Retuxin | Arthritis Information

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who has taken Retuxin and what were your results?   I have been on Remicade for over 7 years    5 vials    It has quit working.  Dr is seriously thinking about Retuxin.  I am a very hard to treat patient.   Please give me your feed back.  I have been told once I go on this I can no longer go on TNF blockers.....   Any feed back would be great!   I have been feeling just awful for quite some time....    Wonderwoman wonderwoman2010-03-02 11:54:53I have been on Ritxuan for a little of a year.  Unfortunately, it has not helped.   Really, the question we are trying to answer is would things be worse if I hadn't changed meds, or is Rituxan really just not the med for me.  I can't even think of a med change until May due to the length of time it is in your system..

 
My dr. also said I can go back to any other med I have already taken....
A rep contacted me this morning to get the ball rolling for Rituxan. If I get on it before you, I'll let you know how it goes and if you get on before me, you let me know!
 
The only side effect I had was nausea after the first set of infusions.  One down side can be that it takes awhile to work.  I had to wait the full six months before I got any response...
WW, have you tried Simponi or Orencia?  I was going to start Orencia but decided to stick with a TNF and will start Simponi next week.  If it doesn't work I'll go on to Orencia.  I wanted to save Rituxin.  For now it's the last drug in the med. ladder.  That could change quickly but I'm not one to start a brand new drug that just hit the market.  I'd rather wait till it's had a proven record and some further studies done.  Whatever you decide I hope that it works for you.  It's such a battle.  Lindy I understand Lindy,  He threw both those out in his talk  with me then left the room saying it was in the good Lord's hands.  2 days later i recieved a letter in the mail asking me to sign my life away to retuxin.  so my guess is he had to mill over it for awhile.  i know it is the last drug out there.  He knows that too!   He also knows I would like to get dressed a few days a week.  He also knows once something has quit working the ones similar to it also will not work which is my guess as to why he is going with something different.  He said it would make me feel over all well and take away some of the fatigue.  I am looking for an over all feeling of well being that is seriously missing from my life right now and has been for well over 2 years.  I understand it can take up to 6 months before I experience any improvement.  Has anyone had any terrible side effects, etc?  Any more advice?  I have looked at many web sites.  In the long run it will be less expensive than Remicade every 6 weeks.  I would love more feedback!Lynn49 I have never been in remission in 23 years wouldn't that be AWESOME!  I  can only hope it works that well for me!!!    Way to go!!!! [QUOTE=wonderwoman]I understand Lindy,  He threw both those out in his talk  with me then left the room saying it was in the good Lord's hands.  2 days later i recieved a letter in the mail asking me to sign my life away to retuxin.  so my guess is he had to mill over it for awhile.  i know it is the last drug out there.  He knows that too!   He also knows I would like to get dressed a few days a week.  He also knows once something has quit working the ones similar to it also will not work which is my guess as to why he is going with something different.  He said it would make me feel over all well and take away some of the fatigue.  I am looking for an over all feeling of well being that is seriously missing from my life right now and has been for well over 2 years.  I understand it can take up to 6 months before I experience any improvement.  Has anyone had any terrible side effects, etc?  Any more advice?  I have looked at many web sites.  In the long run it will be less expensive than Remicade every 6 weeks.  I would love more feedback![/QUOTE]
 
Hi WW, not sure how to respond to your RD's response and walking out of the room other than to say I'd probably been following him asking him to explain himself.  Why did he do that and then send you a lettler with his recommendation? 
 
"He also knows once something has quit working the ones similar to it also will not work which is my guess as to why he is going with something different."  This isn't always the case and in some instances you can go back to a TNF that you took before and have it work.  I know I've done that.  I restarted Humira with an increase in MXT and it worked beautifully for 2 years.  When I had tried it 14 months earlier it didn't work.  Enbrel worked well for several years but stopped and I went on to Humira which didn't work at all and then I went on Remicade and it worked moderately.   I then went back to Humira and it worked so well that all my doctors thought I was in clinical remission.  You can go back down the medicine ladder and you can take other TNFs and achieve clinical remission.   I was lucky in those respects.  I respond to the TNFs.
 
Also, your RD can order Remicade every 4-5 weeks instead of 6 weeks.  Are you taking the max dose of Remicade?  I don't remember the max dose but when I was infused I was up to 600mg (I think) every 4 weeks.  You may have some wiggle room there with dosage.  That alone may help you. 
 
We all want clinical remission or just to have less pain and fatigue but make sure you've used all the options available to you.  I've spent several months making a decision about either Simponi or Orencia and had a 2nd opinion.  I needed to make sure that I was making the right decision and who really knows what the right decision is.   You'll get lots of opinions but the bottom line is the choice made between yourself and your  RD.  Have you seen him for an appt. since he sent you the letter?  Take care.  Lindy
i had 5 vials at one point every 5 weeks until i wound up in the hospital with a severe kidney infection casued by the remicade.  6 weeks is as soon as he wants me to get it and not more than 5 vials right now.   it took 5 months to get into seeing him in febraury that is how busy he is.  yes he knows me well he has been treating me for 21 years.  he told me i definintely had severe RA and he cried.  i patted him on the back.  i was so glad it had a name.  he knew my future......  this was back in 1987.......  He is a good man. wonderwoman2010-03-03 23:31:10my doctor does not always have the best bedside manner but he studies if he wants this for me.  i want some hope!!!!  I want to give it a shot.  His response leaving my room hurt I went home and cried but there was a reason for it.  He was thinking whcih would be best for me.  He made his mind up, now i have got to check back with the office staff and make sure they continue on with making it pass.I want overall well being He said this promised that more than any other drug!  That is what I want.........
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