← Return to Kevzara (sarilumab) to treat PMR
DiscussionKevzara (sarilumab) to treat PMR
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Aug 24 6:34am | Replies (162)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "Hi @pamsjourney I had a very short experience with Kevzara so I am not the best..."
I'm sorry you weren't able to continue taking Kevzara.
If your preexisting condition was another autoimmune condition maybe a different biologic would work. I have another autoimmune condition called uveitis. The IL-6 inflammation pathway isn't implicated so much for uveitis. In my case, Kevzara isn't likely to work for uveitis but an IL-6 inhibitor worked extremely well for me to treat PMR.
Multiple autoimmune conditions create a dilemma. What works for one condition might not work for the other condition. Taking two biologics is not an option.
There are several preexisting medical conditions when Kevzara isn't recommended. The following are the conditions I'm aware of.
Liver:
Kevzara isn’t recommended if you have a liver problem, such as hepatitis. This is because using this drug may worsen your liver problem.
Diverticulitis:
During Kevzara treatment, it’s possible to develop a gastrointestinal (GI) perforation (hole or tear in an intestine or the stomach). If you have a condition called diverticulitis, you may have an increased risk of this tear. Your doctor can help you weigh the pros and cons of Kevzara treatment.
History of tuberculosis (TB) or recurring infections:
Be sure to talk with your doctor if you’ve had tuberculosis (TB) or have any infections that keep returning before starting Kevzara.
Use of corticosteroids or NSAIDs:
This one is debatable because most people are taking Kevzara to enable them to taper off prednisone.
If you already take a corticosteroid or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), you may have an increased risk of developing a gastrointestinal perforation while you use Kevzara. I don't think this risk applies to Kevzara alone but I don't know for sure.
Many people taking long term prednisone are already at risk of having gastrointestinal (GI) problems.
Thank you for the info!!
Hope you're doing ok!