Wellness

[sydsgma1]

I take drugs that lower my immunity. If I did not, I would be wheel chair ridden. I have never had any serious infections.

i think it is a matter of the quality of life one wants...would you take chemo for cancer.?those drugs also affect the immune system.

i have excellent doctors and I follow their recommendations..there are those fortunate to not have to take any drugs. and then there are those whose lives depend on it.

i never question any ones choices.

[Moonchilde]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

I've noticed 'lowers your ability to fight infection' claims have been for drugs that involve the immune system, particularly autoimmune function. These kinds of drugs help reduce autoimmune components by disabling their primary function to fight against our own cellular material but in the process it also lowers the ability to fight against other cellular material like bacteria or viruses because these drugs are not specific enough to differentiate their action(s).

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This^^^

The medications that state this as a side effect are those that treat autoimmune diseases or cancer. If you have an autoimmune disease that makes you essentialy non-functional, or cancer, you will take whatever there is in order to survive and have some quality of life. For these patients, the lowered immunity is by far the lesser of evils.

[Moonchilde]

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@CelticCrafter wrote:

The list of side effects is longer than the actual commercial and imo they're worse than the original condition they're supposed to treat.

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Not if you have Crohn’s Disease, ulcerative colitis, scleroderma, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic Lyme disease, Meniere’s disease, myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis (just some of the more than 100 (so far) autoimmune diseases, or cancer.

[cherry]

Any thing comes with risks. I am still dealing with stomach issues brought on by taking asprin

[ccassaday]

I have been on Humira and currently on Stelara. So far I haven’t had any increases in infections. Even went through two jaw surgeries this year with no ill effects. I can imagine though they might effect some.

[AngelPuppy1]

These kinds of meds are in deed very scary sounding!  My doctors have told me a couple of times that they would have recommended these types of drugs for me but for other medical conditions I already have.  It's all a precarious balance --- sometimes it evens out pretty well and other times not.  I have not had good luck with doctors so I have a hard time trustng them and accepting all their advice.  I realize they all have much more knowledge on all of these matters than I do, but at times it seems their level of care and concern, and also how much they keep up with new medicines and procedures is questionable.  I take right now several medicines that have potentially horrendous side affects.  I was and still am terrified if I let myself think about it.  But I did a lot of research on my own to the best of my ability and tried to weigh the pros and cons.  I think thats really all we can do.  

[qualitygal]

I agree. I guess they have to say these things as their disclaimers.  But my husband got 2 RX's this last week upon his leaving the hospital.  From what he was telling me, about how he was feeling, I got out the sheets that came with the meds and read.  Both were taking away his appetite.  I can read his eyes what's going on with him.  I knew I had to get on my high horse and get him to eat or drink things that would help.  So I did.  I even said, and no back talk.  LOL.  Yesterday, he finally got dressed and today I will drive him to his doctor's check up.  We still haven't heard from this other doctor.  I know they're busy but come on two days ago they called him to see what was what. Now we hear nothing.  

But in getting to the OP point, when I hear these claims, I just say, "don't ever let them give me that medicine".  Good grief.  Feel more like Guinea pigs all the time.

[ccassaday]

If it wasn’t for the Stelara my arms would be covered in psoriasis. Within a week of the first shot it was gone. I really don’t want to walk around with crusty Psoriasis on my arms. It hasn’t helped with the arthritis but it is a miracle for the psoriasis.

[Moonchilde]

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@ccassaday wrote:

If it wasn’t for the Stelara my arms would be covered in psoriasis. Within a week of the first shot it was gone. I really don’t want to walk around with crusty Psoriasis on my arms. It hasn’t helped with the arthritis but it is a miracle for the psoriasis.

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Those who don’t have a serious autoimmune disease, or cancer, will understand what they want to understand and ignore the rest as far as this issue, I guess.

I have friends and family who take such drugs because they would be incapacitated without them, housebound, or dead. Wonder if those here would still refuse if it was their life, or husband’s, child’s or grandchild’s. 

[LilacTree]

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@Jackhound Mom wrote:

I keep hearing this disclamer on RX drugs for all kinds of health problems.

"It lowers your ability to fight infections!"  I would not want to lower that  ability.  How can all these medicines do this?

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@Jackhound Mom

Precisely the reason I don't take biologics for my RA, Sjogren's, scleroderma and Hashimoto's.  I do not fight infections well. 

I was just on two weeks of Keflex for a kidney infection.  I took all of the doses (28) and I still have the infection.  Tests tomorrow.

I probably won't die from my autoimmune diseases, but an infection could kill me.