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What was your experience on Kevzara?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: Oct 15 6:55pm | Replies (82)Comment receiving replies
I started my PMR journey in July started on 20mg. Rheumatologist started me on Kevzara when I reach 12.5 mg. Decreasing at 2.5mg every two weeks and started Kevzara injection every 2weeks when I decreased the Pred. I am now on Kevzara only and no Pred. Feel fabulous. So side effects and happy to not have the side effects I was suffering from the Pred.
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@laurelfagan
It is incredible that you were able to get off Prednisone so quickly after Kevzara was started. So many people are told to "expect" to take Prednisone for a couple of years and do an ultra slow taper when they are diagnosed with PMR.
I took Prednisone for 12 years after I was diagnosed. I was encouraged to remain on Prednisone for the rest of my life instead of taking a biologic. Fortunately, I elected to try the biologic for PMR instead of Prednisone for the rest of my life. It still took me a year to taper off Prednisone. I think it took me longer because my body was dependent on me taking Prednisone because of adrenal insufficiency.
“Corticosteroids have been the primary treatment to date, but many patients do not adequately respond to steroids or cannot be tapered off steroids, which puts such patients at risk of complications from long-term steroid therapy,”
The following link explains why you were so fortunate.
https://www.everydayhealth.com/rheumatic-diseases/fda-approves-steroid-free-treatment-for-polymyalgia-rheumatica/