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Managing Inhibitors¹

While activities may need to be scaled back for a period of time following a bleeding episode, most people with inhibitors can lead active, normal lives.

What can you do?

If you or your child has an inhibitor, make it your goal to treat bleeds promptly. Talk to your hemophilia treatment team about your options. Work closely with them, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Here are more suggestions to help you manage inhibitors and live an active lifestyle:

Make sure you understand your therapy. It’s important to understand which therapy to use and when. Your treatment may change over time or depending on the situation.

Get the right dose. When using a bypassing agent, follow your doctor’s advice and give the exact dose prescribed.

Rest and/or immobilize after a bleed. After a joint or muscle bleed, it is important to rest or immobilize the affected part until bleeding has stopped, so that rebleeding does not occur.¹ Once symptoms are improving, physical therapy may be needed to strengthen muscles and restore function.

RICE helps. Adding RICE, which stands for Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation, to your treatment regimen may help stop bleeding, promote healing, and prevent rebleeding.

Manage your pain. Don’t suffer in silence! Tell your doctor about any pain you experience if a bleeding event is slow to respond to therapy. The hemophilia treatment team can help you develop an effective plan for pain management.

Keep your teeth and gums healthy. Make regular appointments with your dentist to reduce the need for tooth extraction or other complex dental procedures that may cause complications.

Make connections in the hemophilia community. You may find it helpful to connect with other inhibitor patients or their families and share your experiences. Your local HTC can help you make this connection.

Check in at your HTC. Your HTC staff is experienced in helping people manage their inhibitors.

References

1. Beeton K, Buzzard B. Physiotherapy in the management of patients with inhibitors. In: Rodriguez-Merchan E.C. LCA, ed. Inhibitors in Patients With Hemophilia. Oxford, England: Blackwell Science, Ltd.; 2002:160-168.

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Note: thereforyou.com does not recommend a particular treatment for specific individuals and recommends that you consult your hemophilia treatment center or physician before pursuing any course of treatment.