Hi Everyone! Hope today's norm is better than yesterdays! It has been a very long time since last posting even though I've been lurking and keeping up on news whenever I get a chance. Holly (aka ginger) has been relatively healthy over the past 2.5 years -- other than the typical side effects from meds. Unfortunately, she tired of those effects and was avoiding her meds off and on over a 3 month period. She had her first flare in late September and was admitted to the Children's Hospital for pulse treatments of methlypred. There weren't many indicators this time around other than some skin issues (facial), a nose ulcer and an overall feeling of lethargy. It was controlled fairly quickly and she was released. Since that release her kidney creatinine levels have increased a bit and she was admitted again over the weekend for a kidney biopsy to get a better picture of what the cause is. We have a new Rheumy who is 'very' aggressive in using rituximab while the Nephrology team are more cautious as there is a lack of data concerning long-term effects. I mistakenly thought that Rituximab would replace the need of current meds (ie pred & immuran) so I'm worried about adding another drug to the mix when maybe her normal schedule would of worked? Is that misguided? There is a lot of 'confusing' literature regarding the use of rituximab and I hate making misinformed decisions. The best info usually comes from the people who have experienced it firsthand. Any suggestions/feedback regarding rituximab would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
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