Side Effects of Mepolizumab Injections??

[Lhasa3]

Hi,

I have eosinophilic asthma & so far I have had 6 injections of mep, first 4 I felt great, came off the steriods my breathing was much better and much less coughing & had energy to be able to do things, however, these last couple of months, I've had continuous body pains, especially the tops of my legs, headaches & my energy levels have really dropped, I feel pretty lifeless. Has anyone else felt any negativity after several doses of the injections. I'm told it takes several months to have effect & am just concerned that these could be side effects.

I'd appreciate anyone replying.

[Patk1]

I'd ring the helpline for the drug manufacturer- should be in yr info pack x

[hoven]

Hi, I took Mepo for a few months and had to stop for the reasons you are suffering. I now take a different one with some side effects but more bearable. as you have been on it for some months you could continue to see if things settle down or go back to the clinic and tell them. The thing is everybody is different and what suits one doesn't suit another. I have found asthma forums like this invaluable for help and support.

[d2read]

Hi, Lhasa3,

In general, the only way to determine if a specific medication is responsible for specific problems is to remove all external factors possible, wait until everything has cleared the body and then slowly reintroduce. It's an extremely difficult process -- for the patient and the team treating him/her.

But, there are ways pharmaceutical researchers and concerned physicians can make educated guesses. Those guesses often rely upon the reporting of potential adverse events. Start by trying to be as precise as possible: Do the pains get worse within a specified period of time after the injections? Better within a specified period of time afterwards? What else seems to occur at the same time -- Do you eat specific foods, travel, are you working in manufacturing or repair of equipment that might expose you to chemicals or heavy metals?

Report your problems/concerns promptly to your physician and pharmacist. In most countries, prompt reports are required to the government agency overseeing the country's drugs. (I'm in the US where we report to the US Food and Drug Administration - FDA.)

They may have reports, even rare ones, of similar problems. The usual response is for doctors to stop the medication and see if the other problems improve.

Good luck!