Rituxmab

[Avi2013]

I have RA with ana (+). Went on orencia and it's not working anymore. Rhemuy wants to stop orencia and start rituximab. I'm wondering if you guys can talk about your experience with the Rituximab.I know everyone's experiences are different on different biologics.

I'm also wondering why I wasn't tried on Imuran. I'm seronegative RA. Anyone want to share their experiences or expertise, i would much appreciate it

[Neonkittie17]

I’m going the other way .. Rtx to Abatacept! Hope Rtx works well for you. 💗

[AgedCrone]

I have been on Rtx since 2016…diagnosed with RA late 1990’s so been through a few DMards, I can honestly say that for me Rtx worked beautifully until I had the Covid19 vaccinations….& they appear to have thoroughly messed things up.

But prior to that, when you commence infusions it’s just 4 days a year, 2 sets of two days 14 days apart…with a couple of blood tests in between & that is it for most people.

Luckily I only have RA, so I don’t need appointments with any other speciality, so I consider .Rtx gave me a life again….without pills or injections to bother remembering.

I had moved on to only needing one infusion every 7/8 months….so I am very disappointed that things are all up in the air atm.

But as long as you qualify for Rtx, I would definitely give it a try…..for convenience in your personal life, nothing beats it.

Of course there will be people who haven’t been as lucky…I really hope you are one of the lucky ones.

[Lolabridge]

I’m on Rituximab, which works brilliantly for me. In the past I’ve tried two anti-TNF biologics, which did not work well enough for me and the three usual DMARDS made me ill so I was taken off them.So I wish you well on Rituximab and hope it’s just right for you too.

[MrsSBJ]

I also have sero-negative disease with ANA+. I’ve been 16 months on Etanercept (antiTNF- like Abatacept) as well as methotrexate and hydroxychloroquine-which didn’t work well in their own.

I had a short time on Adalimumab but seemed to make things worse.

It took a long time (9months) for Etanercept to work well for me, though it slowly did. I did discuss changing to JAKinhibitor. My rheumatologist said Rituximab doesn’t tend to work so well for sero-neg disease, but I don’t know if that’s a wide-held opinion.

I don’t think Azathioprine/Imuran is used much for RhA in the U.K. it’s a conventional dmard Rather than biologic.

Best wishes.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to MrsSBJ]

Hi, I’m not wanting to split hairs I assure you but Abatercept isn’t an antI-TNF. It’s a different type of biological therapy altogether (a selective co-stimulation modulator which modulates T cells. 💗)

[MrsSBJ]

Thank you to Neonkittie for the correction. I did not mean to mislead you. (With getting the drug mechanism wrong) However my experience on the drugs still holds true.

I hope whatever you decide to do next, works well for you.

BW.

[Neonkittie17 in reply to MrsSBJ]

Thank you. 💗 I hope Rtx works well for you. It gave me my best mobility for years. I don’t know too much re meds if you are sero-neg but hope Etanercept keeps your RA at bay.

[Gillian1163]

I've been on rituximab for at least 10 years with little or no side effects. Good control of RA too