Post treatment symptoms

[Andiamo1]

Each time I took interferon, it left me with Attention Deficit Disorder that was long lasting.  Each treatment seemed to be additive.  After my  last treatment that ended in 2008, I ended up with full blown ADD that made me impulsive and seriously detracted me to the point that I could not read and process anything that was very detailed.  I spent much of my career managing large software projects, so I was very lucky this didn't happen until after I retired.

I finally got so fed up that I went to see a psychopharmacologist.  He prescribed Adderall and it has made a tremendous difference.  My impulsiveness has disappeared and I can concentrate for long periods of time without getting distracted.  I feel as I did before treating and I am even sleeping better and my memory has improved!

I want to share this experience in case anyone else has experienced ADD following treatment with SOC.

[Jerrytom7]

It amazes me how many people have severe problems such as add and worry about side effect possibilities many years down the road.... If the add is bothering u so much then what happens " down the road" is no big deal. As a matter of fact you may not make it down the road.  You need to take the meds if they help ....don't listen to someone who tells u that mice had adverse effects years later .... You need help now.....good luck.   Jerry

[PegOnPeg]

Hello, old friends.  Looking thru old posts, I can't believe I'm coming up on 2 years post tx.  I came back here today to look for feedback on lingering side effects & I found this post.

Hair grew back, weight came back (more than before : (, I sleep well, but my brain is not what it used to be.  It only ocurred to me a couple days ago that this might be lingering from tx.  I had bad brain fog during tx...along with a bunch of other stuff....

I do not have the attention to detail that I had before.  These days, I have trouble staying focused.  I'm dropping the ball, asking stupid questions when the answers are right in front of me...a couple days ago, I didn't even notice an attachment in an email.

My follow up & release is coming up in October.  We will certainly be having the conversation about Adderall...if I can remember to ask  : /

[Andiamo1]

Adderall is prescribed over a wide range. 5 - 60 mg per day.  I took 10mg and had only a slight increase in blood pressure and experienced  only an increase in my ability to concentrate and became noticeably less impulsive.  I guess that is mind altering, but not in the normal sense.

My advice is to see a psychopharmacologist and get a professional opinion.

[DoubleDose]

I am hesitant to try Adderal, but would consider a trial, if my Doc thinks its safe.  I wonder if it creates risk for mild hypertension patients?  I have pretty much gotten off BP meds through exercise and weight loss, but am a little apprehensive of what Adderal might do as far as blood pressure, or anxiety.  Any thoughts or tips?  Thanks for your comments Trish.  I do need to try something at some point.  I have come to a dead end in the last couple of years...all the tests and labs in the world, and still no definitive diagnosis or treatment from any of the specialists I have seen.  They all chalk it up to interferon....but from there forward it seems to be a dead end.  Maybe this avenue will prove beneficial.

DoubleDose

[Trish77]

DD:  I'm wondering if you're considering trying Adderal, since you're finding a correlation between the symptoms you're experiencing and what Andiamo has described.  I've been watching this thread with interest.  I'm not in a hurry to link what I experience myself with INF - I've always been "scatterbrained", forgetful and found it hard to focus and noticeably moreso since ending treatment.  I'm also not getting any younger!  I'm also not in a hurry to add a drug to my system that's mood and mind-altering if I can deploy alternative strategies, however I can understand why some choose differently as well.  In your case, you've suffered considerably from your various accounts and if Andiamo is finding relief, wondering if perhaps you're considering a trial run for yourself.  Not trying to push you to be a guinea pig...just wondering. :)

Watching this thread with interest.

Trish

[Andiamo1]

I take it you are a person that just likes to debate.  The is great, but probably not the best on this forum.

Surely you must be aware that some drugs to permanent damage.  For instance, interferon can damage our thyroid gland; a person that experiences this side effect will have to take drugs the rest of their life to deal with this side effect.

I admire people that are good debaters, but this is a forum where people are dealing with serious issues and the long lasting side effects of interferon are far more than a semantic discussion about the words we use to describe our ailments.