Yes ... I started Actemra (tocilizumab) more than five years ago on January 1st 2019. I purposely waited for the New Year to do my first injection. I wasn't doing well back then after 12 years of prednisone for PMR. Granted ... I had other problems in addition to PMR. It is difficult to find PMR patients who don't have additional medical problems!

I would point to my medication list as an objective evaluation of side effects since Actemra was started. On prednisone, I was taking three blood pressure medications, atorvastatin, and warfarin just for my cardiovascular problems. I wasn't able to discontinue all these medications as soon as I got off prednisone. However, I stopped warfarin last month and now I am off all these medications in addition to being off prednisone.

It was funny because I had been on atorvastatin for years ... soon after PMR was diagnosed. Nobody ever blamed PMR for causing my high cholesterol levels. After a couple years on Actemra, my cholesterol levels dropped. There was a concern that my cholesterol levels were too low. My rheumatologist joked because elevated cholesterol levels were a possible side effect of Actemra. He said I made a mockery of that notion as he stopped atorvastatin. He said my CK levels were getting high so he was getting worried about statin induced myopathy. My CK level was normal the last time it was checked.

I have more frequent lab monitoring on Actemra compared to when I was on prednisone. Almost all my labs are normal now. When I was on Prednisone my labs were always messed up.

Unfortunately, my inflammation markers crept up when the interval between my Actemra infusion was stretched to 7 weeks instead of every 4 weeks. I didn't have any huge amount of pain but my rheumatologist said, based on my inflammation markers, I still need Actemra.