Actemra ... for PMR but it isn't FDA approved for PMR. Kevzara is FDA approved for PMR and should work the same way as Actemra does. There was no guarantee either biologic would work. My rheumatologis said after 12 years, Actemra was my "best chance" of ever getting off Prednisone.

My rheumatologist doesn't think PMR will ever go away at this stage. I have been on Actemra for more than 5 years. I don't have any symptoms of PMR as long as I get a monthly infusion of Actemra.

At least my cortisol level has improved. I don't experience the overwhelming fatigue anymore. I also don't have a PMR flare every time I overdo things, have an infection or when I'm stressed out for any reason.

Except for needing an Actemra infusion every month, I feel completely normal. I'm still recovering from everything that happened during 12 years of PMR and long term Prednisone use. Those years were characterized by one thing after another -- emergency room visits, hospitalizations ... everything under the sun.

The medical literature talks about a "steroid burden." Now I realize how much of a burden Prednisone was.