@article{ref1,
title="[Major psychiatric side effects of interferon alpha-2b]",
journal="Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde",
year="1998",
author="Heeringa, M. and Honkoop, P. and de Man, R. A. and Feenstra, J. and Smits, C. M.",
volume="142",
number="28",
pages="1618-1621",
abstract="The Netherlands Pharmacovigilance Foundation Lareb and the Drug Safety Unit of the Inspectorate for Health Care in 1997 received 6 reports of serious psychiatric symptoms during the use of interferon alpha-2b. Of these patients, three men aged 42, 49 and 62 years and three women aged 31, 40 and 33 years, two had had psychic symptoms before. Depression or psychosis developed 12-24 weeks after the start of the use of interferon alpha-2b with 3-10 million IU per week subcutaneously because of chronic hepatitis B or C. After cessation of the medication, four patients recovered after a few days or weeks; the course of one patient was unknown, one patient had committed suicide. Knowledge of these psychiatric adverse drug reactions to interferon alpha-2b can contribute to early recognition by the physician and timely treatment of the symptoms.<p /><p>Language: nl</p>",
language="nl",
issn="0028-2162",
doi="",
url="http://dx.doi.org/"
}