← Return to Prednisone for over a year along with Kevzara for last 5 months
DiscussionPrednisone for over a year along with Kevzara for last 5 months
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Jun 3 11:35am | Replies (47)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "Has anyone had the IL6 blood test and found it useful? Tell me your experience."
I never had my IL-6 level checked. However, I'm taking a medication that inhibits the IL-6 cytokine and stopped my chronic inflammation and relieved my pain after 12 years of PMR treated with Prednisone. . I assume my IL-6 level was elevated but now it is reduced by the biologic I take that inhibits the IL-6 cytokine.
Actually the biologic probably caused my IL-6 level to rise rapidly at first before my IL-6 level returned to normal.
Nobody knows exactly how IL-6 inhibition works but it seems to stop my PMR symptoms and allowed me to taper off prednisone.
A theoretical diagram of how Actemra (tocilizumab) works is seen in the following link.
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Mechanism-of-action-of-tocilizumab-in-RA-bathtub-theory_fig2_221967570
I'm proud to say it only took me a few weeks to understand this diagram. I don't know why my IL-6 level wasn't checked first before starting Actemra.
The same mechanism should be applicable to Kevzara. Here is another great link that I won't take credit for because someone else posted it first.
https://www.pmrandil6.com/il-6-and-pmr/