CellCept for Kidney Disease Treatment
CellCept is a relatively new medication that's used to treat kidney disease in lupus patients and to help kidney transplant patients avoid organ rejection. This drug works to reduce the action of the immune system, preventing it from regarding a new body part or the body's own kidneys as invaders. CellCept could make a huge difference for many patients with kidney problems.
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Significance
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CellCept is used to prevent organ rejection in patients who have had kidney, liver, and heart transplants, often along with corticosteroids and cyclosporine. It can significantly reduce the chances of organ rejection, allowing for a successful transplant. CellCept is also effective against kidney problems in lupus patients. According to "The Medical News," CellCept provides a 23% remission rate in patients, versus a 6% remission rate in patients treated with the older drug Cytoxan.
Administration
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According to the drug site RX List, adult kidney transplant patients usually receive a dose of 1 gram of CellCept orally or intravenously twice per day. Pediatric patients should receive 600 m/m2 twice each day. Lupus patients receive oral doses of CellCept at concentrations of 1 to 3 grams per day.
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Considerations
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CellCept is a relatively expensive drug. According to "The Medical News," it costs about ten times more than the generic form of Cytoxan, the conventional treatment for lupus sufferers with kidney disease. The fact that CellCept may be given orally does decrease the overall expense of treatment, though. Cytoxan and many other immune-suppressing drugs must be given intravenously, which raises the amount patients must pay.
Warning
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Kidney patients receiving treatment with CellCept may suffer from an assortment of side effects. Fever, chills, aches, and flu symptoms, easy bruising, tarry stools and vomit, chest pain, difficulty urinating, and problems with balance and speech all indicate that treatment should be stopped immediately. Less serious side effects include anxiety and trouble sleeping, mild weakness, headache, digestive problems, and swollen hands and feet.
Counterindications
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Pregnant women should not take CellCept, even if they have serious kidney problems. Women who will be taking CellCept for their kidney disease or transplant must use two forms of birth control before and during treatment and at least six months after treatment. People with drug allergies, problems with their stomach and intestines, or existing infections should also avoid CellCept.
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References
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