Re: Auto Immune hymolyptic aneamia (AIHA)

I have serveral post on here if you look for my post by my name you can read about my story. Rituxan IS not a new drug for AIHA. I was one of the first 9 patients that the Univeristy of Maryland used it on back in 2000. After having a spleenectomy and using prednisone. I was in remission for three years came out USED Rituxan again just recently came out of remission after four years and just finished my Rituxan and now I am being weaned off Prednisone. Here is a wesite if you can get to it and read a little abstract about Rituxan. [url]www.pubmed.gov[/url]

healthboards.com/boards/showthread.php?t=503841&page=19  p 19 of 21  Sept/2007

 

Buta4Grace: Karen, I had Rituxan in Nov.'06 almost a year ago. I was also on high doses of prednisone and finally weaned off in May'07. I have kept good counts until last week. Oct.19,2007. My hgb dropped from 12.5 to 10 and my hematocrit from 35 to 30. It is so discouraging. I've been battling this since the fall of '04. I have not yet had my spleen out but am fearful that may be next. Although I think they are kinda scared to put me through surgery since I was in the hospital in July '06 for 31 days.......7 of which was in cardiac ICU. I had contracted cryptococcal meningitus because of my immune suppression and my hgb dropped to 2 (doctor said probably went lower but that was the last count they could get). I did fine taking the Rituxan although it caused my CD4 cell count to drop below 20 (normal is 450-700). Just to put that into prospective for you .....if an AIDS patient has a CD4 count less than 200 they are in immediate danger to infections. My white count dropped to 1.2 also. Well now that my immune system is coming back.......my white count is 5.5(normal) and my CD4 is 24(I know it's still low but at least I made it on the chart!) but now I am starting to hemolisize(sp?) again. So frustrating......I think if my counts continue to fall they are going to want me to do the Rituxan again and possibly the prednisone with it.........=( I know the Rituxan can have severe side affects one of which is it causes different types of cancer so I'm not really keen on it but of course the prednisone can destroy your organs and cause bone loss(I've already broken a rib twice just by coughing)........seems like there's no easy answer to this terrible disease.