At Anakinra is a drug that is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis. This effectively combats joint inflammation and the patient's quality of life increases significantly over the long term.
What is anakinra?
Anakinra contains an antagonist for a specific receptor within a cell, which has the aim of inhibiting inflammation in the areas affected by rheumatoid arthritis.
Since a special messenger substance can no longer reach the cell, inflammation does not occur in the long term and the arthritis is treated. Very often, anakinra is used in conjunction with methotrexate. It can be used in patients of all ages and genders.
Pharmacological effect
Anakinra does not work directly on specific organs. Instead, it binds to a certain receptor, i.e. a specific molecule within an affected cell, and makes it impossible there to interact with a messenger substance of the IL-1 type. This would normally be necessary for the development of inflammation.
Anakinra prevents this process so that inflammation cannot develop - the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis remain away. The effect of anakinra is long-term, it is not an acutely effective preparation. Aside from side effects, anakinra should have no other effect on any organs or the body itself. However, changes in the blood count can occur (but these do not have to be negative). However, the contraindications (probably) include pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The effectiveness of anakinra can also be impaired if the patient suffers from asthma or if the kidneys are not functioning properly. Hypersensitivity to the active ingredient in anakinra can also lead to an unwanted outbreak of allergies. Because anakinra is often given with methotrexate in the treatment of arthritis, it can be difficult to determine which drug is causing the problem if there are adverse effects on organs and / or the body.
Medical application & use
Typically, anakinra is given as an injection every day for a certain amount of time. This means that the medication is delivered in the form of a pre-filled syringe, which can be administered either by a doctor or trained staff or also to the patient himself.
If the daily dose is followed and not forgotten, the effects should be felt after about two weeks, but some patients report a longer time frame. When used properly, anakinra is used only to treat rheumatoid arthritis. It is particularly suitable as a drug for patients who do not respond or not respond adequately to common preparations such as methotrexate.
In addition to treating arthritis, anakinra also has a suppressive effect on the immune system and also anti-inflammatory, which should have a strong pain-relieving effect. As a result, affected areas can no longer reignite, which means that anakinra can fight arthritis in the long term. There is no definitive knowledge about the effects of anakinra during pregnancy, but effective contraception should be used for safety.
Risks & side effects
Anakinra can lead to various gastrointestinal complaints. These include, in particular, nausea and the associated vomiting as well as persistent diarrhea or constipation.
At the same time, anakinra can make various allergies to the ingredients of the drug noticeable, which is noticeable, among other things, through reddening of the skin or shortness of breath as well as an increased pulse and significantly increased sweat production. In these cases, it is advisable to notify the doctor immediately and to discontinue the medication.
Common side effects also include upper respiratory tract infections, which can cause symptoms such as sinusitis or pneumonia. As these are serious illnesses, it is essential to notify the doctor in these cases as well. Less dangerous and rare side effects include temporary headache and itching near the injection site after an anakinra injection.
