Rituximab Experience - Pros, Cons?

[Donaldson0007]

Any members have experience receiving rituximab?

I have recurrent membranous glomerulonephritis in my transplanted organ - the disease that took my native kidneys. The drug mentioned above is the Drs current proposed course of action. Thanks in advance.

[parojulie123]

Hello,

I lost my native kidney due to FSGS. After transplant ( May 2020) I was administered a dose of Rituximab via IV. This is a first line of treatment given to all FSGS patients post transplant to protect the transplanted kidney.

I was told if FSGS recurrence happens in the new kidney they will give another dose of Rituximab and suggest few rounds of Plasmapheresis.

I had no side effects from the initial dose of Rituximab.

[Donaldson0007 in reply to parojulie123]

Thank you. Best wishes to you! Based on feedback here, and another forum and talking with my family I am leaning towards the treatment. May I ask, did you have any prescreening done for latent viruses, HEP B, or PML etc? Or were there no prescreens?

[parojulie123 in reply to Donaldson0007]

I am not really sure. The Rituximab was given the day after my transplant. I was not in proper senses then. If the prescreen is a standard to be done prior to the meds being applied, I am sure I was prescreened. They did gazillion blood tests on me

[LisaSnow in reply to Donaldson0007]

Transplant centers should have an infectious disease specialist on staff. It might be helpful to see yours to evaluate the risk/benefit ratio. The key is not to wait too long for treatment because the autoimmune process is harder to slow down and tissue injury might be irreversible if left untreated too long.