Actemra vs Rituxan
 | Actemra |  | Rituxan |  |
| This medication is used alone or with other medications to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in adults. It is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in children (such as systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis-SJIA, polyarticular juvenile idopathic arthritis-PJIA). It helps to reduce pain and swelling due to rheumatoid arthritis. Tocilizumab belongs to a class of drugs known as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) blockers. It works by blocking IL-6, a substance made by the body that causes swelling (inflammation). | Rituximab is used alone or with other medications to treat certain types of cancer (e.g., non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). It is a type of medication called a monoclonal antibody. It works by attaching to certain blood cells from your immune system (B cells) and killing them. It is also used with other monoclonal antibodies and radioactive drugs to treat certain cancers. Rituximab is also used with methotrexate to treat moderate-to-severe forms of rheumatoid arthritis. It is usually used for arthritis only after other medications have not worked. It can decrease joint pain and swelling. It is also used to treat certain types of blood vessel disease (such as Wegener's granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis). | |||
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| Add Actemra review Diagnosed with RA recently but have been actually living with it for many many years and untreated until my hands were starting to cramp and become disfigured I had to do something and also the fatigue was making me a zombie daily and the pain was overwhelming. Methotraxate made me more ill and coma like, Sulfasalize didn't help at all and gave me rashes, but Actemra has been making me like new after my first dose. I was nervous about taking it because I suffer from alot of severe sinus infections due to my immune system attacking me instead of the real bacteria or viruses but my infections are completely gone now and I am also on Bactrim DS as a co-drug. I have energy like I was 15 and my feet and ankles and hips and neck and elbows and hands and back all affected are so much better and I actually can climb stairs without pain! I hope I can keep from getting any of the other side effects such as high liver enyzemes as I imagine I would be on this drug for awhile .... :) Updating my post of 11/25/13. Did more research and discovered that the unacceptable side effects are not caused by the Arava. They are from the Actemra. 4 weeks from first injection I have severe blistering boils on several places that are taking 3X as long to heal as regular boils. I also have a rash on my face now. These are completely unacceptable side effects for a drug that has done nothing for the pain. I do realize that many RA drugs take ~12 weeks for full effect, but practically zero effect plus the intense pain and the awful side effects = not for me. I will be petitioning my doctor to put me back on Enbrel. It wasn't the best, but it helped enough to get me through the day with pain I could handle. | Add Rituxan review I am a 49 year old female who was diagnosed ten years ago with RA, Fibromyalgia, and Sjogren's disease. I also have type II diabetes,and high blood pressure. I had to quit my job as a teacher because of my conditions. I have been on disability for two years. I recently took two infusions of Rituxan two weeks apart. Each time, I took Benadryl and aspirin before the IV. The only side effect that I experienced was that my blood sugar went really high. My starting sugar was 170, by the end of the infusion it was up to 372. The second time, we didn't take a before reading, but my ending sugar was 575. Both times I took extra insulin and it went back to normal in about a day. I don't feel remarkably different. I am still experiencing pain in my wrists, hands and fingers, but my feet seem a little better. I take Lyrica and Cymbalta and Opana for pain daily. I still am experiencing bouts of severe fatigue, sleeping 15 or more hours a day usually for 2-3 days in a row. Rarely do I feel well--good days are few and far between. I have very little energy to do anything. I have had a few headaches since the infusion. I will not take any more Rituxan for six months. I was expecting more -- and I am surprised that I didn't have any major side effects, but I didn't have any major improvements either. Maybe it will kick in later, but it seems to me that if it was going to do anything for me, it would have done it by now. I don't know what I think about getting another infusion in six months. I have been on all the DMARDS and biologics; I was one one of the first people in my hospital to use Actemra and I tried and rejected Zeljanz before they even got their commercial on TV!! There aren't any more drugs for me to try unless some new ones get approved. I am scared to know what all of these drugs have done to my body. unfortunately as I also have 2 have many PT/Inr checks due 2 the usual suspect of using Coumadin 4 some close 2 now near 50 yrs., my arm is overly sensitive 2 being punctured so the Infusion process i not e-z 4 me, period 2nd I found that after my 1st infusion round, my hair began 2 become very curly vs. my usual very straight, near boringly straight hair but not now as it's nearly uncontrolable with curls/twirls etc. & short term the Rituxan gives relief from the RA, but not long term but shorter term it's seems great at first blush, as they say sp O m ok with it tho I'im unsure as 2 what i might be doing 2 my heart. I'd like 2 know about what effects it does 've on the Cardiac system....Thanks, camaciintyre-Ross | |||
