I need to ask how long you took prednisone before Kevzara was started.

Research studies usually looked at "newly diagnosed" patients with PMR. Kevzara allowed a significant number of patients to have a decrease of PMR symptoms within a few months after starting Kevzara. For you to get off Prednisone in 4 months is very good. It takes about a year of treatment with Kevzara for patients to have a "sustained remission."

I wonder what experience people have with Kevzara when they were diagnosed with PMR a long time ago and have been on prednisone for a long time. Were you newly diagnosed or did you have PMR for a long time??

I have taken Actemra for more than 5 years. It took me two years to be prednisone free. I had relapses when Actemra was stopped. I had PMR for more than 12 years. Except for about 6 months at the start, I was on prednisone the entire time.

My rheumatologist attributed my relapses to how long PMR was active. He said the immune system has the ability to form a long term memory for things it attacks. This is detrimental in autoimmune disorders because my immune system was attacking me --- my tissues won't ever go away so my immune system isn't likely to forget about them anytime soon. For this reason, my rheumatologist doesn't have a plan to stop Actemra anytime soon. I still do a monthly infusions of Actemra. I don't have any serious side effects from Atemra. My PMR symptoms are well controlled but I wouldn't say I'm completely pain free. I'm finally off prednisone and my quality of life is much improved.