Treatment Options and Information

Exploring treatment options:

The decision to prescribe a medication is the responsibility of your physician/primary care provider based on his/her evaluation of your condition. The above is meant for informational purposes only. Discuss this information and all information about drugs/medications with your physician before starting or stopping any medication.

Goals of treatment:

• Short term
  • Stop protein in urine (“repair” glomerular filter)
  • Normalize clinical symptoms (swelling, tiredness) and blood changes (plasma proteins, high cholesterol)
• Long term
  • Prevent recurrences of protein in urine
  • Prevent  deterioration of kidney function

Treatment Information - find answers to frequently asked questions about the following

• Acthar
  
• Prednisone
• Rituximab(rituxan)
• Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
• Mycophenalate Mofetil (CellCept, Myfortic)
• ACE Inhibitors
• Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (ARBs)
• Cyclosporine
• Tacrolimus (Prograf)
• Sirolimus (Rapamune)

The decision to change or stop current medication is usually based on the following:

• Complete remission – partial remission: proteinuria less than 3.5g
  • Permanent
  • Temporary
• Recurrence (relapse)
  • Steroid-sensitive: patient experiences reduced protein loss in urine
  • Steroid-dependent: patient experiences reduced protein loss in urine, but cannot go off the medication without relapsing
• No response
  • Trial of other medications will begin
• Kidney function deterioration