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Is Cimzia An Effective Medication For Lower Back Pain?
Question: My Doctor is recommending that I receive Cimzia shots and I am not sure if this is the best treatment for me. I am a 75 year old male and had a previous bout with prostate cancer which was handled with radiation therapy. My concern is are there any medications that could give me relief of pain in my lower back and sometimes making my hands stiff but goes away after a short period of time. I really do not like the idea that I have to take two shots of Cimzia and then two more shot two weeks later thereafter one shot a month for almost forever. I do not want to be tied down to the doctor for for this period of treatment are there any medications that I can take orally that will not adversely affect my liver.Please give me your opinion on this matter, Thank You XXXXXXX XXXX
Brief Answer:
It is a good drug.
Detailed Answer:
It breaks one part of the immune system. Side effects are (rare) reactivity to it and (pretty rare) problems from not having an immune system (its really bad if you have tuberculosis and take this drug).
It is a literal Disease Modifying Agent and actually gets at the root cause of the disease. Steroids are dose and time dependent on causing degeneration of bones and muscles.
And, the disease isn't going away. The closest you could get would be With A Drug Like Cimzia. And you'll have to be on something forever. This is toxic in other ways from the others and helps the underlying disease process. It probably doesn't interact with cancer. It does interact with underlying infections you do not have. It does NOT interact with other medicines.
It is a good drug.
Detailed Answer:
It breaks one part of the immune system. Side effects are (rare) reactivity to it and (pretty rare) problems from not having an immune system (its really bad if you have tuberculosis and take this drug).
It is a literal Disease Modifying Agent and actually gets at the root cause of the disease. Steroids are dose and time dependent on causing degeneration of bones and muscles.
And, the disease isn't going away. The closest you could get would be With A Drug Like Cimzia. And you'll have to be on something forever. This is toxic in other ways from the others and helps the underlying disease process. It probably doesn't interact with cancer. It does interact with underlying infections you do not have. It does NOT interact with other medicines.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
In your opinion would I be better off taking Methotrexate if it doesn't affect my liver or have the Cimzia shots instead. My concern is being tied to the doctors office coming back for the Cimzia shots every month for ever which is kind of restricting my freedom and what I would like to do on occasion like going away for periods of time with my wife without worrying that I have to get back for my injection. If the Cimzia or the Methotrexate doesn' work is there another medication that I could use that would be as affective and can be taken orally like the methotrexate described above. Thank You XXXXXXX XXXX
Brief Answer:
Methotrexate is unique
Detailed Answer:
Chemotherapy drugs work in unique ways. Hydrea is used in many disorders of lymphocytes including leukemia like methotrexate but it works differently and hasn't been developed (maybe perhaps it just didn't work!) for rheumatoid arthritis. So, it's pretty much methotrexate or much weaker drugs (plaquenil...in the short term... under 5 years...it's really non-toxic unless you get allergic to it).
Methotrexate can do some bad stuff long term-->liver damage and cirrhosis, which is preventable by watching liver enzymes. Lung scarring which is catchable with lung testing. And none of the bad stuff heals up.
The injectable antibodies are at least as effective as methotrexate, probably more so, and if they don't kill you are not toxic. (death by not having the immune system work has occurred. It occurs in the context of infection, so, treating every cold as if it is a life-threatening emergency likely entirely prevents serious problems with injectables).
The real question is this.... If you stopped HIV meds for a week, that could cause resistant virus to pop out and kill you. If you stop diabetes, hypertension, or heart failure meds, you will know you aren't treated and it will make you want to take your medicine (mostly). BUT, if you skip your vitamins, minerals, baldness meds, antidepressants, for several days, not much happens.
I doubt resistant arthritis pops out if you miss a week of injectable. I've had a tragedy when due to insurance and infection someone missed it for 3 months. So, the question is, how tied are you? I don't think a week matters. So, with some flexibility of dosing and being only slightly tied down....
Now if Cimzia fails there are about a half dozen other nearly identical drugs that might work. Injectables are monoclonal antibodies that attack particular cells and hormones. BUT each company's version can be very different in its effect on a particular person even if they all do the same thing. It's like a 22 pistol and a flintlock and a derringer... frankly the antibody's are more different than those, so, there's a considerable number of variations of medicines all of which are similar to Cimzia.
Methotrexate is unique
Detailed Answer:
Chemotherapy drugs work in unique ways. Hydrea is used in many disorders of lymphocytes including leukemia like methotrexate but it works differently and hasn't been developed (maybe perhaps it just didn't work!) for rheumatoid arthritis. So, it's pretty much methotrexate or much weaker drugs (plaquenil...in the short term... under 5 years...it's really non-toxic unless you get allergic to it).
Methotrexate can do some bad stuff long term-->liver damage and cirrhosis, which is preventable by watching liver enzymes. Lung scarring which is catchable with lung testing. And none of the bad stuff heals up.
The injectable antibodies are at least as effective as methotrexate, probably more so, and if they don't kill you are not toxic. (death by not having the immune system work has occurred. It occurs in the context of infection, so, treating every cold as if it is a life-threatening emergency likely entirely prevents serious problems with injectables).
The real question is this.... If you stopped HIV meds for a week, that could cause resistant virus to pop out and kill you. If you stop diabetes, hypertension, or heart failure meds, you will know you aren't treated and it will make you want to take your medicine (mostly). BUT, if you skip your vitamins, minerals, baldness meds, antidepressants, for several days, not much happens.
I doubt resistant arthritis pops out if you miss a week of injectable. I've had a tragedy when due to insurance and infection someone missed it for 3 months. So, the question is, how tied are you? I don't think a week matters. So, with some flexibility of dosing and being only slightly tied down....
Now if Cimzia fails there are about a half dozen other nearly identical drugs that might work. Injectables are monoclonal antibodies that attack particular cells and hormones. BUT each company's version can be very different in its effect on a particular person even if they all do the same thing. It's like a 22 pistol and a flintlock and a derringer... frankly the antibody's are more different than those, so, there's a considerable number of variations of medicines all of which are similar to Cimzia.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
In your response you mentioned that there is a consideral number of variations of medicines all of which are similar to cimzia, my question is are any of them in pill form and can be taken orally. Thank You XXXXXXX XXXX
Brief Answer:
so far, as far as I know. no
Detailed Answer:
There's three related groups:
antibody that binds TNF
protein that looks like what TNF would normally bind and so gums up the works
protein that blocks cells that TNF binds to by looking LIKE TNF.
TNF fits into a cell like a key in a lock
A lot of fake keys, a binder to the key, a binder to the lock.
and all are proteins and all injectable. All pretty similar in overall outline of effect BUT individuals may do better with one or another.
so far, as far as I know. no
Detailed Answer:
There's three related groups:
antibody that binds TNF
protein that looks like what TNF would normally bind and so gums up the works
protein that blocks cells that TNF binds to by looking LIKE TNF.
TNF fits into a cell like a key in a lock
A lot of fake keys, a binder to the key, a binder to the lock.
and all are proteins and all injectable. All pretty similar in overall outline of effect BUT individuals may do better with one or another.
Note: For further queries, consult a joint and bone specialist, an Orthopaedic surgeon. Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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