RTX and lung issues

[mrtmeo]

Has anyone had improvements in their lung function (if they had lung involvement initially) after Rituxan treatments?
If so, how long did it take?

[drz]

After initial treatment with RTX and CTX IV's, the bleeding in lungs slowly stopped so i could get off oxygen and my lung function has remained stable at 60% for past couple years.

[whatthewhat]

I don't know about lung function numbers, sorry, but I do know that a year after Rtx our teenaged daughter's lung nodules had disappeared, including the calcified. Best wishes to you.

[mrtmeo]

After initial treatment with RTX and CTX IV's, the bleeding in lungs slowly stopped so i could get off oxygen and my lung function has remained stable at 60% for past couple years.

Hi Drz,
How long did it take to get off the oxygen?
How long were u on ctx?

[mrtmeo]

I don't know about lung function numbers, sorry, but I do know that a year after Rtx our teenaged daughter's lung nodules had disappeared, including the calcified. Best wishes to you.

wow, that is amazing that even the calcified nodules dissappeared.
Did your daughter have ground glass opacities or honey combing?

[drz]

Hi Drz,
How long did it take to get off the oxygen?
How long were u on ctx?

I think it was about a month or so. I stayed on oral CTX for 8 months after the IVs and then switched to AZA.

[whatthewhat]

wow, that is amazing that even the calcified nodules dissappeared.
Did your daughter have ground glass opacities or honey combing?
Geez, I don't know. Hm. "6mm calcified granuloma" and "2 mm subcarinal calcification" besides the regular (ha!) nodules. Does this help? And yeah, the docs said the calcified would probably not go away, but that everything else should with the Rtx. I feel very gratefully surprised.
wtw

[mrtmeo]

Geez, I don't know. Hm. "6mm calcified granuloma" and "2 mm subcarinal calcification" besides the regular (ha!) nodules. Does this help? And yeah, the docs said the calcified would probably not go away, but that everything else should with the Rtx. I feel very gratefully surprised.
wtw

Is she on a maintenance drug, such as Azathiorpine or Methotrexate?

[morningsunshine]

My coughing stopped shortly after my last (of 4) RTX infusions. I had a pulmonary function test around the same time and had another one today. I should know the results of that one in a couple of weeks, so I'll check back in then!

I know for sure that about 3 months after my last RTX infusion, chest xrays showed that a major lesion I had in one of my lungs has gotten significantly smaller and several small granulomas have either shrank or disappeared.

I'm also on pred and started taking MTX as well, but the MTX started after my last chest xray.

[mrtmeo]

Yes, please, morningsunshine, keep us posted.

[mrtmeo]

My coughing stopped shortly after my last (of 4) RTX infusions. I had a pulmonary function test around the same time and had another one today. I should know the results of that one in a couple of weeks, so I'll check back in then!

I know for sure that about 3 months after my last RTX infusion, chest xrays showed that a major lesion I had in one of my lungs has gotten significantly smaller and several small granulomas have either shrank or disappeared.

I'm also on pred and started taking MTX as well, but the MTX started after my last chest xray.

Hi morningsunshine,
My mom started coughing after the last rtx and has been worse ever since.
Did u cough up anything or have thick mucus in your throat all the time?

[morningsunshine]

Hi morningsunshine,
My mom started coughing after the last rtx and has been worse ever since.
Did u cough up anything or have thick mucus in your throat all the time?


RTX actually made my coughing stop. Before starting RTX I was constantly coughing up a thick mucus/blood combination. The coughing died down for me within a week of my first infusion and was gone by my fourth infusion.

I hope your mom feels better soon! It's no fun to cough all the time.


Also, as a note on this thread: I won't visit my pulmonary doctor until January 5, so I won't be able to report on the results of my Pulmonary Function Test or xray until then. I've made a note in my calendar & will come back to this thread then.

[mrtmeo]

RTX actually made my coughing stop. Before starting RTX I was constantly coughing up a thick mucus/blood combination. The coughing died down for me within a week of my first infusion and was gone by my fourth infusion.

I hope your mom feels better soon! It's no fun to cough all the time.


Also, as a note on this thread: I won't visit my pulmonary doctor until January 5, so I won't be able to report on the results of my Pulmonary Function Test or xray until then. I've made a note in my calendar & will come back to this thread then.

Hi Morningsunshine,
That is great if u can make it back in January to post the update, but if you don't that's okay.
Just post a thread of your update for others.
Thanks,
Blake