Good news for those of us on anti-TNF's

[sunflower]

JAMA has published a new study that found that MOST people on anti-TNF's do not have a higher incidence of serious infections than the general population! Yay!!!

Here is a link:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/early/2011/11/02/jama.2011.1692.abstract

I read it on another board and wanted to share with everyone here!

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

JAMA has published a new study that found that MOST people on anti-TNF's do not have a higher incidence of serious infections than the general population! Yay!!!

Here is a link:

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/early/2011/11/02/jama.2011.1692.abstract

I read it on another board and wanted to share with everyone here!

This study is about hospitalization rates for infections in patients taking TNF blockers. You make it sound like TNF blockers are safe and don't cause significant infections. This article and study do not say that. In fact the study and article only mention the amount of infections that required hospitalization. We can't at all from this article deduce how many other infections there were, and just because they don't mention them, it doesn't mean they didn't happen. Out of 16,020 patients, 1,172 had infections so severe that were hospitalized. So less than 10% of patients taking TNF blockers are hospitalized from severe infections. One can only wonder how many others like myself had nasty weekly, monthly recurring infections that were treated outpatient but not hospitalized, but this article in JAMA didn't mention it.

The AMA (American Medical Association) defended cigarette manufacturers decades ago and doctors used to smoke.

The world was flat until it was round. I've had nothing but infections since starting 6mp. yeah i'm not starving and bleeding out of my ass to death, but i have weekly/monthly infections and who knows what else 6mp is doing it is a CARCINOGEN.

PS i've had at least 5 seperate infections this year alone and at least 2 DOZEN doctor's visits, that required getting lanced in a doctors office, wounds repacked, follow ups, etc and rounds of antibiotics. it's still better than starving and bleeding to death, but it sucks really bad in different ways. #JustSayin

PSS TNF Blockers and Cancer: FDA Requires Increased Surveillance http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/752920

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

wow, CNN, Time, and Huffpost are also SPINNING this as TNF blockers don't cause increased infections when the study clearly states 8% were hospitalized they had such severe infections. Do 10% of the healthy population get hospitalized from infections? i doubt it. it also doesn't cover infections treated outpatient like the many i have had this year alone. Interestingly enough CNN, TIME and HUFFPOST all site health.com and Amanda Gardner. A reporter who has been sited in several other health articles yet doesn't have an email address or twitter anywhere on any site or on her articles or on google. Kind of weird.

Anyway, FDA posted a HUGE CANCER warning the other day regarding TNF blockers. Buyer Beware.

 

[beth]

6MP is not an anti-TNFalpha antibody, 6mp suppresses the bodies ability to reproduce RNA/DNA and hence cells. It's an immunosuppressor.

Are you on Remicade, Humira, Cimzia, etc as well?

Oh yes, link please to the FDA warning.

 

[handle]

A bit confusing! The study was a comparison between people on biologic treatments vs those on non-biologic treatments. The conclusion that both groups have a similar risk of hospitalization due to infection is useful.

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

FDA cancer warning is in my PSS in original post. Can't link now from phone. I'm only on 6mp. Correction was until a week ago.

 

[beth]

The medscape link that requires membership to read...

If your comment is correct and it's what I think it is, it is not a cancer warning: It's a due diligence request to the manufacturers. And has been discussed in other threads here abouts.

 

[David]

Interesting though I wouldn't have suspected an increased rate of infection for biologics over other medications utilized for IBD. I'd be quite interested in a study comparing infection rates for mainstay treatment options and elemental/enteral nutrition.

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

Sorry ill post new link tonight. Google FDA 6mp cancer. It is a new cancer warning. My google skills are impeccable

 

[beth]

Hang on. You posted this:

Anyway, FDA posted a HUGE CANCER warning the other day regarding TNF blockers. Buyer Beware.

I asked for a link. You said it was the one posted above, which I pointed out wasn't.

Now you say it's about 6mp.

Simple mistake, or are you confused about what is an anti-TNF medication? because 6mp (mercaptopurine) isn't.

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

Sorry I confused two different articles the cancer warning is for 6mp/Imuran and the infection articles are for TNF blockers. I'll post links tonight when I get home from work.

 

[IAmTheWalrus]

http://www.ccfa.org/webcasts/Risk and BenefitsTranscript.pdf

This is a great article regarding the immunosuppressive and biological meds.

Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma and IBD, this is the new cancer warning the FDA wanted to address.

"And then over the past few years there were 16 cases, and I believe 1 or 2 more now, of patients taking infliximab in addition to azathioprine or 6-mercaptopurine. Typically this affects young patients. The average age is 23
and interestingly most are male. Something we don’t really understand, but we know that lymphoma in general is something that affects males more than females. Now here that denominator or out of how many is incredibly important. This isn’t out of 10,000. This is out of probably 400,000 patients who’ve been treated with infliximab for IBD and over a million patients who’ve been treated with infliximab throughout the United States".

I think the odds are still pretty good considering it has given people a new lease of life.

Just my honest assessment.

 

[beth]

Actually, I have a better idea. IAmTheWalrus has posted a very useful link so this thread ends here.