15 patient evaluations for Rituximab

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May 18, 2018 (Started Jan 15, 2016)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for follicular lymphoma)
  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (fatigue)
  • Adherence
    Never taken as prescribed
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Advice & Tips: Discontinued December 2016 because treatment was no longer having any effect on my lymphoma
Cost: < $25 monthly

Jan 29, 2017 (Started Jan 15, 2016)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for follicular lymphoma)
  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (fatigue)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Cost: < $25 monthly

Dec 15, 2016 (Started Jan 15, 2016)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for follicular lymphoma)
  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (fatigue)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 10 mg Weekly
Cost: < $25 monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Feb 15, 2017 (Started Jul 15, 2016)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: As needed

  • 1 helpful mark

Jul 4, 2008 (Started Jan 15, 2008)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for chronic lymphocytic leukemia)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (crash)
  • Adherence
    Never taken as prescribed
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 10 mg Monthly
Advice & Tips: Make sure your providers are monitoring you closely. During my first course of chemo, my blood pressure crashed and I nearly flat-lined. To administer the complete the first day's dose took 8 hours compared with an anticipated 1 hour. Later cycles were easier.

  • 0 helpful marks

Mar 25, 2013 (Started Mar 15, 2006)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for systemic lupus erythematosus)
  • Effectiveness
    Major (for rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (nausea, migraine)
  • Adherence
    Usually
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: As needed
Advice & Tips: I use the Scopalamine Patch the night before (helps eliminate the nausea - I have tried Phenergan and Zofran -both used to work, but don't any more). Occasionally I have side effects during the drip (itchiness in throat, ears and head - now they add tagamet and claritin to stop that - last infusion it worked well). Retuxan has changed my life - I was unable to work before i was on it- after the first infusion about 1 month later I went to EUROPE for a week (I never could have gone before!) and I walked, went to Paris, London, had a blast! Prior to retuxan I had stopped working completely and spend most of my life in bed. I had researched this drug and was waiting for for the FDA to approve. As soon as it did my doc got approval ( had been on EVERYTHING prior to that) and had a needle in my arm! I was the second patient to receive treatment at my clinic! It is a godsend! I'm not "normal" but I am a LOT better (I can tell when I can't afford it- it is pricey but the company has started a program to help you pay for what insurance wont (it's apprx 7-20,000 per infusion)So with a copay or if you get it early in the year you owe all of your out of pocked and deductible (3K for me!). It is an all day infusion (about 6 hours) and bc of problems years ago with an insurance company that paid for it, then when we moved to a different insurance company they went back and "retroactively denied treatment" I fought but still owed the clinic $8000 which I did NOT have on hand. They have told me I can NEVER get infused at their clinic (which is a problem bc many clinics are with hospitals and they won't let me get infusioned if my doc doesn't have privs, or the hospitals want the doctor to get approval and her office refuses since they aren't getting paid. SO..advice - even if your doctor says you are approved CALL INSURANCE find out how much you will owe. Once it's in your arm you could owe a lot of money. AND some clinics don't actually get authorization (then they will charge you a LARGE fee - your insurance). BUT apart from the cost (LOL) it is brilliant! OH - the typical dose is 2 infusions 2 weeks apart every 4 months (that is NOT ON THE LIST OF CHOICES). You can get it more frequently (and I did once) but you need to get approval from your insurance.

  • 1 helpful mark

May 1, 2012 (Started Nov 01, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (major depressive disorder, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, tremor in hands, tremor(s))
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Advice & Tips: stop medication did not help with swelling or pain in joints added actemra 2012 may
Cost: $200+ monthly

Jan 1, 2012 (Started Nov 01, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (major depressive disorder, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, tremor in hands, tremor(s))
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Advice & Tips: very expensive was disappointed it did not work
Cost: $200+ monthly

Dec 10, 2011 (Started Nov 01, 2011)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for rheumatoid arthritis)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall) (major depressive disorder, myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome, headaches, tremor in hands, tremor(s))
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 7 hr Monthly
Advice & Tips: i had to submitt 2 infusion with no success for me i had alot of inflamation and fatigue infusion 1 month apart 7 hours for each was hoping it would work for me
Cost: $200+ monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Nov 22, 2011 (Started Oct 15, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for neuromyelitis optica)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (fever, whole body ache, generalized weakness (asthenia), fatigue, decreased appetite)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 1000 mg Every 3 months
Advice & Tips: I was diagnosed with NMO in October of 2009, and began chemotherapy using Rituximab almost immediately. The treatments were VERY hard on my body, and I almost invariably had alarming cardiac/respiratory crises with every session. As stated in my previous evaluation of this drug, it reached a point where the drug was so hard on me that my doctor (and my anesthetist parents) stopped treatment after my treatment in June of 2010. My husband and I moved from South Carolina to North Carolina in October of 2011, where I met with several new doctors in the Asheville area. My new hemotologist convinced me that he could administer my treatments without causing the issues I'd previously experienced. I conceded, and to my surprise, he lived up to his claim immensely. He infused the same drug in the same dosage, but with a totally different method. My side effects (both during treatment and after) were minimized greatly - I had NO cardiac/pulmonary crises, and my recuperation time was cut in half. My opinion on this treatment has improved by leaps and bounds. That being said, however, it is still a VERY powerful drug, and should be used with extreme caution - and only if you have exhausted the less dangerous treatments available.
Cost: < $25 monthly

Jun 2, 2010 (Started Oct 15, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    None (for neuromyelitis optica)
  • Side effects
    Severe (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 1000 mg Every 3 months
Advice & Tips: If you take Rituxan, be VERY aware of the strength of this drug, and of the possible side effects. Also consider that NMO in itself causes a great deal of fatigue and weakness, and that the Rituxan exacerbates these effects 100-fold. I deteriorated very quickly neurologically speaking, so much so that my parents (who are CRNAs) were truly afraid I would not survive the last treatment. Just be cautious, and be sure your body is physically strong enough to endure such risky treatment.

  • 0 helpful marks

Aug 30, 2011 (Started Mar 01, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Moderate (for neuromyelitis optica)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 1000 mg Yearly
Advice & Tips: worked for 2 years, then stopped working

Jun 22, 2010 (Started Mar 01, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Major (for neuromyelitis optica)
  • Side effects
    None (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: 1000 mg Yearly
Advice & Tips: Had 1000 mg infusion 4x at weekly intervals @ 10 months, had 1000 mg infusion 2x at 2-week interval

  • 0 helpful marks

Mar 1, 2010 (Started Nov 12, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (respiratory infections)
  • Adherence
    Never taken as prescribed
  • Burden
    Somewhat hard to take
Dosage: 10 mg Weekly
Side effects: respiratory infections

Dec 9, 2009 (Started Nov 12, 2009)

  • Effectiveness
    Can't tell (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Moderate (for Overall) (respiratory infections)
  • Adherence
    Sometimes
  • Burden
    A little hard to take
Dosage: 10 mg Weekly
Advice & Tips: Got too many respiratory infections after the first dose. Second dose, tomorrow after three weeks
Side effects: respiratory infections

  • 1 helpful mark

Oct 22, 2010 (Started Jan 27, 2010)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for multiple sclerosis)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Not at all hard to take
Dosage: As needed
Advice & Tips: i had the rituximab treatment 01.27.10 and 2 weeks later 02.10.2010 the next treatment was given 10.22.2010 and 2 weeks later 11.05.2010 my insurance did not cover at atll nor the infusion time! unfortunately i am still declining…, no relapses… but = this treatment did not work for me
Cost: $200+ monthly

  • 0 helpful marks

Dec 31, 2008 (Started May 05, 2005)

  • Effectiveness
    Slight (for Other)
  • Side effects
    Mild (for Overall) (low blood pressure)
  • Adherence
    Always
  • Burden
    Very hard to take
Dosage: 1000 other Yearly
Advice & Tips: In 2005 when I had this treatment it gave me moderate improvement but this time in 2008 I only had slight improvement and that only seemed to last for not quite a full year, unlike the other time which I had some benefit up to 3 years.
Cost: $200+ monthly
Side effects: low blood pressure

  • 1 helpful mark
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