pdf management of rare side effects of peginterferon and. Pharmacokinetics and effects of ribavirin following. Also, your health care professional may be able to tell you about ways to prevent or reduce some of these side effects.
There is no information on ribavirin side effects according to raceethnicity. Copegus ribavirin dose, indications, adverse effects. Management of rare side effects of peginterferon and ribavirin therapy during hepatitis c treatment. Methods the terms hepatitis c, hepatitis c virus hcv, treatment, side effects, interferon, peginterferon, ribavirin, anaemia, haemoglobin, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia, haematological, growth factor, erythropoietin and gcsf were searched on medline for the period 19912009. The interferon alpha and ribavirin tail, with 180mcg of interferon weekly and a ribavirin dose of about 1200mg daily based on body weight has caused some really bizarre long term side effects in a small minority of patients, many of whom insist they. Guidelines for use of inhaled ribavirin infectious diseases. An open label trial of 194 patients ribavirin n140. In rare cases, this can lead to fatal heart problems. Rbv is always used with other drugs, so it is not known whether there are differences in how well it works by age, gender, or race ethnicity.
These side effects were evaluated in patients treated with peg ifn and ribavirin in order to determine whether it is reasonable to reduce these effects by replacing those drugs. Nausea, diarrhea, stomach upset, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, trouble sleeping, cough, low appetite, weight loss or gain, dry skin, or. In addition, ribavirin has a multipledose halflife of 12 days and may persist in nonplasma compartments for as long as 6 months. For more information ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist. The information is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, drug interactions or adverse effects, nor should it be construed to indicate that use of. Ribavirin may affect the way other medicines or products work, and other medicines or products may affect how ribavirin works. Talk with your health care provider about possible side effects and how they will be managed. Patients should talk to their doctor about what to expect with treatment with. For more information, ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
These side effects may go away during treatment as your body adjusts to the medicine. If you have questions about this medicine talk to your doctor, pharmacist, or health care provider. Longterm effects of interferonribavirin hep c discussion. Call your doctor if you have any unusual problems while taking this medication. The description of adverse reactions is based on events from clinical studies approximately 200 patients conducted prior to 1986, and the controlled trial of aerosolized virazole ribavirin conducted in 19891990. Treatment and prevention of these side effects are discussed separately. Common side effects include feeling tired, headache, nausea, fever, muscle pains, and an irritable mood. If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor or pharmacist. Review side effects, drug interactions, dosage, and pregnancy safety information prior to taking any medication. The side effects of ribavirin described in the boxed warning include. Ribavirin capsule oral rebetol side effects, medical uses. The csf ribavirin concentrations were comparable to those at which ribavirin completely inhibited sspe virus replication without toxicity in.
Ask your health care provider about possible side effects from ribavirin. In addition, ribavirin has a multiple dose halflife of 12 days, and it may persist in nonplasma compartments for as long as 6 months. The standard treatment for hepatitis c hcv is the combination of interferon ifn and ribavirin rbv taken for 48 weeks. Ribavirin oral tablet is available in a generic form.
Apr 06, 2020 ribavirin must be used together with an interferon alfa product such as pegasys, pegintron, sylatron, or intron a to treat chronic hepatitis c. Ribavirin capsule oral rebetol side effects, medical. Keep a list that includes all prescription and overthecounter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider. Ribavirin is used in combination with other antiviral medications such as interferon, sofosbuvir to treat chronic longlasting hepatitis c, a viral infection of the liver. Guidelines for use of inhaled ribavirin infectious. Treatment medications and side effects epclusa is a fixeddose combination tablet containing sofosbuvir 400mg and velpatasvir 100mg. Nausea, diarrhea, stomach upset, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, trouble sleeping, cough, low appetite, weight loss or gain, dry skin, or changes in tastehearing may occur. Get emergency medical help if you have signs of an allergic reaction. You will take epclusa once daily by mouth with or without food. It is not clear whether rbv passes into breast milk. The most common side effects of rebetol in children include.
Check with your health care professional if any of the following side effects continue or are bothersome or if you have any questions about. Common side effects of copegus taken with pegasys include. Other side effects that may be caused by ribavirin include inflammation of the pancreas pancreatitis, lung problems, eye problems, dental disorders, allergic reactions, and delayed growth in children. It is used with interferon alfa to treat hepatitis c. I also am on a 8 week treatment and have some nasty side effects i am on day 9 the migraines do subside but i still get daily headaches which are controllable with tylenol i was nauseas to the pint of vomitti g for the first 6 days but havent in the last few days i find now i have good and bad days and times throughout the day i take my meds. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. Some people develop anemia low red blood cell count from rbv, usually within the first few weeks of treatment. Unfortunately, this combination has serious side effects and is not very effective.
Chronic hepatitis c infection can cause serious liver problems such as scarring cirrhosis, or liver cancer. The regimen of interferon plus ribavirin is rarely used in the united states. Ribavirin for intravenous administration virazole is of limited availability, produced by icn valeant for compassionate use under an investigational new drug ind application 7. What is the most important information i should know about.
You will take harvoni once daily by mouth with or without food. These are not all the possible side effects of copegus treatment. Its typically prescribed in combination with other medications for up to 24 weeks. Although this therapy is effective against hepatitis c virus, it has several side effects 101. Significant teratogenic and embryocidal effects have been demonstrated in all animal species exposed to ribavirin. Talk to your childs doctor about the risks of giving this medication to your child. Ribavirin for intravenous administration is supplied in vials containing mg and 800 mg of ribavirin dissolved in 10ml phosphate buffer solution.