What Does Behcet's Disease Treatment Involve?

Medications To Block Tumor Necrosis Factor

Medications to block tumor necrosis factor or TNF are often used in patients who have a severe manifestation of Behcet's disease symptoms due to inflammation. TNF inhibitors are actually lab-created antibodies that come from animal or human tissue. Tumor necrosis factor itself is a substance the immune system produces and keeps at steady levels within the body. With diseases like Behcet's disease, the body makes too much of it. This can result in the characteristic inflammation that occurs throughout the body. TNF inhibitors block the actions of the tumor necrosis factor so it cannot cause any further damage to healthy tissues. It will take between two and four weeks after starting the medication for an individual to feel the effects of the TNF inhibitor. Most of these types of medications are given as a subcutaneous injection every one to four weeks. Other types of TNF inhibitors are given intravenously for a duration of two hours at a physicians office at a frequency of every four to eight weeks.