The Journal Musculoskeletal Medicine:
Continued Promise for Rituximab in Vasculitides - The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine
The Journal Musculoskeletal Medicine:
Continued Promise for Rituximab in Vasculitides - The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine
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More information on long term studies using RTX for treatment and/or maintenance of autoimmune disease. This time 9.5 yrs of use in rheumatoid arthritis. (Much larger patient pool to derive information, and longer history of use). ~JT
That article sounds promising.I would certainly rather have 1 infusion of rtx then go thru months of whatever !!
Life isn't about how you survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain !
RTX is a great thing, I just wish it wasn't so blasted expensive. My insurance picked up most of the cost and my out of pocket was still about $5000
~ Bob
HOLY CRAP !!!! What kind of insurance do you have ? When I was on Medicaid they paid the whole bill. I now have Anthem Blue Cross/Shield so I don't know what they would charge. But that is crazy
Life isn't about how you survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain !
$5k does seem a little extreme. Makes my mtx seem down right reasonable.....
Wegener's (GPA )- Apr10, Granulomatous Hypophysitis - Apr10, Diaphragmatic Paralysis - Feb16, Bradycardia - Dec16, Fibromyalgia - 2017, Hypoparathyroidism - 2017. (my story)
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Hi Debra, My point in bringing up both of these articles was to bring to focus that RTX (and similar drugs,) seem to be the focus of treatment for many autoimmune diseases, including vasculitis. That means fewer of our/insurance dollars will go towards other types of treatment (plasmapheresis, cytoxin, surgery), and more will go towards these more advanced biologic Rx's (and their own set of side effects). In the PubMed article, almost ten years of treatment/maintenance for rheum. arthritis is a very long time, and the results look promising.
I am still having such a hard time, I am missing at least two days a week and am out of all my time off days. I feel like crap, the only benefit I see is that my joints don't hurt as much but I am also still on 50mg of pred. I did four infusions, one per week with the last one on 10/26. When do I start to feeling it? I had such bad diarrhea on Thursday night into Friday that I know I must have lost 10kg . Thinking makes me tired.
Oh Geez Lightwarrior.....I am so sorry for you to be feeling so very awful still! It sounds terrible. May I ask why you are still on such a high dose of pred?
Was this your first time to be treated with RTX, and are you on any other drugs for maintenance?
Many questions here...but it does sound as if you are struggling, certainly!
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