My Success with MMF
By Anthony Heard
As I approach my thirteenth ITP Birthday on July 28th, I can reflect upon plenty of incidents during ITP years. It hasn’t been a picnic by any means. I have been through the Prednisolone ringer five times, Rituximab twice and a horrible week or so with Azathioprine (I could not tolerate it all and withdrew from it within ten days).
I am one of those ITP sufferers who have been fortunate to respond well to Prednisolone and Rituximab. With the steroid, I have obtained about 6 months remission every time that I went on it and with Rituximab, I got about 2 years and 8 months remission both times that I had it. But in February 2016, I relapsed from the Rituximab remission that I had enjoyed since Summer 2013.
So, at that point my specialist suggested that we try Mycophenolate Mofetil (MMF). He was reluctant for me to undergo a third round of Rituximab treatment. Although I had responded well to it twice already (2010 & 2013). He felt that the long-term damage that it could potentially do to my immune system was not worth the risk. More long stints with Prednisolone were also ruled out. Although I responded well to it, the problems that it caused every time that I had used it on 5 occasions already, would just not be bearable again.
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