Dr.
Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon
and author of the highly recommended books
Health and Nutrition Secrets That Can Save your Life and
Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients, contributed this
outstanding article about interferons,
which are used widely for the treatment
of multiple sclerosis (MS), hepatitis,
cancer and more. If you, or someone you
know, are taking these drugs, this article
will help you decide if the benefits outweigh
the many risks.
By
Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/
Interferons
are used in clinical medicine for a number
of medical conditions including:
- A wide range of cancers
- Chronic hepatitis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Chronic granulomatous disease
- AIDS-related disorders
Rarely
considered are the effects of large doses
of this immune cytokine on brain function.
For example, the conventional treatment
of chronic hepatitis is interferon-alpha-2b.
Despite poor results in controlling the
disease and the existence of safer, more
effective natural treatments, physicians
continue to use this toxic treatment.
Of major concern are the neurologic effects
of the treatment.
Acute
Problems
It is
known that interferons have two patterns
of injury to the brain. One is acute and
occurs within hours of treatment, often
lasting for the first one to three weeks
of the treatment. This usually includes
fever, chills, headache and fatigue.
Chronic
Problems
This
is followed by a chronic phase in which
more serious injuries to the nervous system
result. Chronic symptoms can include malaise,
lethargy, somnolence, headaches, low-grade
fevers, anorexia (loss of appetite) and
more serious symptoms such as psychomotor
symptoms, cognitive problems, psychiatric
behaviors and even delirium and coma.
Brain
Toxicity
The severity
of symptoms depends on the dose of the
interferon and manner of administering
the medication. Continuous infusion of
high-dose interferons is associated with
more severe neurologic problems. It is
known that chronic brain toxicities occur
at all doses but more so after doses higher
than 18 million to 20 million units a
day. Most common is severe fatigue.
Even
lower doses have been associated with
a lack of drive and disinterest in participating
in normal activities, a process called
psychomotor retardation. This occurs in
anywhere from 47 percent to 80 percent
of patients. Changes in the ability to
think clearly (cognitive changes) are
frequently seen in patients treated with
as little as 9 million units of interferon
per week. The difficulty with thinking
reaches a peak at one to three months.
This can include a decreased attention
span, difficulty concentrating, defective
short-term memory and mental clouding.
Studies
have described frequent periods of silence
and vacant staring, occurring even in
mid-sentence. Objective testing for recall
and cognitive function have shown an incidence
of 17 percent to 50 percent in patients
receiving standard doses of interferons.
Most of these cognitive difficulties do
improve, yet there are reports of persistent
impairments lasting up to two years following
cessation of treatment.
In some
patients the effect is so severe on the
brain that patients sleep up to 20 hours
a day and during waking periods experience
disorientation and confusion. Speech difficulties
(expressive dysphasia) and problems with
balance have also been reported. On rare
instances, these neurological effects
have progressed to a demented state. Hallucinations
have also been reported.
It is
important to appreciate that the patients
in the first two categories to be described
had no previous psychiatric history. Renault
and co-workers, who examined many of these
patients, divided the neurobehavioral
effects into three syndromes: organic
personality syndrome, organic affective
syndrome and delirium effects. Patients
with organic personality syndrome frequently
experience uncontrollable overreaction
to minor frustrations, are very irritable
and have a short temper.
Depression
Common
Those
with the organic affective syndrome often
describe feelings of depression and hopelessness.
They cry easily and have difficulty interacting
socially with others. Patients experiencing
delirium have a clouding of their thinking,
have short-term memory problems and have
frequent mood changes. Many become severely
agitated, abusive, withdrawn and may exhibit
suicidal thoughts, delusions of being
persecuted and phobias. Patients having
delirium symptoms often had co-existing
liver disease, history of psychiatric
disorder or previous brain injury.
Severe
Reactions in Cancer Treatment
The most
severe effects have been seen in patients
treated for cancers. In these patients
death due to encephalopathy (widespread
brain injury) and associated seizures
have been described. This may be a result
of combined toxicities of radiation, chemotherapy
and interferon.
Interferon-gamma
is less toxic than the alpha or beta-interferons.
With higher doses one can see chronic
neurotoxicities, which can include dizziness,
slowed thinking, confusion, crying spells,
and even symptoms resembling Parkinson's
disease.
How
Interferon Ruins Your Brain
The mechanism
of this injury to the brain appears to
involve the brain's special immune cell
called the microglia. Normally, these
cells remain dormant in the brain. That
is, they are sleeping. Microglia cells
can be activated by numerous factors,
including mercury, aluminum, iron, overvaccination,
and brain trauma, strokes, infections
(viruses, bacteria, rickettsia) and cytokines
such as interferons.
Once
activated, microglia can move about the
brain secreting very toxic compounds,
which include two excitotoxins (glutamate
and quinolinic acid). These excitotoxins
dramatically increase free radical generation
in the brain as well as oxidation of lipids
(called lipid peroxidation). These radicals
damage synaptic connections, interfere
with neurotransmitters and can even kill
neurons. In addition, these activated
microglia generate other toxic compounds
such as prostaglandins (PGE2), which increase
brain inflammation.
If the
microglia activation is short lived, the
damage to the brain is minimal and recovery
takes place. Yet, should the activation
continue, which would occur with high-dose
and long-term use of interferons, the
damage could be substantial and irreversible.
Protecting the brain with high-dose and
varied antioxidants as well as certain
metabolic stimulants can substantially
reduce this damage. Certain nutrients,
such as malate, pyruvate, DHA, ascorbate,
magnesium and methylcobalamin inhibit
excitotoxicity.
Physicians
Frequently Miss Side Effects
Physicians
often ignore patient complaints of neurological
difficulties during interferon treatments,
assuming they are benign and reversible.
As stated in the beginning, natural alternatives
have been shown to be much more effective
and dramatically safer than interferon
treatments. |