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Actemra Side Effects: What to Expect?

Author: Daniel Evans
actemra side effects

Actemra treatment is highly discussed these days. On the one hand, it is an effective way to take care of a wide range of serious health issues (including the symptoms of arthritis). On the other hand, Actermra might lead to several side effects.

So, what should you expect from Actemra? What side effects does it cause? How to minimize their risks? And when is it necessary to contact a doctor? Let us find the answers to these questions by going through the below-mentioned article!

Worth Knowing:
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General Information About Actemra

Above anything else, let us discuss the general information about Actemra. What is it? Who manufactures it? When to undergo its injections? How does it work? What are its contraindications? Let us figure it all out right away!

What Is Actemra?

Actemra is a prescription-based medicine used to treat a great number of health issues (including the symptoms of arthritis). It is a powerful interleukin-6 (IL-6) receptor antagonist, which serves as an antibody against the IL-6 receptor.

Worth Knowing:
Actemra is the first medication of the tocilizumab class that has been approved by the FDA. Thus, it is an immunosuppressive drug that is used as an antibody against the IL-6 receptor (and health issues related to it).

In simple words, Actemra treatment is an effective way to take care of cytokines, also known as small proteins important in cell signaling. Therefore, it is frequently used to treat the symptoms related to the following diseases:

  • Rheumatoid arthritis (RA);
  • Polyarticular juvenile arthritis (PJIA);
  • Systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (SJIA);
  • Giant cell arteritis (GCA);
  • Systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD).

Worth Knowing:
Apart from the above-mentioned indications, Actemra is also used to treat the severe forms of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in hospitalized adults receiving systemic corticosteroids and requiring supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation.

Who Manufactures Actemra?

Actemra is manufactured by Genentech (now a part of the Roche Group). It is a global biotechnological company that uses groundbreaking science to produce medicine for patients with serious (or even life-threatening) diseases.

Worth Knowing:
Actemra was developed by a research group from Osaka University (Japan) in cooperation with Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Japan). Therefore, it appeared as a result of profound scientific research and innovation.

When to Undergo Actemra Injections?

A patient might be prescribed an injection of Actemra under one of the following circumstances:

  • If a patient who has moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis underwent the treatment with the help of a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) but has not noticed any improvements;
  • If a patient suffers from active polyarticular juvenile arthritis, systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, or giant cell arteritis;
  • If a patient who has systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease experiences a decline in lung function.

Worth Knowing:
Under normal circumstances, the age of a patient who is supposed to undergo Acterma injections is important. For instance, the medication might be used to treat the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis only in adult patients).
Actemra Injections

How Does Actemra Work?

The working principle of Actemra has a direct influence on the work of a patient’s immune system. Namely, the medication starts to block the action of the interleukin-6 receptor shortly after being administered into a patient’s body.

Worth Knowing:
Actemra belongs to medical products intended for professional use. Therefore, only a certified health provider (for instance, an orthopedist, an endocrinologist, or any other licensed medical professional) is eligible to administer it into a patient’s body.

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What Are the Contraindications of Actemra?

Due to the fact that Actemra impacts the way the immune system works, it might make a patient more sensitive to infections, as well as worsen any current infections (which might eventually lead to serious complications).

Worth Knowing:
The ignorance of the contraindications of Actemra might lead to lethal consequences. Thus, it is a task of a healthcare provider to make sure that a patient does not have any limitations to the usage of the medication.

Therefore, it is essential to make sure that a patient does not have any contraindications to the administration of Actemra. Before undergoing the injection of the medication, a patient should inform a healthcare provider in case of having:

  • Any kind of infection (it might include fever, sweating, chills, sores, diarrhea, skin redness, and a wide range of other symptoms);
  • A serious health problem (for instance, diabetes mellitus or HIV);
  • A weak immune system;
  • Contact with people having tuberculosis, hepatitis B, or fungal infection.

Worth Knowing:
Under normal circumstances, a healthcare provider should thoroughly check up on the current health condition of a patient before prescribing Actemra. This way, the whole bunch of serious infections, allergic reactions, and complications might be eliminated.

Actemra Side Effects

Now, let us delve into the discussion of the Actemra injection side effects. Below, you will find the list of adverse reactions that might occur after the administration of the medication, the methods to minimize their risks, and the situations when it is worth contacting a doctor.

What Are the Side Effects of Actemra?

In most cases, a patient does not experience any serious side effects of Actemra. Still, any of the following adverse reactions might occur shortly after the administration of the product into a patient’s body.

Irritation

Sometimes, a patient might experience irritation of the skin (including its redness, itching, or swelling). In most cases, these side effects occur around the injection site and fade away shortly after the procedure is over.

At the same time, however, a patient might also notice irritation around the inner lining of the eyelid skin rash, excessive tearing, redness of the whites of the eyes, and other symptoms connected to irritated eyes.

Increased Blood Pressure

Apart from irritation-related side effects, a patient might also experience increased blood pressure after having Actemra administered to their body. Normally, it gets back to normal within several hours after the treatment.

Cold-Like Symptoms

Common symptoms of the flu are also typical side effects after the injection of Actemra. They include headache, sore throat, stuffy nose, and other cold-like symptoms.

Dizziness

General dizziness is also on the list of side effects that might be caused by Actemra. Namely, a patient might feel faint, weak, or even unsteady shortly after the treatment. These symptoms might also be followed by overall weakness in the body, pale skin, pounding in the ears, and so on.

Abnormal liver function tests

As well, the intake of Actemra might lead to abnormal liver function tests (as if a patient’s liver is inflamed by infection, alcohol, or undesirable drug interactions). These symptoms might occur as a response of a patient’s body to the medication and do not necessarily mean that a patient’s liver requires emergency medical help.

Gastrointestinal Perforation

In rare cases, the administration of Actemra might cause gastrointestinal perforation which, in its turn, might be followed by mild to severe stomach pain or even severe stomach cramps. In case of ongoing stomach pain after the procedure, it is necessary to contact a doctor immediately.

Allergic Reaction

Moreover, a patient might turn out to have an allergic reaction to tocilizumab (even without having previously reacted to the drug). Namely, a patient might experience radiating to the back red skin lesions, swelling of the gums, blemishes on the skin, bloody eye, chapped or swollen lips, earache feeling, and other unpleasant symptoms. They all might indicate an allergy to the medication and associated serious infections.

Other Adverse Reactions

Other (exceptionally rare) side effects of Actemra include low levels of white blood cells, multiple sclerosis, chest pain or tightness, chills, cough, abnormal vaginal bleeding, coughing with blood, decreased vision, dark urine, difficulty breathing, sinus pain, sensation of spinning, sore mouth, tingling in the lips, pain in the back, overall painful sensations, change in hearing, tenderness around the cheekbones, painful blisters on the trunk of the body, unpleasant feeling in the stomach area, trouble with sleeping, unexplained runny nose, pain in the upper chest, slow heartbeat, continuous weight gain, bruising, unusual tiredness, and so on.

According to the drug information sheet, the above-mentioned side effects might serve as indicators of serious complications after the injection of Actemra. Therefore, a patient should get in touch with their healthcare provider if noticing any of them.

How to Minimize the Risks of Actemra Side Effects?

The best way to minimize the risks of the side effects of Actemra is to have your current health condition thoroughly investigated by a medical professional before undergoing the treatment. In other words, it is of vital importance to let a healthcare provider exclude the presence of contraindications to Actemra before having it injected into your body.

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When to Contact a Doctor?

Make sure to contact a doctor in case of noticing any of the above-mentioned side effects after receiving an injection of Actemra. Even if you do not consider skin redness or runny nose to be a serious adverse reaction, it is nevertheless preferable to have it double-checked by your healthcare provider (who might either tell you to continue undergoing or consider stopping Actemra treatment).

Final Words

All in all, the side effects of Actemra are pretty diverse. Despite the fact that a vast majority of them do not carry any serious risks, it is preferable to inform your healthcare provider if having any of them. So, use Actemra safely and stay protected from unwanted side effects by letting your doctor take everything under control!

P.S.
Actemra might appear in different dosages, such as Actemra 400mg, Actemra 200mg, and Actemra 80mg. You might order each of them on MedEuroStore (in case you are a certified healthcare provider).

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