Hi All,
Quite understandably, there has been a lot of interest in Rtx over the past couple of years. It's very evident on this forum and many of us are studying it if not actually trying to get it as part of our treatment right now or contemplating the getting of it in the future. By starting this thread, I am neither advocating its use nor advocating the use of an alternative. Just looking for knowledge like all of us and pointing things out that I pick up along my merry old Wegs way - - things that I haven't already read herein on previous posts, things that might be of interest or of help to even one other on this path.
Here's a wrinkle I haven't heard of before. In evaluating the use of Rtx vs Mtx as my next step (after six months of oral Cytox at the rate of 200mg/day - - minus one month in which I had to be off it to treat a virus), my Rheumie said she preferrred that we try Mtx first for a very specific reason. Because of the considerably different half-lifes of each of the drugs. Seems like Mtx (Cytox also) is a matter of hours and Rtx is a matter of weeks. She's of the belief that those of us prone to infections would be severely compromised in our ability to respond to treatment for the some of the very nasty ones out there, at least in our ability to respond quickly enough because the Rtx takes to long to clear out after an infusion - - such as would have been my case when dealing with the virus for which I had to temporarily suspend the Cytox.
It makes sense when you think of some of the infections that can do us considrable harm within a handful of days, especially if one were to come our way within the first two/three weeks after getting the Rtx.
Anyone heard of this wrinkle? Any of your doctors dismissed it? Or even mentioned it? It's not like we need another one, but we do need to know what they are. Ron
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