Neoral® cyclosporin ?

LB has been prescribed this drug. Any thoughts on it? 25mgs per day. Vet says it's probably not a high enough dose for such a large cat. He weighs 21.6lbs. The growth on his tongue has grown a bit of late. It's a result of an allergic reaction. Vet said it doesn't have many side effects in cats. Any one had experience with this drug with their kitty? Thanks.

 

I've never used this, but I found these articles about it's use in cats (and dogs). It's an immunosuppressive drug.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5008323_cyclo ... -cats.html

http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/v ... ology.aspx

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... x/abstract

 

Thanks Debbie for the urls. Looks a bit scary yeah?

Thanks to BMJ for letting me know i had the candle icon on by mistake. OMG what an idiot I am. ohmygod_smile

I apologise to everyone who saw it. I am having some serious eye problems - extremely high pressure in my eyes which is making them ache and feel very tired. I was rushing off to bed last nite and didn't check the message when it was submitted. Sorry once again..

Marilyn

 

The thing about side effects is that they are always scary! And they have to include everything, no matter how rare. It's always a matter of balancing risk and benefit. I was once prescribed a drug that had almost no side effects, but it could very rarely damage the retina! Totally scarred me off it. The problem it was to treat wasn't worth even the rarest risk of being blind.

If the growth on his tongue is growing, it may be necessary to try it. I think I would ask my vet about the risks vs. benefits. Ask if there is something else that doesn't have cyclosporin's negatives? Maybe it would make a difference if it is used short term vs. long term?

 

Vet already said it doesn't have bad side effects. Then he said he's dosing according to average cat size but that LB is twice the size of average cat so dose is very small - a trial dose.

You worry me about your sitch with your eyes. I'm worried about the side effects of the glaucoma drops I've been given.. my doc said he thought my heart and lungs would be ok on them.

Growth on tongue is looking very big from what it was. Not sure how important it is to halt its progression. might go back to family vet and see what he thinks. Not tell husband as the cost of yesterday's visit plus insulin was nearly $300! :evil:

 

The med my rheumatologist wanted me to take was called Plaquenil. The drug is for lupus, but I don't have lupus, I only have 3 of the signs for lupus. Since a very rare side effect was damage to the retina and I didn't actually have lupus, I passed on the drug. If I actually had lupus I think I would have taken the risk.

If the growth on LB's tongue gets too big it may cause problems with his ability to eat and swallow. You need to judge which risk to take, just as you need to balance the risk of your glaucoma eye drops with the risk of the glaucoma getting worse. If you trust his vet and he thinks the dose is small enough not to cause problems, it may be worth the risk of the medication to make LB feel better.