1. < Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)
Profile picture for mrjiles

Anyone been put on Kevzara to help with prednisone tapering?

Posted by mrjiles @mrjiles, May 18 2:31pm

I was diagnosed with pmr in November 2025. I was recently reduced to 15 MG of prednisone, I have been down to 12.5 but with that came more stiffness. Starting to have some negative affects on the prednisone. My dr recommended Kevzara to help taper down quicker,I'm just not sure about another drug and its side effects? Has anyone else used this method?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) Support Group.

Profile picture for barjohnson62
barjohnson62 | @barjohnson62 | May 19 3:19pm
In reply to @cwbf "Yes. I have used Kevzara and find it very helpful with few if any side effects...." + (show)
Profile picture for cwbf @cwbf

Yes. I have used Kevzara and find it very helpful with few if any side effects. I began at 40 mg of prednisone, a year ago, got stuck at 15mg for months, was put on Kevzara and now am at 2mg, tapering at the rate of 1mg a week on the advice of the board certified rheumatologist who prescribed the Kevzara. I too was reluctant to try it. I was wrong and I wish I had done it sooner.

I started Mounjaro/Zepbound--the weight loss drugs-- a week ago. To my great surprise, I feel significantly better. The rheumatologist said that M/Z are particularly known for their anti-inflammatory properties and whether that is the explanation my mental clarity is appreciably better, I have more energy and my body just "feels" better. No idea why. The weight loss is attractive as well but more importantly, I now feel for the first time in over a year I am beginning to heal.

M/Z can be prescribed for diabetes and for sleep apnea so if you have either of those conditions your insurance may cover them. It's the same chemical formula for either, just with different names.

Jump to this post

@cwbf

Wow. Great to hear somebody with experience on M/Z. Thank you for that info!

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for mrjiles
mrjiles | @mrjiles | May 19 3:19pm

This helps alot, I have been stuck at 15 MG, every time I drop to 12.5 symptoms get worse. I will give it a try and see what happens, thank you.

REPLY
Profile picture for jfannarbor
jfannarbor | @jfannarbor | May 19 3:43pm

I went on Kevzara after being on and off prednisone for 35 years, mostly on. I felt that prednisone was a miracle drug and stopped my pain in 6 hours. I know all the side effects that P has. I have escaped most of them except thin skin so I bleed easily, which is more embarrassing than a major problem since I will be bleeding and not even know it. I started Kevzara when I was at 15 mg P. I got down to 2.5 mg P with ease. When I went to 2 mg I started to have some pain and at 1.5 mg P I had a lot of pain. I am now back on 2.5 mg P and feel OK.

REPLY
Profile picture for rickman
rickman | @rickman | May 19 3:53pm

Has anyone with PMR supplemented their treatment with a contrast therapy?
Sauna (heat phase):
Vasodilation (heat)→↑blood flow→↑tissue perfusion
Cold shower (cold phase):
Vasoconstriction (cold)→↓ peripheral flow→ Vasoconstriction
I found the article here. https://sunraysaunas.com/contrast-therapy-101-how-to-pair-your-sauna-with-a-cold-shower-for-instant-recovery

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for cwbf
cwbf | @cwbf | May 20 6:53am
In reply to @barjohnson62 "@cwbf Wow. Great to hear somebody with experience on M/Z. Thank you for that info!" + (show)
Profile picture for barjohnson62 @barjohnson62

@cwbf

Wow. Great to hear somebody with experience on M/Z. Thank you for that info!

Jump to this post

@barjohnson62
Glad to pass on the good news.

I cannot adequately describe how much better I feel after starting Mounjaro. Much more energy, both mental and physical. I am reluctant to ascribe my renewed sense of energy exclusively to Mounjaro--perhaps its the combination of Kevzara and reduced prednisone--but whatever the exact cause, the difference in my life is quite real and I am inclined to believe it is the GLP-1.

REPLY
Profile picture for jfannarbor
jfannarbor | @jfannarbor | May 21 8:08am
In reply to @rickman "Has anyone with PMR supplemented their treatment with a contrast therapy? Sauna (heat phase): Vasodilation (heat)→↑blood..." + (show)
Profile picture for rickman @rickman

Has anyone with PMR supplemented their treatment with a contrast therapy?
Sauna (heat phase):
Vasodilation (heat)→↑blood flow→↑tissue perfusion
Cold shower (cold phase):
Vasoconstriction (cold)→↓ peripheral flow→ Vasoconstriction
I found the article here. https://sunraysaunas.com/contrast-therapy-101-how-to-pair-your-sauna-with-a-cold-shower-for-instant-recovery

Jump to this post

@rickman I just relax in my hot tub.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for jfannarbor
jfannarbor | @jfannarbor | May 21 8:14am
In reply to @dadcue "I hope you get some responses because there are quite a few people on Kevzara. I..." + (show)
Profile picture for Mike @dadcue

I hope you get some responses because there are quite a few people on Kevzara. I think most people have good experiences with Kevzara and either taper off Prednisone or get to a lower dose of Prednisone faster than they would have without Kevzara.

I only have experience with Actemra (tociluzumab) which is another biologic and IL-6 inhibitor similar to Kevzara. Actemra was a game changer for me but people who have experience with Kevzara should chime in. I wish there was a way to compile everyone's experience with biologics compared to Prednisone. A recent study that attempted to compile social media posts suggested that people have generally more favorable experiences with biologics.

"The experiences people have with glucocorticoids were perceived more negatively than biologics."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41488189/
-----------------------
I remember when I was reluctant to try a biologic. My rheumatolgist made the following point which was hard to dispute -- "I wouldn't know if it works or not unless I tried it to see."

Jump to this post

@dadcue " I wish there was a way to compile everyone's experience with biologics compared to Prednisone." I would be surprised if Mayo is not analyzing these posts.

REPLY
Profile picture for rickman
rickman | @rickman | May 21 9:17am
In reply to @jfannarbor "@rickman I just relax in my hot tub." + (show)
Profile picture for jfannarbor @jfannarbor

@rickman I just relax in my hot tub.

Jump to this post

@jfannarbor Great advice. Getting a bit old for the cold water shock treatment!

REPLY
Profile picture for corkybailey
corkybailey | @corkybailey | May 21 9:34am

Better have a good GI system to take Kevzara. Did NOT work well for me.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for caroljeand
caroljeand | @caroljeand | May 22 6:48am
In reply to @corkybailey "Better have a good GI system to take Kevzara. Did NOT work well for me." + (show)
Profile picture for corkybailey @corkybailey

Better have a good GI system to take Kevzara. Did NOT work well for me.

Jump to this post

@corkybailey
Not recommended for anyone with diverticulitis.

REPLY
Please sign in or register to post a reply.