Rituxan

[mkuhlman]

Hello everyone. I am 6 years with CLL. My skin issues keep getting worse and my Oncologist has just recommended a 4 week (once per week) infusion of Rituxan. Does anyone have experience with this? Thankful this is a minor issue. Thank you!

[lankisterguy Volunteer]

Hi mkuhlman,-

I'm not certain of your country or health system (please fill in your profile so we know how best to respond healthunlocked.com/user/mku... ). Some answers will be different if you are in the USA vs. UK etc.

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If you are in the USA you may want to get a free 2nd opinion here cllsociety.org/cll-society-...

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What is being suggested, was what I was given by my first hematologist, but once I saw a CLL expert doctor, he explained why it was not appropriate for me. Weekly Rituxan infusions for 4 weeks are typical for Follicular Lymphoma. Rituxan in CLL is usually used in combination with other treatments and given less frequently over more infusions.

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There are many reasons that a doctor might start treatment for CLL, but I have never heard of skin issues being one. You may want to use this link to see several CLL experts explain how they decide when to start treatment and what treatments they recommend

healthunlocked.com/cllsuppo...

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(Rituxan monotherapy could be used in rare cases, perhaps when there is an autoimmune problem like AIHA or ITP that affects red blood cells or platelets).

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Len

[CLL23]

I started having all kinds of skin problems after getting penumonia. They got worse after I got Covid-19 and then started chemo.

I've now been diagnosed with psoriasis and have been prescribed triamcinolone, a topical cream antibiotic. It helps but the problem isn't going away.

During infusion I was also given bactrim pills every day -- turns out I'm extremely allergic to one of the components of bactrim, which caused more skin problems. Annoying, because the allergy has been all over my medical records for decades.

Apparently, the CLL and the treatments for it can really wreck a person's skin.

I hope you can get an appointment with a dermatologist! It took months around here.

Good luck and God bless.

[Podgeof5]

I had lots of trouble with my skin while on W&W, especially bug bites and rosacea. The rosacea was mostly on my face, red, pustular and itchy. My dermatologist gave me a script for a mixture of Cetaphil and Ivermectin, and it completely cured the problem. The same medication appeared a year later under the trade name Soolantra. If this sounds like what you're dealing with. give Soolantra a try.

[New-bee-cell in reply to Podgeof5]

Hi there!Did the prescription help with bug bites at all? Or only the rosacea? I have been developing more a more dramatic reactions to mosquito bites and would be interested in hearing about anything that helps.

Thanks!🙂

[Podgeof5 in reply to New-bee-cell]

No, the prescription was only for Rosacea. Bug bites are a continuing problem for me, too. The docs gave me some strong steroid ointments, but they never really helped. I just learned to use good bug sprays when going outdoors and to wear long sleeves and pants when possible. Gold Bond makes a creme with Lidocaine that helps with the itching. But it's best to avoid bugs as much as you can.