Which treatment

LouiseM
LouiseM Member Posts: 3
in Chat to our Helpline Team

Hi, I have to make a decision in the next couple of weeks whether to go on Adalimumab or Rituximab. My consultant says I am eligible for either and I can choose. I'm really stuck on what to do. I much prefer the idea of having an infusion twice every 6 months rather than a fortnightly injection which I do myself. However, on the research I have done it looks like you have to have steroids with the infusion to help with any reactions, but this often results in weight gain and this really puts me off and is a problem for me. Do you always have steroids with it?

Also the Reituximab looks like it has better outcomes on the clinical trials I have read, but the side effects and risks are much worse.

What are the main differences between these drugs and how they work. I don't know how to decide and feel stuck. Thank you

Comments

  • Ellen
    Ellen Moderator Posts: 1,794

    Hi @LouiseM

    Lovely to meet you and welcome you to the Versus Arthritis Online Community I will leave our helpline to respond to your post.

    Best wishes

    Ellen

  • LouiseM
    LouiseM Member Posts: 3

    Thank you. Do I need to contact them separately?

  • helpline_team
    helpline_team Posts: 3,713

    Dear LouiseM

    Thank you for your posting on the forum and I apologise for the delay in replying to your post.

    I am sorry to hear that you feel stuck in making the decision about which drug to choose. It sounds as if you have been exploring the pros and cons of each of these particular drugs. As we are all individual different drugs may suit different people.

    It is important that you talk through the benefits and risks of taking each drug with your healthcare professionals before you start treatment, so you are able to make an informed decision.

    We can’t advice you on which drug for you to decide on but I would encourage you to call us on the helpline  where you can talk things through with one of our helpline team. You can contact us on 0800 5200 520 (Monday – Friday 9am – 8pm).

    Our information on steroids when using Rituximab is that on the day of your rituximab infusion, you will probably have some steroids along with paracetamol and a drug to relieve the symptoms of allergies or reactions, known as an antihistamine. This is to reduce the chances of you having a reaction to the medication. There are links to this, and more information about each of these drugs, including how they work, below which I hope will be helpful to you.


    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/adalimumab/

    https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/drugs/rituximab/


    Best Wishes

    Dawn

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