Living with
Inhibitors
How to treat Inhibitors
What can you do about them?
When someone with inherited haemophilia develops an inhibitor, the first course of action would normally be to try to eliminate it. While there are treatment strategies for this, it can take some time - even several years - and is not always successful.
People often experience breakthrough bleeds during treatment to eliminate inhibitors. Breakthrough bleeds must take priority as any bleeding needs to be controlled as soon as possible. These bleeds may be treated on demand or in some cases using prophylaxis, with a bypassing agent (click here for more information if you are a FEIBA patient).
How are bleeding episodes treated?
There have been significant advances in the treatment of bleeds when inhibitors are present and the outlook for those who experience bleeds has dramatically improved. The choice of treatment will depend on a number of factors, such as the severity of the bleed, and whether or not the individual is a “high” or “low responder”. A low responder is someone with a low level of inhibitor and more frequent and higher doses of clotting factor replacement therapy may be sufficient to control the bleed. However, in more severe bleeds, or where the individual is a “high” responder, advanced therapies known as bypassing agents are usually required to control the bleeding.
Bypassing agents are so called because they work around the inhibitors and help the blood to clot.
Your Haemophilia Centre will advise you on how to treat bleeds. If you have any concerns that a bleed is not responding to the treatment, you should contact your Haemophilia Centre straight away for advice.
