Category: Autoimmune diseases

Over 80% of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA), also known as temporal arteritis, experience significant side effects from long-term steroid treatment. This has driven the search for effective alternatives to steroids for temporal arteritis, with approved biologics and other immunosuppressants now offering powerful steroid-sparing options.

Originally approved as a first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes, the biguanide drug metformin has shown intriguing immunomodulatory effects in numerous preclinical and some clinical studies. This has led researchers to investigate, **does metformin help with autoimmune disease**, with promising, yet complex, results suggesting potential benefits beyond metabolic control.

While methotrexate is a highly effective treatment for many autoimmune diseases, helping to control symptoms and prevent joint damage, long-term use is associated with potential side effects. The risk of these problems, which can affect major organs like the liver, lungs, and kidneys, increases with higher doses and without proper monitoring. This medication requires careful management and consistent patient education to ensure its benefits outweigh the risks.

While traditional high-dose steroids typically offer symptom relief within days, ACTEMRA (tocilizumab) for GCA provides sustained, long-term remission and allows for a significant reduction in steroid use over time, with clinical improvement often observed within the first 1 to 3 months.

Methotrexate, a cornerstone treatment for various autoimmune conditions, can cause folate deficiency and significant side effects in up to 30% of users within the first year. This necessitates supplementation, but the question of **how much methylfolate with methotrexate** to take is complicated by a key difference in how these forms of folate interact with the medication.

Between 7% and 30% of people stop taking methotrexate in the first year due to adverse effects. Supplementing with folic acid is a key strategy doctors use to improve tolerance, and understanding why take folic acid with methotrexate is crucial for patient adherence.

Yes, methotrexate is frequently administered intravenously (IV), especially for high-dose treatments of certain cancers. The method of administration—oral, subcutaneous, intramuscular, or IV—depends entirely on the medical condition being treated, the required dosage, and the patient's specific health profile.

The standard adult maintenance dose for Otezla (apremilast) is 30 mg, taken twice per day. However, once-daily dosing is a possibility for a specific group of patients, particularly those with severe renal impairment. It is crucial to always follow the dosing schedule prescribed by your healthcare provider and never alter it independently.

In 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) updated the label for Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) to include a warning for immune-mediated colitis based on post-marketing case reports. While it does not directly cause classic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the majority of patients, rare but serious reports suggest a link that demands careful attention.

According to clinical trial data, Tysabri begins to demonstrate efficacy in reducing disease activity in multiple sclerosis patients within the first three months of treatment. The question of 'How long does Tysabri take to kick in?' is a common and important one for patients, but the answer depends on the treated condition and individual patient response.