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← Return to Methotrexate / Actemra
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I tend to think you are
Correct that all biologics can produce antibodies. I just know my Rheumy at the time I developed Humira antibodies switched me to Enbrel “because that doesn’t happen with Enbrel “.
That said I found this on a RX site and it seems to describe otherwise. I will also say that Enbrel also quit working after a couple of years but it wasn’t a sudden change like I experienced with Humira.
Autoantibodies
Patients with RA had serum samples tested for autoantibodies at multiple time points. In RA Studies I and II, the percentage of patients evaluated for antinuclear antibodies (ANA) who developed new positive ANA (titer ≥ 1:40) was higher in patients treated with Enbrel (11%) than in placebo-treated patients (5%). The percentage of patients who developed new positive anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies was also higher by radioimmunoassay (15% of patients treated with Enbrel compared to 4% of placebo-treated patients) and by Crithidia luciliae assay (3% of patients treated with Enbrel compared to none of placebo-treated patients). The proportion of patients treated with Enbrel who developed anticardiolipin antibodies was similarly increased compared to placebo-treated patients. In RA Study III, no pattern of increased autoantibody development was seen in Enbrel patients compared to MTX patients
Replies to "I tend to think you are Correct that all biologics can produce antibodies. I just know..."
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Thank-you. I didn't know what to expect if Actemra ever stopped working. I thought it would gradually lose its effectiveness. I don't worry about it too much but I'm not sure what will happen if Actemra didn't work anymore. Have you been on two TNF inhibitors and now on your third one in 5 years?
Another question ... are people with RA content to be on a TNF inhibitor as long as it is working without ever trying to stop it. I was told Actemra could be easily stopped but I would probably need prednisone again. I'm now happy that Kevzara might be another option.
People with PMR are basically given prednisone and more prednisone. Then we are told to wait until PMR goes away until prednisone side effects set in. Then there is a rush to be off prednisone and that is difficult to do quickly.
Now that I'm off prednisone ... I never want to go back on prednisone unless it is short term until something else works. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be many options other than prednisone for most people with PMR.
My mindset is to be off Actemra sometime in the future. My rheumatologist says that might not be possible. Should I just give up thinking I might be "medication free" again?