Aubagio Wash Out...after how long of using is it needed?!

[jllandryusa]

Hi all! I have been on Aubagio 5weeks exactly. I am now in the hospital having slowly built up to a crazy side effect of the complete stiffening of my entire body!

Legs wouldn't bend, hands clenched & arms in awkward positions pinned to chest & the ms hug BAD, which I've heard of but never had in 21yrs w MS!

It was the scariest/craziest thing I've ever experienced. After firing the neuro that said wanted me sent home I called on my GP to admit me & wanted the on call neuro involved.

He just happens to be a local neuro i've seen here in the past & loved him. He is now my new neuro. So... He & my GP are working together, with me, to figure out my next steps.

1st one: no more Aubagio, check. Had MRI today, check. 1st day of 4 days steroids, check.

Now my question: after 5wks on Aubagio is the washout protocol still needed?! I want this crap outta my body!!!

Ideas?! Thx for reading . ~jennifer

[jreagan70]

Hi Jennifer:

Wow. What a nightmare!

The question you asked here sounds like the type of question your neurologist should be asking the technical folks at Genzyme.

Knowing a bit about how medications work, I'm going to propose that it isn't just the length of time someone has been on Aubagio that would indicate the need for detoxing, but also the amount of drug that's in the body and what effects it's causing.

According to the efficiency curves in the Aubagio prescribing information, Aubago started to show a difference from placebo at about an average of 6 weeks. That implies that that's about the time there's enough build-up in the body to achieve effectiveness. At 5 weeks out, you're getting close. Since 6 weeks is an average, there were probably some subjects in the studies that hit that level on the early end of 6 weeks, probably 5 like you were at.

Since you may have hit the effective level at 5 weeks -- at it would sure seem like it because of your severe side effect -- it might be assumed that you're at a level where the fast detox would be helpful. Knowing that Aubagio stays in the body for months, the sooner you get it out of your body, the better. That's not in the prescribing information, but it can be extrapolated from what is there.

It will be interesting to see what information your neuro -- or even you, if you're up to it -- can get from the scientists at Genzyme about your really unusual situation. I hope you feel better soon.

[agate]

If you've had a severe adverse reaction, Aubagio can stay at unacceptable levels in your system for up to 2 years but the average time is 8 months, according to a .pdf file on the Aubagio Website that is entitled "A Guide to the Accelerated Elimination Procedure for Aubagio."

There is a procedure for getting it out of the system in 11 days, involving cholestyramine and activated charcoal.