Taking an Immune Suppressant?

    • jk
      November 27, 2016 at 10:02 pm

      Are you, or have you, taken an immune system suppressant? Imuran (azathioprine), Rituxan and other chemo agents come to mind.

      The following is from Wikipedia- “B cells, also known as B lymphocytes, are a type of white blood cell…
      B cells develop from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that originate from bone marrow.”

      And this, from the Immune Deficiency Foundation: “D. B-Cells: These lymphocytes arise in the bone marrow and differentiate into plasma cells which in turn produce immunoglobulins (antibodies).”

      the direction of this thread follows

      1. Take an immunosuppressant
      2. Your white blood cell count drops. Anybody on your medical team watching this? Probably.
      3. Because B cells are a type of White cell, it follows that they also drop.
      4. Recall that B cells are one form of lymphocytes and that they become immunoglobulins (antibodies).

      Therefore, there is a chance that not only are the white cells suppressed so are the immunoglobulins.

      So, my question for you to ponder is: If you are taking, or have, taken an immunosuppressant do you know what your immunoglobulin levels are? The blood test is called Immunoglobulins, Quantitative.

      I did take immune suppressants. I do know my immunoglobulin levels and I can only report that my bone marrow production has not yet returned to normal.

    • GH
      November 30, 2016 at 12:00 am

      I took mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept®) for a few years, with periodic reduction of the dosage until I went off it. I never had any side effects that I was aware of.

      I didn’t know much about my blood tests. My neurologist told me what meds to take and I took them. I got the blood tests he ordered and he looked at the results. No issues.

    • revasline
      January 4, 2017 at 3:30 am

      I have had CIDP for over 5 years now. I am on IVIG and have been for 5 years. I am suppose to have treatments ever 3 weeks, but due to having Blue Cross of NC (OBAMA CARE) for the last 3 years of total kaos i have not been able to get my treatments paid for until I miss 1 2,3,or 4 then they will pay up.
      The treatments are over 15,000 dollars and I refuse to get stuck with that bill. We are on a fixed income and its tough just paying for the insurance It is
      classified as in office its just the copay. The last one has to go through 2 to 4 times before they approve a treatment that I have been getting for 5 yrs. They put me through continuous stress and so many hours daily on the phone. So, I have missed so many it’s like starting all over again each time.
      I am on micophenulate. I started out about 1 year ago when the numbness and pain already in my feet and legs and started moving from half of my left arm and fingers. It had been on my left side for a while then it went to both my arms and into my lungs. I was having trouble breathing so I went to a respitory Dr. and he couldnt find anything. I couldn’t grasp hardly
      anything. My neurologist then put me
      on micophenulate 250 mg. twice a day. The problems went away except for legs, feet
      and half of my left arm
      and fingers. I then
      joined the CIDP foundation and pursued a CIDP speciatist. The
      closest one for me was
      the University of
      Virginia hospital. My
      specialist increased the micophenulate to
      2000 mg. a day. 4
      pills in morning and 4
      pills at night. I have
      seen no improvement. She also ran a major
      series of blood test to
      rule out the rarest
      forms of the disease.
      also take a antiviral
      2 times a day. The only
      medicine that has
      helped me the most is
      Lyrica and I’m on 300
      mg. 3 times a day. I
      am in horrible pain al the time. The IVIG did
      help for the first 2
      years when I had an
      insurance company that
      was competent. I am now researching cdp. We will see how that goes.I try to get up
      and do what I can but
      I’m limited. I have long periods of twitches that happen every 3 or 4 seconds, and my hands shake all the time. Any one that has any of these symptoms I would love to communicate with you. The twitches come and go but no one can figure out why that’s happening. I hate taking all these medicines. I guess we all do. I am up to trying about anything. I feel that what is it going to hurt. I’m up for any clinical trial. We as a group just have to keep fighting to have quality of life.
      There are some people that are doing thdse stem cell implants and having great luck with it. I’m sure there will be more there for us in the future.