My Treatment

First list of medications

September 2010
25mg prednisone daily (prednisone is a corticosteroid)
Septra daily
Percocet as needed (mostly 3 or 4 times a day)
Allegra
Multivitamin


Prednisone is increased to 60mg, after biopsy comes back. Other meds added as side effects began to show.

60mg prednisone daily
Septra daily (side effect of steroids)
Vitamin D/Calcium supplement added
20mg Paxil for mood swings
Adalat added for high blood pressure (side effect of steroids)
Allegra
Hydrochlorathiazide for swelling (side effect of steroids)
100mg Cellebrex
Multivitamin

Prednisone increased to 80mg to help with increased swelling in the eyes

October 2010

Received a PICC Line for IV infusions. A PICC line is a tube inserted directly into a vein and left in place, for multiple IV infusions. I would have mine for more than a year and had replaced once in that time.

Began receiving Cytoxan through IV infusions. Infusions last about 3 to 4 hours. Began with one a week for 4 weeks and then one every 3 weeks for 8 months. in hopes of remission.

Another side effect of the steroids is swelling and weight gain. At the beginning of the treatment I weighed 150lbs. By April 2011 I weigh 275 lbs. I am unable to walk due to the excess water retention. My face is swollen (moon face.) This is not the most pleasant experience.

April 2011

Prednisone is increased to 100mg prednisone a day. More medications added.

100mg prednisone daily
20mg Paxil
Adalat
Allegra
Lasix for water retention
Altos added for high sugar levels
Vitamin D/Calcium supplement
Multivitamin
100mg Cellebrex
800mg Ibruprofen as needed for pain

Rituxan is approved for use in Wegener's Patients. I began my Rituxan at this time

4 infusions one a week along with an infusion of IV steroids. Each infusion takes about 4 hours.

June 2011

Remission Acheived!!
Began steroid reduction. Reduction started with 10mg every two weeks until I got to 20 mg. Then 5mg every week until 10mg then by half each week until done. Once I got down to 20mg I noticed the water retention went waaaay down. I could walk around my house much easier. The moon face went away after a couple of months and I could look at myself in the mirror. I lost 40 lbs relatively quickly. The rest was a little more difficult. The excess skin has been a pain.