Depleted B Cells
Hi all, my name is Bill and I’m a 58 year old male from MA. Thank you for adding me here. I was diagnosed with MS in April 2019. I am now on my fourth DMT (previously on Tecfidera, Vumerity and Copaxone). I’m currently on Briumvi infusions. I had my first infusion this May, and had my second infusion two weeks ago. I had labs taken prior to my second infusion, and my B Cells are completely depleted. I understand this is a good thing in the context of slowing down the progression of MS, but my question is how susceptible am I now to other illness? With Christmas and New Year’s around the corner, how concerned should I be with getting sick? My vitamin D is also very low despite being on a supplement. However, that is going in the right direction since my last labs.
B cell depletion is an effect of a lot of MS medication (I'm on Kesimpta & mine are the same) They say you are more susceptible to infection while being immuno-compromised however I have been on kesimpta for over a year and have only been sick twice, with no other infections or anything so far. Others seem to be constantly unwell. I think it varies from person to person. If you are concerned I would just take steps to limit the chances, like wearing a mask/frequent hand washing/social distancing where possible. Good luck!
@TraceyW Thank you for the reply! My wife and I are planning a trip to Las Vegas in the spring. I told her I plan on wearing a mask at the airport and on the plane. Also, I have 2 grandchildren in preschool/daycare, and unfortunately that’s a Petri dish when it comes to germs. I plan on being more vigilant when it comes to our visits with them.