Atypical Multiple Sclerosis

No, this is not a re-hash of my last post. I completed my first Rituxan treatment. When used as a treatment for Multiple Sclerosis, one Rituxan treatment is given as two 4-5 hour infusions separated by two weeks. There is a six month period between treatments. I am happy to have one full treatment completed, and happily await my second treatment in six months.

As an update, I did have a few side effects after the first treatment-I think. Several days after my first infusion, I felt tired, fatigued, headache. I felt, almost…almost like I was getting a cold or flu. It never developed, but for a few days I felt a bit run down.

Now onto my second infusion. It was more of the same. First the nurses gave me tylenol and benedryl in pill form. Next, I was given a decadron (steroid) drip. Then onto the main event, Rituxan. YIPEE! Midway through the infusion I felt a bit of a headache, nothing earth-shattering, a lingering pressure headache. This lasted about an hour or so then it faded away. I went home feeling good, tired from the infusion, but feeling good.

How did you feel afterwards? Were there any lingering side-effects? Do you feel any improvement? All good questions, all the questions I wondered as well while driving home. Actually, you need a driver. Because you may feel dizzy, tired, etc. after the Rituxan infusion, you cannot drive yourself home. Ok, onto the good stuff.

There weren’t any lingering side-effects this time. I waited for them, planned ahead just in case, but they never came. That makes me happy. As with any new adventure, the beauty lies in the unknown.

According to the docs, some people only hold steady, walk the plateau, with Rituxan. Some feel their symptoms improve. For a few Rituxan doesn’t work. For me, I noticed improvement after the second treatment. Coordination, spasticity, weakness, and dizziness all improved. That equates to a whole bunch of fun for me. And that makes me even happier!