Repeating Rituxan After Getting Serum Sickness

"Melinda - I didn't have any missing words."

That's why I thought you thought I thought you had missed words :silly:

At the end of the page they had sites for NIH, Mayo Clinic and wiki - so I went to
the NIH site and the Mayo Clinic site to see what they said. I would trust either
of those over the GB site.

When I searched it, the connection came up several times on other sites. I didn't read the others though. I've had a weird fear of GBS for years.

This blog is really great. I also have gotten more lupus symptoms since the last Rituxan treatment, but I also got serum sickness as well. I never thought about a possible correlation until reading all of your stories. My rheuma has been leaning on a lupus diagnosis, but hasn't made it official. I had the itp, high sed rate, lupus anticoagulant and antiphospholipid antibodies. Only within the last 2 years have I had a positive ANA which was after the last rituxan & serum sickness.

By the way I'm currently in the hospital. Been here since Wednesday with severe abdominal pain. They just told me it's because of inflamation of my intestines. They feel it's possibly related to my autoimmune issues, a possible flare. Anyone have any thoughts?

Hope you feel better soon.

Are you taking prednisolone? If so and not wanting to simple blame steroids on everything could it be indegestion related? That can feel quite severe. I remember my first attack in 1994 and luckily I was in hospital at the time so they were able to determin quite quickly that it was steroid induced and gave me Zantag indigestion tables. I needed them at the beginning of this year but been on steroids that long this year my system seems have - er acclimatised (ha ha). not good i guess but

Have they tried indigestion things?

Other than that I would only be clutching at straws, guesswork and could be anything. Combination of medication you are taking, the foods you are eating, some infection you have picked up, Do over grown spleens hurt? I don't know because mine didn't. It can be really soft so be missed in an average examination. Gold or gall stones, they do hurt! Though mine hasn't yet. I hardly know anything about LUPUS. Just what I read on here. I don't know anyone with it either so can't ask them for their experiences along with 'tummy aches'

I hope they sort it out for you soon. Life is pretty dull in a hospital. Busy enough in the morning with getting up routines but from then on fairly dull. You could be writing a book journal of your experiences or something to occupy yourself when there? Take care and hope they find out what it is soon. Could it be apendix even. Doesn't LUPUS effect just about every organ of the body in time or is that SLE and SLE is different to LUPUS or is LUPUS, SLE?

Take care and hope not in too much pain

Kelly:

I'm constantly surprised by the number of people who are leaning toward a Lupus diagnosis who end up with serum sickness. I'd have to say that most of the people who have had serum sickness from Rituxan either end up with Lupus or have it before they started. They really should do a study about that.

You do have some doozy antibodies. Do you have any physical symptoms (rashes, fevers, joint pain, myalgias)? I don't mean the symptoms that were related to serum sickness.

Hope you get out of the hospital soon!

Sandi, it is pretty interesting. I agree a study should be done. I first started taking Rituxan as a participant in medical study at Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC. It was done using individuals who had ITP or antiphospholipid antibodies. It was an 18 month study and all expenses including infusions were covered by the makers of Rituxan. I think I should suggest a new study with your suggestions.

I have taken every antiacid drug I can think of to no avail. I wonder if prednisone would work, but I like to stay as far away from them as possible.

You lost me. Antacids? For what?

Rhionon asked had I tried any meds for indigestion due to the abdominal pain I'm currently hospitalized for. Thus my response on antacids. They (hospital doctors) finally told me the tests reveal inflamation in my belly. I suspect it's rheumatological, however the attending doesn't think so.

Oh. Missed that, thanks!