for Veterans and the Public
Blood tests
Your VA health care providers will look at your blood test results every 1-2 months while you are on treatment with interferon and ribavirin. They want to be sure that the medicines are not lowering your blood counts to unsafe levels. Blood tests also give your providers an idea of how well your treatments are working.
Following are some things that can be found by blood tests.
Low red blood cells
Ribavirin is harmful (toxic) to red blood cells and can damage them. Interferon leads to fewer red blood cells being produced. This results in low red blood cells, or "anemia." Anemia can make you feel tired.
- Your provider will tell you whether your red blood cell count is low and what can be done about this.
- Decreasing the ribavirin dose will help to improve anemia (your provider will advise you about this).
- Sometimes another injectable medication, Epogen (or Procrit), may be used to increase the number of red blood cells and bring them up to more normal levels.
Low white blood cells
Interferon slows your body's production of white blood cells. This leads to lower amounts of an important group of white blood cells called "neutrophils" (pronounced "noo-troh-fills"), which fight many different infections. Patients with low neutrophil counts are at risk for infections, such as pneumonia or skin infections.
- Your provider will tell you whether your white blood cell count is low and what can be done about this.
- Decreasing the interferon dose can help to improve the white blood cell count (your provider can advise you about this).
- Sometimes another injectable medication, Neupogen (or G-CSF), may be used to increase the number of white blood cells and bring them up to more normal levels.
Low platelets
Platelets (pronounced "playt-letts") are clusters of proteins that act like bricks to form blood clots. They are produced by cells in the bone marrow. Platelet counts often drop if you are on interferon and ribavirin therapy. This can put you at a higher risk for bleeding.
- Your provider will tell you whether your platelet count is low and what can be done about this.
- If you have a low platelet count, you should pay particular attention to bleeding. Nosebleeds and bruises are more common. If you are concerned that you are bleeding or can't stop bleeding from a cut, seek medical attention.
- Decreasing the interferon dose can help to improve the platelet count (your provider will advise you about this).
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