Any experiences with Kevzara (sarilumab)?

I was on Kevzara for 8 months last year. It did help my symptoms and seemed to prevent flare-ups but it did not allow me to get below 5 mg of prednisone. There were side effects that showed up in labs: high cholesterol and white cells below the normal range. My primary doctor did not think my cholesterol was bad enough to need treatment and the white cells were only slightly low. I had to get off the drug due to cost. About a month after stopping I had a pretty bad flare-up so it had been helping me. Now I'm on Actemra which my insurance is hopefully going to cover!

@stonewheel
Started Kevzara March 2025 @ abt 8 mg prednisone.
Off all prednisone by 7/15/2025
11/5/2025 chged Kevzara to every 3 weeks because of low WBC.
Jan 2026, blood work normal, stayed at Kevzara 3 week intervals.
Last Kevzara shot 2/22/2026…….stopped cold and no side effects.
Note: I was not, and am not, on any other medications for any other conditions .

I am now 2 months since last shot, blood work shows elevated CRP (10.8). I am not feeling it, 🤞, Dr wants me to restart Kevzara, I’m asking to retest in another 2 months. Wait and see, if a problem reach out to him. Note, I have not heard back yet. 🤞

@tweetypie13
Well, I surrender…..I seem to be having “symptoms/senses” of PMR that are not going away. 🙇🏼‍♀️
I Am taking the Dr’s advice of restarting the Kevzara, as strongly recommended by this group.
My question is to you all, after restarting the Kevzara, how long do we “think” it will take to kick in on my system? It’s been 2 months since my last shot.
(As you know, I don’t understand 1/2 life etc.)
Thx for your thoughts
PS: yes, I have had a smashing “80”th birthday. This next qtr is off to a bang and bring on the fire extinguisher for the candles.

@tweetypie13
I was off my shots for 5 to 6 weeks during my cataract surgery and was feeling ok. I don’t how much longer I could have pushed it by not getting back to the injections. I think once you restart it should kick in pretty fast if you aren’t feeling like you did when first starting prednisone.
Good not to wait too long.
Keep us informed.