AN ALTERNATIVE TO SURGERY
MARTIN:
I grew up in the Sacramento Valley. There’s a lot of agriculture here, and I remember my allergies and hay fever acting up all the time.
Getting through the day, sometimes, wasn’t so easy.
Some of the symptoms that I was experiencing were allergies, hay fever, stuffy nose, lots of sneezing.
MARTIN:
When I was in my 30s, my nasal issues changed, and they got a lot worse.
They started to have greater impacts on my life.
I experienced vertigo, I had nasal infections a little bit more frequently, and I even lost my smell.
MARTIN:
I decided to go see an ENT, and there, I was diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis.
We did a scan.
I was told that my entire nasal cavities were blocked.
MARTIN:
My doctor said that I had to have surgery to remove my nasal polyps, and that’s what I did.
Surprisingly, a few years later, my polyps came back.
So, I found a new ENT and I ended up having to have another surgery.
I wasn’t looking forward to a second surgery.
At this point, I’d already lost my sense of smell a few times.
And not being able to smell foods at different events was really hard.
My symptoms were really having an effect on me.
VO:
In a moment, you’ll hear more from Martin about his experience with uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) and treatment with DUPIXENT®(dupilumab).
DUPIXENT is an add-on treatment for people 18 years and older living with uncontrolled chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP).
Important Safety Information
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumabor to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Please see additional Important SafetyInformation throughout this video and adjacent links for full Prescribing Information.
Individual results with DUPIXENT may vary.
MARTIN:
After everything I’d already been through, I was really excited when my doctor introduced me to DUPIXENT.
I was hesitant to try another medicine, but I was open to trying an option that was going to be an alternative to surgery.
MARTIN:
Before I started DUPIXENT, I told my doctor about all the medical conditions I had and medications I was taking.
My doctor and I talked about the potential benefits and risks of treatment, including the most common side effects such as injection site reactions, and some serious side effects including allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe, eye problems, inflammation of your blood vessels, and joint aches and pain.
MARTIN:
I liked the idea of taking an injectable medicine every other week.
I did my research and I decided to give it a try.
MARTIN:
After starting treatment with DUPIXENT, I went to see my healthcare team and they were impressed with my progress.
I was super excited that finally my nasal symptoms were under control.
This is my experience and yours might be different.
MARTIN:
I’m really glad I can breathe better through my nose!
Now, when I play steel drums, I’m driving around, traveling visiting friends, I can just really immerse myself in the experience.
I’m really happy with the team of doctors that got me to this point, and I’m moving forward!
There’s a lot for me on the horizon and in the future. I’m just enjoying it one day at a time, one breath at a time!
VO:
Important Safety Information
and Indication
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in DUPIXENT®.
Before using DUPIXENT, tell your healthcare provider about all your medical conditions, including if you:
- have eye problems.
- have a parasitic (helminth) infection.
- are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a “live vaccine” right before and during treatment with DUPIXENT.
- are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known whether DUPIXENT will harm your unborn baby.
- are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether DUPIXENT passes into your breast milk.
Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.
Especially tell your healthcare provider if you are taking oral, topical, or inhaled corticosteroid medicines or if you have CRSwNP and asthma and use an asthma medicine. Do not change or stop your corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine without talking to your healthcare provider. This may cause other symptoms that were controlled by the corticosteroid medicine or other asthma medicine to come back.
DUPIXENT can cause serious side effects, including:
- Allergic reactions. DUPIXENT can cause allergic reactions that can sometimes be severe. Stop using DUPIXENT and tell your healthcare provider or get emergency help right away if you get any of the following signs or symptoms: breathing problems or wheezing, swelling of the face, lips, mouth, tongue, or throat, fainting, dizziness, feeling lightheaded, fast pulse, fever, hives, joint pain, general ill feeling, itching, skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, nausea or vomiting, or cramps in your stomach-area.
- Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision, such as blurred vision. Your healthcare provider may send you to an ophthalmologist for an eye exam if needed.
- Inflammation of your blood vessels. Rarely, this can happen in people with asthma who receive DUPIXENT. This may happen in people who also take a steroid medicine by mouth that is being stopped or the dose is being lowered. It is not known whether this is caused by DUPIXENT. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have: rash, chest pain, worsening shortness of breath, or a feeling of pins and needles or numbness of your arms or legs, or persistent fever.
- Joint aches and pain. Some people who use DUPIXENT have had trouble walking or moving due to their joint symptoms, and in some cases needed to be hospitalized. Tell your healthcare provider about any new or worsening joint symptoms. Your healthcare provider may stop DUPIXENT if you develop joint symptoms.
The most common side effects in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis include injection site reactions, eye and eyelid inflammation, including redness, swelling, and itching, sometimes with blurred vision, high count of a certain white blood cell (eosinophilia), trouble sleeping (insomnia), toothache, gastritis and joint pain (arthralgia).
Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away. These are not all the possible side effects of DUPIXENT. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Use DUPIXENT exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. It’s an injection given under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Your healthcare provider will decide if you or your caregiver can inject DUPIXENT. Do not try to prepare and inject DUPIXENT until you or your caregiver have been trained by your healthcare provider.
Please see accompanying full Prescribing Information including Patient Information.
Indication
DUPIXENT is a prescription medicine used with other medicines for the maintenance treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) in adults whose disease is not controlled. It is not known if DUPIXENT is safe and effective in children with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis under 18 years of age.
