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Rituxin anyone?

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Posted 9/10/2013 1:46 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone taken rituxin before?  From my admittedly limited research, it appears to be a last resort drug when the other biologics don't work or the patient can't take them.  Just curious, as cancer history may prevent me from even trying some of the other biologics.

Thanks in advance,

Elcamino

Posted 9/23/2013 5:15 AM (GMT 0)
Hey Elcamino:

I've had 3 doses of Rituxan back in 2006 or 2007 I can't remember. I actually took it more for my lupus than my RA. That being said, I handled the infusion okay ran a slight temp while getting it.

My main problem was that my platelet count dropped and my Rheumy pulled the plug on it. Little did we know that also at that time, it totally wiped out my B cell count. That's one of the things that's suppose to happen. However, it's now 2013 and I still have no B cells. Most of my Doctor's believe I'll NEVER recover them either.

This causes a huge problem for me as w/o B cells, my ability to fight off infections have become way way harder to do. As for your cancer question, I was officially told in May that I have LGL Leukemia. I've taken every single medication out there to treat lupus and RA. Even humira, remicade, enbrel, arava, you name it I've taken it. The only thing I've not had is Gold injections.

Did taking all these medications cause my cancer, I honestly don't know and I don't think my Docs know either. We also just discovered that I have nodules in the upper lobes of both of my lungs. I will need a PET/CT scan the 1st week of November. I was told due to my immune suppression and my leukemia, plus living with a heavy smoker for 20 years, my risk of lung cancer is very high.

If I knew then what I know now, would have I proceeded to take this stuff and put myself at risk, I don't know. It's so darn hard when you have a family and a young child at home. I wanted to be healthy so badly, so that I could enjoy my daughter's younger years. It didn't work out that way for me, I've been told I have 5-8 years with the leukemia, IF, I don't pick up an infection and die from it before then.

It's a tough choice to make on some of these drugs. I wish you luck if you choose to take them and if you don't then you're doing what you feel you need to do. If I can answer anymore questions, please ask away. If I don't see a post here, drop a post in the lupus forum, I check that daily. Good luck with your decision.

Hugs,
Barbara
Posted 9/25/2013 2:46 PM (GMT 0)
Barbara,

I'm so sorry to hear about your situation.  You are correct; the boundary between these drugs and cancer risk is a bit blurry and the research seems to be conflicting.  That being said, I've read that drugs like Rituxin (and other chemotherapy agents) can cause secondary cancers like Leukemia.  I do not know if this is the type you have or not.  But given your experience on the drug, it's a good thing your rheumy took you off it immediately. 

Re: your lung issues; I've read that RA, itself, can be a risk factor for lymphoma and lung cancers.  That being said, methotrexate has also been implicated in lung issues.  My mother died from lung complications after being treated with methotrexate for years.  She had mixed connective tissue disease, not just RA, and developed interstitial lung disease.  We do not know if it was the methotrexate that contributed to it, but we don't know that it wasn't.  In any case, I pray that your doctors identify the spots on your lung and take quick action (I'm sure they will) given your history.  I used to be a very heavy (2 packs/day) smoker when I was younger, so I have the risk as well.

I had a frank discussion with my doctor last week about rituxin--he said he's not comfortable putting his patients on that drug.  It's 1-2X/year dosing so if you have a bad side effect (i.e., your drop in platelets) you could be stuck with it for quite a while--very dangerous.  I was actually a little relieved because it does seem like a pretty scary drug.

I am going back on orencia--yes, it may have caused my skin cancer (as do some of the other biologics, xeljanz included), but it did help me greatly.  In my case, the benefits outweight the risks--I just need to go to a dermatologist routinely for skin checks.

Thanks for your response Barbara.  I'll be praying for your situation.

Elcamino

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