Hepatitis C drug can cause depression

In a newly published report, researchers at Loyola University Medical Center tackle the complexities of diagnosing and managing depression before and after initiating treatment with interferon, a standard treatment for Hepatitis C patients. According to the researchers, depression is a relatively frequent and potentially serious complication of interferon therapy for hepatitis C virus infection. However, other causes of depression may coexist and have to be carefully excluded. Pegylated interferon can help relieve muscle and joint pain, and reduce the disabling fatigue associated with Hepatitis C. But a well-established side effect of interferon is depression -- including suicidal thoughts. The prevalence of depression among hepatitis C patients receiving interferon has been reported to be between 10 percent and 40 percent, depending on the screening method used.