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I have read this on another website and I thought I would quote it here and add my comments as it seems to make it look as if Fumaderm is a dangerous drug that should be avoided, which certainly is far from the reality.
As a Fumaderm user and very happy with the way it has worked for me for for the last 5 years, I was rather annoyed to see it dismissed as something not safe to consider.
I will not name the support website this came from, but the first thing this website says is that it is already been used for decades in Europe, so it is obvious that it is a recognised prescription drug, with a good effect, otherwise it would have vanished already.
The facts are that any drug that is taken without medical supervision can be dangerous, this is also the case for Fumaderm if the use is not monitored.
Everyone who takes Fumaderm in Europe and I include the UK is (and should) be monitored by blood tests and regular hospital visits. If this is not done it's not a fault of the drug, more the lack of following procedure and a fault of the prescribing doctor. The patient needs to be alert to that. Again, this is the case for every medication, including the brand new biologicals, of which the long term effects are not clear yet. While the long term effects of Fumaderm are known, there are no long term effects found in all the decades that it has been available.
The article is wrong as the FDA in America has an approved fumaric ester drug ( Tecfidera) which is prescribed to MS patients in America and is also available in other countries for MS Management ,... so it is extensively used as it is effective for auto immune diseases like MS (and Psoriasis)
There are already very positive results in trails with a new version that will be produced by Allmiral (Spain), with this medication, monitoring will also be essential, but with monitoring it is one of the safest drugs around. Not to mention the other possibilities that DMF, the working substance has, on: Lupus, Crohns, Sarcoidosis, bed sores, inhibiting the growth of tumors, and so on, the possibilities of this substance seem to be endless.
It's a fact that it reduces the working of some of the interleukin IL-17 cells, that is the reason it works ...it works in a similar way targeting the same cells as some of the newer biological drugs that are available. But that is not all, at the same time it modulates much more regarding the support of the better functioning of the mitochondria and its energy cycle, essential for life. On the gastrointestinal side effects, yes, you can be get them , but so what? They are only inconvenient and in no way harmful.
One last remark on the lowering of the lymphocytes, , when starting the therapy they are likely to go down, that is why the start must be slow, but when the body gets used to the therapy the lymphocytes will come back again to their original values. If not, the therapy can be stopped, or reduced
As a Fumaderm user and very happy with the way it has worked for me for for the last 5 years, I was rather annoyed to see it dismissed as something not safe to consider.
Quote:
An oral prescription drug called Fumaderm, which contains fumaric acid esters, has been used for decades in Europe to treat severe plaque psoriasis.
In the United States, however, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Fumaderm or any other fumaric acid ester drugs, but that hasn’t stopped some psoriasis patients from obtaining them with potentially serious consequences.
The drug works by inhibiting the immune system’s T cells. Taking it without a doctor’s supervision can lead to dangerously low T cell counts, as well as side effects including gastrointestinal problems, Ryan said.
I will not name the support website this came from, but the first thing this website says is that it is already been used for decades in Europe, so it is obvious that it is a recognised prescription drug, with a good effect, otherwise it would have vanished already.
The facts are that any drug that is taken without medical supervision can be dangerous, this is also the case for Fumaderm if the use is not monitored.
Everyone who takes Fumaderm in Europe and I include the UK is (and should) be monitored by blood tests and regular hospital visits. If this is not done it's not a fault of the drug, more the lack of following procedure and a fault of the prescribing doctor. The patient needs to be alert to that. Again, this is the case for every medication, including the brand new biologicals, of which the long term effects are not clear yet. While the long term effects of Fumaderm are known, there are no long term effects found in all the decades that it has been available.
The article is wrong as the FDA in America has an approved fumaric ester drug ( Tecfidera) which is prescribed to MS patients in America and is also available in other countries for MS Management ,... so it is extensively used as it is effective for auto immune diseases like MS (and Psoriasis)
There are already very positive results in trails with a new version that will be produced by Allmiral (Spain), with this medication, monitoring will also be essential, but with monitoring it is one of the safest drugs around. Not to mention the other possibilities that DMF, the working substance has, on: Lupus, Crohns, Sarcoidosis, bed sores, inhibiting the growth of tumors, and so on, the possibilities of this substance seem to be endless.
It's a fact that it reduces the working of some of the interleukin IL-17 cells, that is the reason it works ...it works in a similar way targeting the same cells as some of the newer biological drugs that are available. But that is not all, at the same time it modulates much more regarding the support of the better functioning of the mitochondria and its energy cycle, essential for life. On the gastrointestinal side effects, yes, you can be get them , but so what? They are only inconvenient and in no way harmful.
One last remark on the lowering of the lymphocytes, , when starting the therapy they are likely to go down, that is why the start must be slow, but when the body gets used to the therapy the lymphocytes will come back again to their original values. If not, the therapy can be stopped, or reduced
