I have been self-injecting Kevzara for 10 weeks now (1/2 weeks). My thoughts:

* I started when I was on 5 mg Prednisone one day, 4 the next as it had become difficult to reduce down further without the PMR flaring.

* The injections are simple to do. There are You Tube videos on it and the company sends printed instructions. The drug is loaded in a pen which self-injects with a slight pressure against your body.

* It took until the 3rd injection to start having effects. The associated PMR symptoms of leg and upper body pains have mostly disappeared. I’m not taking supplemental anti-inflammatories any longer for continuing pains after taking my Prednisone.

* Sometimes it seems as if the Kevzara wears off by day 12 or 13 after an injection but the bodily symptoms are still fairly mild. It takes about 24 hours after an injection for the medicine to kick in.

* My doctor’s office would not take the used injection pens for proper disposal in their Sharps containers. I’m going to talk to the pharmacy dispensing the medicine for how to do so.

* The drug is expensive. The shots are $600 per with my insurance plan (Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans). However, for 2025, Medicare Part D drug costs have been capped at $2000 annually. Also, I was offered a prescription plan for catastrophic drugs in which I can pay $100 monthly for the costs I am responsible for.

*. I saw my rheumatologist yesterday and asked about the long-term plan. It is to get off Prednisone completely. She said we will probably continue the Kevzara after getting off Prednisone and lengthen the frequency of injections in the future.

Good luck on your journeys to get off Prednisone.