What is rituximab?
Rituximab is a drug that is designed to target Rogue B-cells in the body, part of the immune system. It is used in the treatment of some types of leukemia and lymphoma, along with autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis. This drug is sold under MabThera and Rituxan trade names and is only available as prescription. It comes in the form of a solution that is inserted into the body during a number of regular meetings. Rituximab attacks healthy and abnormal B-cells, which means that it is necessary to care carefully so that the patient's immune system is not at risk of using the drug. Usually the patient is monitored during infusion and may be asked to stay as soon as infusions end so that health care providers can monitor signs of side effects.
Common side effects of rituximab including nausea, pain at the site of infusion, cold, itching, headache, fatigue and hives. Some patients experience more serious side effects on the drug, with most negative reactions occur during the first infusion thanto be obtained later. More serious side effects include infection, heart problems and tumor syndrome. In the liby syndrome, tumor cells are killed by the drug, but they cannot be rinsed quickly enough from the body.
Before prescribing rituximab, the patient usually carefully examines the patient's condition and performs medical tests to ensure that the patient is a good candidate for the drug. The physician should discuss the potential risks of the drug with the patient, along with the common side effects and ways to deal with them, and the patient may provide special advice on him. The patient will also need to establish a relationship with the clinic or hospital where infusions are performed.
Like many markets on the market, rituximab has not been tested for safety in pregnant women, because it could endanger the life of the fetus. For this reason, the drug is not recommended for the use of women in youTenty or breastfeeding women, because the risk of developing children and infants is unknown. Doctors who have better safe than sorry prescribe an alternative or wait to start treatment until it is safe.