My Rituximab Journey Continues

I am now in my 11th week of Rituximab therapy for Rhuematoid Arthritis (RA). The differences I have noticed are subtle. Most noticeably is the swelling of my joints. The swelling has decreased and with that I have been able to reduce my prednisone intake by half. However, I still have a considerable amount of pain in the hips.  The spinal doctor attributes this directly to RA and not the lumbar issue. His solution is Ultrasound Guided Cortisone Injections in to both hips. This procedure will be done next week. My Rheumatologist feels that with the hip injections and another round of Rituximab infusions on July 19th and August 2nd, I may be able to reduce my prednisone intake even more and the pain will start to diminish. I am willing to give it a try. I had been told at the outset, that this therapy was not a quick fix and that results would not be seen immediately. I am still feeling the fatigue and general malaise of RA and hope that will diminish with the pain as well.

In the meantime, I have finally hooked up with a few fellow positive minded #Rheum patients who take Rituximab. We call ourselves the #RituxanRockstars a term coined by @Peaches42 when she described how Rituximab made her feel (Like a Rockstar!). Others in our "rockstar" group include @RAW4RA and @Juvey_Chick . We are in all different phases of our treatment and the support given to me alone, by all three of these ladies has been fantastic. Thank you to all of you! When I first started on this treatment, I could not find anyone who had taken it before. This made the process even scarier. Whether the treatment works or not, it is just nice to know that someone has traveled the same road.

I have discovered, the hard way, that Rituximab can cause insomnia. It helps to have a good doctor who is familiar with the different classes of medications to finally realize this was part of my lack of sleep issues. Those issues are resolving, now that we know the cause.


If your doctor and you decide to take the Rituximab journey, be sure to enroll in the Rituxan Experience Program to assist you with the co pay or co insurance. 

As with any treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis, what works for me, may not work for you. My best advice is to go in to each treatment with a positive attitude that the treatment WILL work and you will feel and see results soon!

1 Corinthians 16:6
Perhaps I will stay with you awhile, or even spend the winter, so that you can help me on my journey, wherever I go.

Blessings... Kim