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← Return to Prednisone to Kevzara back to Prednisone. ( Hope not )
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Prednisone to Kevzara back to Prednisone. ( Hope not )
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Oct 8 2:17am | Replies (67)Comment receiving replies
@dadcue I was diagnosed with Crohns in the late 90’s. I started prednisone in the fall of 2011 for PMR. For a few years I was also on methotrexate. So after a flare last fall I agreed to start KEVZARA. I had beef told by a rheumatologist at Mayo Clinic that if I had to increase above 5mg I may have to consider a biologic. I have severe diverticulosis and have had bouts with diverticulitis in the past. I’ve never had as many infections in such a short period. My Dr. was concerned about a perforation. I have already had a consult with a colorectal surgeon and would probably have to a bag if I were to have a resection. So for me being on a biologic is way worse than prednisone. .
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@grumpa
I don't think my rheumatologist would have ever started me on Actemra with a history of Crohns. I was led to believe that Actemra and Kevlara are prohibitive for anyone with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Ever since I was diagnosed with reactive arthritis in the early 1990's, I have always been afraid of developing IBD. It was an enteric infection that ushered in a slew of problems for me.
I had my first colonoscopy that was ordered by a rheumatologist who wanted to see if I also had Crohns back in 2008. When PMR was subsequently diagnosed, I was started on long term Prednisone. I felt vindicated because I was treating myself with many short term bursts of high dose Prednisone for 15 years before PMR was diagnosed.
Crohn's and Reactive Arthritis are in the same spectrum of disorders. I remember when I was first diagnosed with reactive arthritis with uveitis in the early 1990's. The primary care doctor that diagnosed me with Reactive Arthritis mentioned HLA-B27 but didn't want to do the test to see if I was positive or not. The only reason for not doing the test was that it wouldn't change my diagnosis or anything about how I would be treated in the future.
I was tested for HLA-B27 because I was curious and said it would be nice to know. I was positive for HLA-B27 and now my medical record is full of references to HLA-B27 associated things.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551523/
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HLA-B27 is a gene that plays a role in the immune system. It is associated with an increased risk of developing certain autoimmune diseases, including Crohn's disease.
I used to be active on forums for spondyloarthritis. There were people with Crohn's on those forums. Everyone it seemed was being treated with various biologic treatments. I left the spodyloarthritis forums because nobody was being treated with long term Prednisone like I was. In fairness, they all had their various specialty doctors and I was treating myself with Prednisone until PMR was diagnosed many years later. That was when I got the attention of several specialists but never a gastroenterologist.