Thank God for Drugs LOL

May want to discuss with your doctor
Hey Liz,

You may want to discuss it with your doctor. Rituxan was part
of my treatment - I don't recall heart fluttering (in my case).
I do know they did EKG a couple times during my treatments but
they were okay. I'm also glad the treatment went better this
time.

Hugs,

Jim

miss maggie said:

Heart issues
Dear Liz,

I agree with Jim and others. Please let your doctor know immediately. Very interesting
Sue mentioning one of the side effects (Heart issues) from Rituxan. I had no idea. Still
Learning.

When in doubt, if condition becomes worrisome, ask the doctor to order an echo cardiogram.

God Bless, and hope heart fluttering passes. You too, have a wonderful weekend along with everyone on this site.

Love Maggie

Rituxan
Hi Maggie,
Here is a little info on Rituxan. I've read tons of material on Rituxan, because I felt the length of time I was going to be on it warranted as much info as possible to make me feel at peace with it. Remember this is "general" information and we all re-act differently with drugs. I just like knowing what has been reported and verified with the use of this drug. Heart problems are listed here near the bottom of the article. For me,knowledge is power and the more I know, the safer I feel. Have a good weekend Maggie..I'm watching Lizzy today for a few hours while her parents get away for a movie and early diner. Love you...Sue

Rituxan
Understanding potential side effects

As you look forward to experiencing the many benefits of Rituxan®(rituximab), it's important to monitor how you feel. Rituxan can also cause side effects, so be sure to tell your doctor if you experience any discomfort during or after treatment.

Common and potentially serious side effects

Rituxan can cause serious side effects including:
•Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)•PML is a rare brain infection
•PML usually causes severe disability or death
•Call your doctor right away if you notice any new or worsening medical problems, such as a new or sudden change in thinking, walking, strength, vision, or other problems that have lasted over several days
•PML usually happens in patients with weakened immune systems
•PML can occur during treatment with Rituxan or after treatment has finished. There is no known treatment, prevention, or cure for PML

•Infusion reactions. Tell your doctor or get medical treatment right away if you get hives, swelling, dizziness, blurred vision, drowsiness, headache, cough, wheezing, or have trouble breathing while receiving or after receiving Rituxan
•Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). TLS is caused by the fast breakdown of certain types of cancer cells. Patients receiving Rituxan for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) may get TLS
•Severe skin reactions. Tell your doctor or get medical treatment right away if you get any of these symptoms: painful sores on your skin or in your mouth, ulcers, blisters, or peeling skin while receiving or after receiving Rituxan

Rituxan can cause other serious and life threatening side effects, including:
•Hepatitis B virus reactivation. Tell your doctor if you had hepatitis B virus or are a carrier of hepatitis B virus. Receiving Rituxan could cause the hepatitis B virus to become an active infection again. This may cause serious liver problems and death. People with active liver disease due to hepatitis B should stop receiving Rituxan
•Heart problems. Tell your doctor about any heart problems you have including chest pain (angina) and irregular heartbeats. Rituxan can cause chest pain and irregular heartbeats, which may require treatment
•Infections. Rituxan can increase your chances for getting infections. Call your doctor right away if you have a cough that will not go away, fever, chills, congestion, or any flu-like symptoms while receiving Rituxan. These symptoms may be signs of a serious infection

Common side effects during Rituxan infusions include fever, headache, chills and shakes, nausea, itching, hives, cough, sneezing, throat irritation or tightness.

Other side effects with Rituxan include aching joints, upper respiratory tract infection, decreased blood cell counts, lung problems.

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

COBRA666 said:

Oh,Boy
Holy S##t !!!!I can't wait to get my next infusion.

Yes but...
Hey John,
Yes, but we need to remember we have already been taking the Rituxan since day one of starting treatments for our cancer, and so far, so good, for both of us. I just like knowing as many facts about the Rituxan as possible. 2 1/2 years is a long time to take a drug without knowing as much as possible about it, at least thats how I feel. Anyways... I have faith we are all going to do just fine with the Rituxan. Hope your having a good weekend. Sue

allmost60 said:

Rituxan
Hi Maggie,
Here is a little info on Rituxan. I've read tons of material on Rituxan, because I felt the length of time I was going to be on it warranted as much info as possible to make me feel at peace with it. Remember this is "general" information and we all re-act differently with drugs. I just like knowing what has been reported and verified with the use of this drug. Heart problems are listed here near the bottom of the article. For me,knowledge is power and the more I know, the safer I feel. Have a good weekend Maggie..I'm watching Lizzy today for a few hours while her parents get away for a movie and early diner. Love you...Sue

Rituxan
Understanding potential side effects

As you look forward to experiencing the many benefits of Rituxan®(rituximab), it's important to monitor how you feel. Rituxan can also cause side effects, so be sure to tell your doctor if you experience any discomfort during or after treatment.

Common and potentially serious side effects

Rituxan can cause serious side effects including:
•Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)•PML is a rare brain infection
•PML usually causes severe disability or death
•Call your doctor right away if you notice any new or worsening medical problems, such as a new or sudden change in thinking, walking, strength, vision, or other problems that have lasted over several days
•PML usually happens in patients with weakened immune systems
•PML can occur during treatment with Rituxan or after treatment has finished. There is no known treatment, prevention, or cure for PML

•Infusion reactions. Tell your doctor or get medical treatment right away if you get hives, swelling, dizziness, blurred vision, drowsiness, headache, cough, wheezing, or have trouble breathing while receiving or after receiving Rituxan
•Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS). TLS is caused by the fast breakdown of certain types of cancer cells. Patients receiving Rituxan for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) may get TLS
•Severe skin reactions. Tell your doctor or get medical treatment right away if you get any of these symptoms: painful sores on your skin or in your mouth, ulcers, blisters, or peeling skin while receiving or after receiving Rituxan

Rituxan can cause other serious and life threatening side effects, including:
•Hepatitis B virus reactivation. Tell your doctor if you had hepatitis B virus or are a carrier of hepatitis B virus. Receiving Rituxan could cause the hepatitis B virus to become an active infection again. This may cause serious liver problems and death. People with active liver disease due to hepatitis B should stop receiving Rituxan
•Heart problems. Tell your doctor about any heart problems you have including chest pain (angina) and irregular heartbeats. Rituxan can cause chest pain and irregular heartbeats, which may require treatment
•Infections. Rituxan can increase your chances for getting infections. Call your doctor right away if you have a cough that will not go away, fever, chills, congestion, or any flu-like symptoms while receiving Rituxan. These symptoms may be signs of a serious infection

Common side effects during Rituxan infusions include fever, headache, chills and shakes, nausea, itching, hives, cough, sneezing, throat irritation or tightness.

Other side effects with Rituxan include aching joints, upper respiratory tract infection, decreased blood cell counts, lung problems.

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 a Headache
Dearest Sue,

Suddenly I have a terrible headache. When my oncologist informed me I would be taking
Rituxan in Dec 2009. I did research the info you posted. I questioned her about what I
read. As you can guess, she assured me and I went ahead with treatment.

Many months later I do remember someone's husband or brother died from the Rituxan
treatment. I would suppose they had one of the 2 side effects you mentioned. •Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)•PML is a rare brain infection
•PML usually causes severe disability or death. •PML can occur during treatment with Rituxan or after treatment has finished. There is no known treatment, prevention, or cure for PML

Is ignorance bliss?????? I have a friend DX with breast cancer. She was treated with chemo
and radiation. She has no idea of the side effects of both. She simply doesn't want to know.
She has finished treatment and is doing very well. She has 4 children and is quite active.

You too, are such a great mother and grandma. Yes, our children do need a breather and
the freedom to enjoy a movie and dinner. Meanwhile, at the same time we get a chance to
play mommy again. LOL

Sweet Sue, thank you for reminding me of the side effect of Rituxan. The heart issue got lost
in my brain.

Love you much and thank you. Love Maggie

COBRA666 said:

I appreciate it too
Sue,
I know how rough this stuff can be and I really appreciate all your concern. If not for you a lot of us would be in the dark about a lot of the things that go on with these treatments and drugs.You take the time to check it out. I just thought I would throw a fast quip in there in the last post. Believe me in reality I do not look forward to the R,but at the same time I know none of us has a choice in the matter. I have read some info on R and when I saw what is in the ingredients I could not believe what I was reading. You want to see some really strange effects and contraindications just check some of the side effects of plain aspirin. Its all so scary. Keep up the good work with keeping us informed. You don't know how appreciated you are on this board. John

Aspirin
Dear John,

Isn't Sue wonderful to post all the information we all should know?
Most, if not all of us, have done pretty well with our treatment of Rituxan.
With the exception of the gentlemen I posted about in a previous post.

Stay well, enjoy. Have a wonderful Sunday. Love Maggie