Anyone else been on Rituxan for RA yet? what has been your experience?
http://arthritis.about.com/od/mabtherarituxan/a/promisingfor ra.htm
I may be starting a new therapy for my RA soon, as soon as my rheumy brought it up I began asking questions and went home to do some research on this treatment. I know with any drug there is the potential for side effects, and Docs feel that the benefit outweighs the side effects, so I pray that this will make my life a little easier. Since, being hospitalized in Jan 06 with a bout of MS. My RA and FMS has been very unstable and the pain has been almost unbearable, but we made it through that part, by keeping the people around me informed and soliciting their prayers and their positive attitudes has really made a big difference. I have been on most of all the other RA treatments, and I am ready to lose this weight I have accumulated over the past eight years. With the rituxan, I pray will allow me the freedom to do that.
Welcome to the forum and keep asking questions.
Thanks,
My rheumy just got the protocol for the Rituxan approved for the infusion. So, my appointment is scheduled for 9 August, I pray all goes well, I will keep you posted on the therapy. I am so ready to go runnning!!
Hello everyone, I start my first Rituxan treatment this Thursday September 14. I am scared to death! I was told the medication they give with the Rituxan is methotextrate. I can't take that med because it made me sick for an entire weekend. I have Sero-negative Spondyloarthopathy Arthritis. I have been doing alot of research and see it is given to alot of cancer patients. I also know this procedure is very costly. I need to find out how much Medicare covers. I have been dealing with this pain for over 4 years and so far nothing helps. The last med I took was Enbrel for 2 years. My doctor tells me this is the only other thing I can try. I have 4 days until my treatment and I don't know if I can go thru with it. Can anyone give me some much needed info/support? It would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Leslie
Hi Leslie,
I know by now you would have already began you infusion. I hope it went well. If so, your second treatment should be 15 days from your first infusion. I still have a litte inflammation, be a lot less than before and the pain has gone way down with it. Unfortunately, my Rheumy is awaiting the results for the third phase, what he is to do. He has reduced my Mtx from 25 mg to 20 mg and put me on a prednison taper hopefully, by Dec'06 I should be at 5 mg daily. Did you know each infusion is approximately 00.00? I hope I won't need the treatment and a lot of this other medicine I take when my husband retires from the military. I wouldn't able to afford, Thank God it doesn't cost me anything. Let me know how your infusions went. Take care.
Smhiles
My Rheumy offered me either the Rituxan infusion or another IV infusion treatment to try later on (just recently diagnosed with RA and have only started on Mtx so far), and I'm in my research stage as well, so thank you for the posts with your own information. I was told the Rituxan and the other treatment are both considered "experimental" at this point, so they would be free for me. Is that your experience as well? He said that since they are experimental, I'd be in a trial and there was a possibility I'd be given a placebo rather than the drug.
Also, I can't for the life of me remember what the other medication was. He said it would also be IV infusion (but more, shorter sessions than the Rituxan), and it's also experimental. I believe the name was just a few letters and numbers. Anyone know the answer for me? I'd love to research it but can't remember what it was called. Guess I could call my Rheumy's office to find out.
Honestly, I'd read some scary things about Rituxan, so I'm glad to find this thread and read about positive experiences with it. I'd love to hear more if you're willing to share.
Thank you, and best wishes for pain-free days ahead!
Hey thanks Jodi for replying,
Yes, there are some pros and cons to any medicine. Since, you were just diagnosed I wouldn't think your rheumy would offer you the Rituxan yet, that is strange. I have been on a numerous amount of NSAIDs and chemo drugs over many years, that only gave little to no relief. I also, have MS, which my MS specialist says they are studying the Rituxan for, also. So far, I have gotten some relief from the RA, but I am still taking the preds, and all of the other meds. My rheumy is lowering the mtx and preds as the rituxan is killing my B cells and hopefully my body will come to a happy medium. So, prayerfully, everything will settle down. I hope you don't have to go to this extreme and you will find relief soon.
Smhiles
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