Hi Alcof,
Quote:
Originally Posted by Alcof
Questions:
1)Has anyone else been prescribed cyclosporine before ATG? I have scoured dozens of forums and no one has mentioned it that I have found.
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I was prescribed cyclosporine alone before ATG. My local doctor was hoping that it would put my condition in remission without having to rely on the ATG. It didn't work for me. However, for an older patient, it is a reasonable thing to try since ATG is so hard on the body. In some countries, cyclosporine alone is the only option. The success rate is not as high as ATG, but I think I remember it to be 40%.
Your dad should not be on prednisone prematurely if he has AA. This is only used for the prevention of serum sickness from ATG. It is not a treatment for AA. My inexperienced doctor also tried me on this.
You will get into the rhythm of managing transfusions over time. Make sure to have blood checked early in the week so that transfusions can be scheduled before the weekend, if necessary.
Best of luck to your dad! Hope he gets on the road to recovery quickly! You don't want to delay treatment for AA, once it is diagnosed.