premeds?

[Temagami]

Just scheduled my first non-trial infusion for June. What premeds, if any, are you taking before you get to the infusion center? Are you getting Zyrtec or Benadryl during the infusion?

My neuro agreed to test my CD19 count and as of month 8 it was still zero. Yeah! Will get tested again right before the infusion. Due to possibly losing my insurance, I will get infused even it´s still zero in June. If it turns out that at 9 months I´m still at zero, next year I´ll see if I can get to 10 months.

[lisa2007]

Temagami,
For my infusions (just had one today), I got meds as part of the infusion. If you take something, it may interfere with the protocol. Tylenol (oral), steroid(IV), and Benadryl (IV) first, then about 30 min later the Ocrevus. I had a little more Benadryl after about an hour. No major problems, now I’m just really tired.

[Marco]

Pretreating Ocrevus Patients with Multiple Antihistamines and Liquids Lowers Infusion Reactions by 60%, Study Reports

A total of 207 patients were treated with Ocrevus at the University of Chicago Medicine MS Clinic. Their median age was 47 years, and 131 (63.3%) were women. The night before a September 2017 infusion, 110 patients (72 women, 65.5%) on the modified premedication protocol were instructed to take cetirizine (10 mg), ranitidine (75 mg), and encouraged to drink water or other liquids for hydration. Cetirizine is an antihistamine used to relieve allergy symptoms; ranitidine is an antihistamine used to lower stomach acid production.


This regimen was repeated the next day, prior to arrival at the clinic.



Immediately before an Ocrevus infusion, these patients were also given the antihistamine diphenhydramine at 50 mg and the corticosteroid methylprednisolone at 125 mg, both via intravenous infusion, as well as acetaminophen (650 mg), an oral pain and fever medication.


https://multiplesclerosisnewstoday.c...study-reports/

[pb909]

My first infusion is scheduled for late this month. I was told not to take anything before getting to the infusion center and they would give me everything needed at the beginning of the infusion.

[Marco]

My first infusion is scheduled for late this month. I was told not to take anything before getting to the infusion center and they would give me everything needed at the beginning of the infusion.

They tell me the same thing and I still take premeds the day before and the day after my infusions. I am also no longer taking steroids before the infusions. We weaned off the steroids over the past several infusions (rituximab, not Ocrelizumab).

[lisa2007]

My first infusion is scheduled for late this month. I was told not to take anything before getting to the infusion center and they would give me everything needed at the beginning of the infusion.

It’s best to follow the advice from your own medical team, so if your infusion center says don’t take anything, then don’t. My local MS center has a nurse’s line I can call. Do you have a similar resource?

[pb909]

It’s best to follow the advice from your own medical team, so if your infusion center says don’t take anything, then don’t. My local MS center has a nurse’s line I can call. Do you have a similar resource?

yes - I plan to double-check everything before my appt - thanks.

[Marco]

It’s best to follow the advice from your own medical team, so if your infusion center says don’t take anything, then don’t. My local MS center has a nurse’s line I can call. Do you have a similar resource?

Lisa.
Thank you for this response. I reread my post and see where it is problematic.

I do not follow the infusion center directives, but I follow the guidance of my neurologist. He and I agree to follow the information from the study cited above.

Thanks!