Experiences with biologic treatment

Last time, we wrote about biologic treatment and asked about your experiences. We're publishing a few of the responses below, with names and dates removed to protect anonymity.

“Rituxan saved my life. I get 2 infusions, two weeks apart every six months. At first I really didn’t want to pump the strong medication into my body, but by the 4-5 months I am begging for it. It has truly given me some sort of life back.

— Patient with Sjogren’s, RA, EGPA, fibromyalgia and mixed connective tissue disease

“My daughter became sick and tried most available pharmaceutical treatment options for mixed/undifferentiated connective tissue disease. She was in lots of pain and not growing or thriving. We started the biologic Orencia and it has been a miracle. She started gaining weight, growing and her pain was so much better after a few months. She now has a monthly infusion.

“A year after a diagnosis of CHAD (Cold Hemolytic Anaemia Disease) I was given a course of 4 doses of Rituximab. This improved my blood count from around 70 to around 90. I then received a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin-lymphoma. My blood count has fluctuated since (in the 80s) but I haven’t needed a second Rituximab treatment.

“I have a TRAPS variant autoimmune disorder and have taken Kineret (Anakinra) by injection, 100mg, up to twice a day, for 5+ years. It completely arrests any flare and my doctors think regular use keeps flares from happening. Do I love the injections? Of course not. But they have given me back my life. I don’t have any side effects, really.

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