Severe allergic reactions to medications

Question:
My neurologist wants me to change from Tysabri to Ocrevus. I have been on Tysabri approximately 4 years with a short period off to try Tecfidera which dropped my white blood count too low to continue. I had a severe case of hives about 20 years ago from Benadryl and was told to never take it again.

I had a severe reaction to a prednisone treatment causing moon face, pseudo cushings, weight gain of >50lbs causing my natural ACTH to rise 3xs over the high end of the scale and, this endocrine nightmare lasted for two years. I exercised. I ate salad, but the endocrinologist said cortisol wins.

With this history of severe reactions to these two medications given with the infusion of rituxan and ocrevus, how am I to take the Ocrevus if I can't take the precursor IV drugs? are these required? With Tysabri I just get the medication and a sodium drip.

Answer:
You need to talk to an allergist about going through a Drug Desensitization protocol in order to receive Ocrelizumab. This would need to be done each time you received the drug.

Revere (Rip) Kinkel MD
Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Program
Clinical Neurosciences Director
Professor of Clinical Neurosciences
University of California San Diego