A tip from RISE
A good night's sleep may help prevent fatigue and even pain. Try to keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and relatively cool (around 67°F).
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
Rituxan can result in serious side effects, some of which could be life threatening. These include:
- infusion reactions
- tumor lysis syndrome (TLS)
- severe skin and mouth reactions
- progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)
Other serious, potentially life-threatening side effects are:
- hepatitis B infection that may become active again
- serious infections
- heart problems
- low blood cell counts
Common side effects include infections and infusion reactions. Before treatment with Rituxan, patients should tell their doctor if they have an infection, including one that will not go away or that keeps coming back. If patients experience any symptoms or side effects during or after Rituxan treatment, they should seek immediate medical attention. These are not all of the possible side effects with Rituxan. Tell your doctor about any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
Please read the Rituxan full Prescribing Information, including the Medication Guide. If you have any questions about this information, be sure to discuss them with your doctor.
WHAT IS RITUXAN?
Rituxan® (rituximab) is a prescription medicine used in adults with another prescription medicine called methotrexate, to reduce the signs and symptoms of moderate to severe active RA, after at least one other medicine called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor has been used and did not work well enough.
A unique dosing schedule
A treatment's effectiveness depends on a lot more than just how it works. In fact, research has shown that the better a treatment fits your lifestyle, the better you'll be able to stick with it and the more effective it can be. So if you're considering Rituxan® (rituximab) with your doctor, don't forget to consider how well its dosing schedule suits you, and how it's given.
As few as 4 infusions a year
Rituxan can provide 6 months of symptom improvement with just 1 course of treatment (2 infusions given 2 weeks apart). So over a year, Rituxan could manage your RA with as few as 4 infusions. When you consider the dosing schedules of other RA treatments (see chart below), taking Rituxan could mean fewer administrations over time.
What to keep in mind
Remember, there are other important aspects to consider when choosing a treatment with your doctor, including potential side effects. Rituxan can cause serious side effects, some of which may be potentially life threatening. Among the most common side effects with Rituxan are infections and infusion reactions.
No conclusions regarding comparative safety or efficacy between treatments can be drawn from this chart.
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- How Rituxan is given
