TGIF!

[next_to_normal]

Hey, today is mcmegan's birthday! So we shall celebrate by... talking about my digestive system.

I had my follow-up doctor's appointment today, which is probably a good thing, since the Remicade seems to be getting progressively less effective. Since I'm not too keen on an experimental treatment, we decided to try a traditional immunosuppressant first. So, the one he recommended is mercaptopurine, or 6-MP. It's actually a drug for leukemia, but apparently anything intended to suppress the immune system gets used for Crohn's.

Er, but check out that big red-boxed warning at the top there:

FDA continues to receive reports of a rare cancer of white blood cells (known as Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma or HSTCL, primarily in adolescents and young adults being treated for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis with medicines known as tumor necrosis factors (TNF) blockers, as well as with azathioprine, and/or mercaptopurine. TNF blockers include infliximab (Remicade), etancercept (Enbrel), adalimumab (Humira), certolizumab pegol (Cimzia) and golimumab (Simponi).

Remicade, you say? O HAI THAT IS WHAT I AM ON RIGHT NOW.

HSTCL is an aggressive (fast-growing) cancer and is usually fatal.

AWESOME.

Know that people with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis and plaque psoriasis may be more likely to develop lymphoma than the general U.S. population. Therefore, it may be difficult to measure the added risk of TNF blockers, azathioprine, and/or meracaptopurine.

Well, that's a relief. OH WAIT IT'S NOT. I MIGHT GET CANCER ANYWAY.

Apparently, they will start me on a low dose to minimize the whole cancer thing, and I have to get regular blood cell counts when I first start it to make sure it's not having any adverse effects. And when they say rare, they mean, like, only 200 cases of it have been reported EVER and maybe 15 of them were from this combo of drugs. And it mostly impacts teens and males, neither of which I am. And my doctor didn't seem troubled by it. But man, sometimes the treatments seem worse than the disease, don't they? 

Comments

[eilowyn1]

I remember when they put me on a low dose of a schizophrenia medication as a sleep aid. Good times.

[gabrielleabelle]

Damn. I don't have my icons over here. :/

Picture Willow making a funny "ewww" face. That's what I look like.

[ever_neutral]

Uhhhhh... :\

Well. Hope it works out! :D

[per_aspera_ad_astra]

"sometimes the treatments seem worse than the disease, don't they"

Yup, they really do. It's crappy. I had a friend awhile ago whom I met in the hospital. She was fighting cancer, and she beat the cancer part. Unfortunately she ended up dying from the chemo.

But since you get to cross off two of the top sorts of people who get it (boy and teen), that only puts you somewhere in the middle of the risk! Don't forget to add that thing about your dvds to your will...

[mcmegan]

Yikes. That is not a good celebration.

[slaymesoftly]

Yikes!
(And yes, some treatments do seem worse than the diseases they're meant to cure or contain.)