How does cimzia work

As certolizumab affects the immune system, mild infections , particularly of the upper respiratory tract e. Treatment with certolizumab may need to be temporarily stopped so contact your doctor for advice. Less common or rare possible side effects Serious infections such as tuberculosis TB are seen rarely and screening for TB is needed before treatment begins see Precautions. Rarely certolizumab may cause an allergic reaction with itchy, red skin or a rash or a feeling of tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing.

Side effects involving the nerves, such as inflammation of the nerve to the eye, may also occur rarely causing changes in vision or sensation. It is still unclear from research if there is an increased risk of cancer due to certolizumab treatment see Precautions.

What precautions are necessary? Infections If you have an active infection of any kind treatment with certolizumab will not be given until the infection is treated successfully. If you have latent inactive TB preventative anti-TB treatment will be started at least 4 weeks before certolizumab.

The anti-TB treatment will usually need to be taken for 9 months. Hepatitis B or C infection may not necessarily exclude treatment. Because of the risks associated with infection, the following tests may be conducted before commencing treatment with certolizumab: blood tests for hepatitis B and C chest x-ray and two step Tuberculin Skin Test Mantoux or QuantiFERON blood test for tuberculosis TB HIV tests are required for those who are at risk of this infection.

Precautions with o ther diseases People with multiple sclerosis should not be treated with certolizumab due to the possible effects on the nerves. People with moderate to severe heart failure may not be treated with certolizumab as the medicine can make heart failure worse. Use with other medicines Certolizumab can interact with other medicines.

You should tell your doctor including your general practitioner, rheumatologist and others about all medicines you are taking or plan to take. You should also mention your treatment when you see other health professionals. Certolizumab does not increase the risk of side effects from low dose aspirin taken for prevention of heart attack and strokes. The simple pain reliever paracetamol and combined pain medicines such as Panadeine and Panadeine Forte can be used while you are receiving certolizumab treatment provided you take them as directed.

Surgery If you require surgery for any reason, treatment with certolizumab will be stopped before surgery. It will be restarted again after the operation at a time determined by your surgeon and rheumatologist. Treatment will be restarted once the wound is healed and if there is no infection present.

Cancer risk Lymphoma, a cancer of lymph glands, is found more commonly in patients with severe active rheumatoid arthritis than in the general population.

Studies are in progress to see if treatment with certolizumab changes this. To date there is no evidence to suggest that this medicine increases lymphoma.

Mounting data suggests it is probably safe. Discuss this with your Rheumatologist. For general cancer prevention, stopping smoking and taking skin cancer prevention measures are recommended.

It is important to use sunscreen and avoid prolonged sun exposure. A yearly skin check is recommended. Talk to your doctor if you have any concerns about issues relating to cancer risk. Use with alcohol You may drink alcohol while taking certolizumab.

However, if you are also taking methotrexate you should be particularly cautious about your alcohol intake.

It is not known precisely what level of drinking is safe when on methotrexate, however there is general agreement that 1 to 2 standard drinks taken once or twice a week is unlikely to cause a problem.

Drinking more than 4 standard drinks on one occasion, even if infrequently, is strongly discouraged. Use in pregnancy and when breastfeeding If you plan to become pregnant it is important to discuss this with your doctor as each case is different. Certolizumab is not actively transferred across the placenta in the third trimester, therefore there is minimal placental transfer to the infant. Recent data suggests it can be used through conception and continued throughout pregnancy until delivery.

You should discuss with your Rheumatologist regarding breastfeeding, Certolizumab is minimally excreted into breast milk but data is limited. Keep all medicines out of reach of children. Important things to remember While taking certolizumab you must see your rheumatologist regularly to ensure the treatment is working and minimise any possible side effects.

Failure to do so may mean that your continued treatment will no longer be subsidised. Remember to change the injection site each time certolizumab is injected. If you are worried about any side effects you should contact your rheumatologist as soon as possible. It is important to tell your doctor if you have had cancer or if you develop cancer while you are taking certolizumab. If you are taking certolizumab and plan to become pregnant you must discuss the timing with your doctor.

This information has been obtained from various sources and has been reviewed by the Australian Rheumatology Association. It is intended as an educational aid and does not cover all possible uses, actions, precautions, side effects, or interactions of the medicines mentioned. This information is not intended as medical advice for individual problems nor for making an individual assessment of the risks and benefits of taking a particular medicine.

It can be reproduced in its entirety but cannot be altered without permission from the ARA. The NHMRC publication: How to present the evidence for consumers: preparation of consumer publications was used as a guide in developing this publication.

Certolizumab Pegol- printable information sheet Download. Discover more Children and arthritis Arthritis can happen at any age. Sign up to Arthritis Insights Regular updates, news and research findings delivered to your inbox: Get the newsletter. Log in Sign up. What is arthritis?

Understanding arthritis. Types of arthritis. Areas of the body. Back pain. Fast facts. Managing arthritis. Living with arthritis. Managing at home. Dealing with pain. Physical activity and exercise. Strength training. Water exercise. Tai chi. Exercise and fibromyalgia. Exercise and RA. To be on the safe side, make sure to wear sun screen and regularly check your skin for any new spots or changes to your freckles or moles. Very rarely, certolizumab pegol may cause a condition called drug-induced lupus, which can be diagnosed by a blood test.

Symptoms include a rash, fever and increased joint pain. If you develop these symptoms you should contact your rheumatology team. This condition is generally mild and usually clears up if certolizumab pegol is stopped. Certolizumab pegol may be prescribed along with other drugs, including the disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drug DMARD methotrexate.

Anakinra is very occasionally used to treat rheumatoid arthritis , but it must not be taken at the same time as an anti-TNF drug, because this could leave you at risk of serious infections. You can carry on taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs or painkillers if needed, unless your doctor advises otherwise. You can get a card from your rheumatology department. Methotrexate is a DMARD used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, vasculitis and psoriatic arthritis.

Learn the risks and side-effects. However, in certain situations it might be important for some people to have a live vaccine. You should speak to your doctor about this first. Before starting on certolizumab pegol treatment, people at risk of hepatitis infections might need to have a vaccination to protect them. They will need to have this vaccine before you start taking certolizumab pegol. Pneumococcal vaccine new-mo-cok-al vak-seen , which gives protection against the most common cause of pneumonia, and yearly flu vaccines are safe and recommended.

In some circumstances your doctor may advise lower limits. Research suggests that only a tiny amount of this drug can pass from mother to baby during pregnancy. So it can be taken during the entire length of the pregnancy if needed.

However, your baby may need an altered vaccination schedule once born, you should speak to your doctor about this. Men should be fine to take certolizumab pegol when trying for a baby.

We suggest you discuss this with your rheumatologist. For men who are also taking methotrexate the current guidelines now state that methotrexate does not need to be stopped when trying to father a child. Research suggests that only a minimal amount of certolizumab pegol passes into breast milk, so it can be used while breastfeeding.

See for yourself below. Nearly 6 out of 10 people on CIMZIA experienced joint pain relief and reduction in swollen and tender joints at 24 weeks —some in as fast as weeks. People on CIMZIA reported significant improvement in daily activities at 6 months that made them more independent—like showering, getting dressed, doing chores, walking short distances, and running simple errands. Nearly 7 out of 10 people on CIMZIA were shown to have no further progression of joint damage, as shown by x-rays, at 1 year.

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