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← Return to Trouble going below 3mg
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I am getting more than a little tired and achy so maybe I did not stay at 3mg long enough.
That article implied that some people would/could/should be at 3mg forever.
Does everybody taking a biologic or DMARD get to 0mg prednisone?
There is a hefty copay with my insurance for the biologics. I know people say it could be covered if ordered as an infusion. My formulary does not have infusion listed as an option, only injections of varying strength. I did not call insurance though, only did a search of covered meds.
Replies to "I am getting more than a little tired and achy so maybe I did not stay..."
Does everybody taking a biologic or DMARD get to 0mg prednisone?
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No ... only about half of the patients on Actemra were able to get to 0 mg of prednisone. I was part of the lucky half ... I guess.
In the Giacta trial for GCA approximately 3 times more patients were able to achieve a "sustained remission" in 52 weeks compared to Prednisone alone. The cumulative dose of Prednisone needed for remission was much less and also statistically significant.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1613849
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I take weekly Actemra injections. They are covered by my Medicare advantage plan under Part D. The maximum copay for all my Part D drugs for the year is $2000, and I basically met that with 4 Actemra injections.