Hi,
we really enjoy our rtx, if I can say so
but yesterday at the hospital, during my IV, I was told by another woman who also got it (for Scleroderma) that she got 3 lungs infections this year and that the docs told her that it was caused by rtx STILL she is getting it, but only 500mg and no more 1000mg.
so I though to ask you, who knows anything about it, and also search the web.
here is a link that I found:
http://www.ersj.org.uk/content/35/3/681.full
I copy the conclusions:
In conclusion, the present study confirms the pulmonary toxicity of rituximab. Our data should prove helpful to clinicians in assessing causality in patients with respiratory symptoms following rituximab therapy. Three distinct clinical presentations were identified according to time to onset, suggesting different underlying mechanisms. For each, we suggest specific recommendations. Pulmonologists must ensure the early diagnosis and treatment of rituximab-induced lung disease and inform other specialists of this complication and of the need for close monitoring of respiratory status.
there are more articles suggesting it, like this:
http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056...00306263482619
it seems that overall it increases infections (as I can tell from my experience), like in the following links :
Does rituximab increase the incidence of infectious complications? A narrative review
http://www.iwmf.com/docs/rituximab-a...hematology.pdf
please, do not read it before going to sleep
the consolation is that it is written that complcations are rare.
and we can't do without it... (sigh)
Bookmarks