| |
|
 |
|
|
Everyone wants less work in the kitchen. Including people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Welcome to I Can with RA in the Kitchen™, a program for people with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) created by Bristol-Myers Squibb in collaboration with Sandra Lee, best-selling author and host of "Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee,” and the Arthritis Foundation. Sandra, whose approach to cooking and everyday living was inspired by her grandma who had the disease, offers simple recipes and tips that can help make preparing meals a little easier if you have RA.
You'll also find a self-assessment tool that can help you track your symptoms and talk to your rheumatologist. Alerting your rheumatologist to changes in your ability to accomplish everyday things like cooking can help them determine if your current RA treatment is helping enough. Click here to learn more about ORENCIA® (abatacept), a prescription medicine for adults with moderate to severe RA who have not been helped enough by other medicines for RA.
ORENCIA® (abatacept) Important Safety Information
Indication and Usage
ORENCIA ® (abatacept) is a prescription medicine that is used to treat adults with moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have not been helped enough by other medicines for RA. Your doctor may consider treating you with ORENCIA because your disease is still active even though you may have tried other treatments. ORENCIA can be used alone or with other agents. ORENCIA should not be taken with biologic medications for RA such as Enbrel ®, Humira ®, Remicade ®, or Kineret ®.
Important Safety Information About ORENCIA® (abatacept)
Before you receive treatment with ORENCIA you should tell your doctor if you:
- are taking a TNF blocker (e.g., Enbrel, Humira, Remicade) to treat RA. ORENCIA should not be taken with these medications because you may have a higher chance of getting a serious infection.
- are taking other biologic rheumatoid arthritis medicines, such as Kineret. ORENCIA should not be taken with other biologic medicines for RA.
- are taking any other medications including hormones, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, supplements, or herbal products.
- have any kind of infection including an infection that is in only one place in your body (such as an open cut or sore) or an infection that is in your whole body (such as the flu). Having an infection could put you at risk for serious side effects from ORENCIA. If you are unsure, please ask your doctor.
- have an infection that won’t go away or a history of infections that keep coming back.
- have had tuberculosis (TB), a positive skin test for TB, or if you recently have been in close contact with someone who has had TB. If you develop any of the symptoms of TB (a dry cough that doesn’t go away, weight loss, fever, night sweats) call your doctor right away. Before you start ORENCIA, your doctor may examine you for TB or perform a skin test.
- have or have had viral hepatitis. Before you use ORENCIA your doctor may examine you for hepatitis.
- have a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary (lung) disease (COPD). Taking ORENCIA may cause your COPD symptoms to get worse.
- are scheduled to have surgery.
- recently received a vaccination or are scheduled for any vaccination.
- are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or are thinking about becoming pregnant. It is not known if ORENCIA can harm your unborn baby.
- are breast-feeding. You will need to decide to either breast-feed or receive treatment with ORENCIA, but not both.
- have diabetes and use a blood glucose monitor to check your sugar levels. The infusion of ORENCIA contains maltose, a sugar that can give falsely high blood glucose readings with some monitors on the day you receive your infusion. Your doctor may recommend a different monitor.
|
Important Information to Know About Side Effects With ORENCIA® (abatacept)
Like all medicines that affect your immune system, ORENCIA can cause serious side effects. The possible serious side effects include:
- Serious infections. Patients taking ORENCIA are at increased risk for developing infections including pneumonia, and other infections caused by viruses, bacteria, or fungi. Call your doctor immediately if you feel sick or get any infection during treatment with ORENCIA.
- Allergic reactions. These reactions are usually mild or moderate, generally occur within the first 24 hours of an infusion, and include hives, swollen face, eyelids, lips, tongue, throat, or trouble breathing. There have been some serious allergic reactions reported in patients after they received an infusion of ORENCIA.
- Malignancies. There have been rare cases of certain kinds of cancer in patients receiving ORENCIA. The role of ORENCIA in the development of cancer is not known.
|
|
|
|
|