Anyone stopped Keytruda due to side effects?

I had my kidney removed due to carcinoma. The surgeon was positive that he got everything and said I probably would not need any follow up treatment, but sent me to an oncologist anyway. He put me on Keytruda and after the third treatment I had to quit because the side effects of severe arthritis, lack of energy, new lug nodules, cramps in my hands and legs and shortness of breath. After doing some research, I found out that our 40% of people treated with the stuff have severe side effects. My question is why would they prescribe this for me knowing that I had very low chance of reoccurrence since I have no history in my family of cancer, and that there were such severe side effects that have destroyed the quality of my life? I was relatively healthy before I started a treatment and now I can’t sleep. I can’t do any regular activities and basically feel like I have age 30 years in the last two months.

@wjhii It puzzles me also why Keytruda is so overwhelmingly recommended when there are side effects. I have no markers for which it has proven to be effective on. For people like me the benefit ranges from zero to 10% but as you know there are side effects that can be de-habilitating.
Why don't they run tests for immune disease markers before they prescribe it? If you have a gene defect that could lead to an autoimmune disorder and no genetic markers that Keytruda works on why prescribe it? My answer is because they feel helpless and do not realize that a lot of great benefits can come from changing your diet and exercising and sauna and social activities, and discontinuing all alcohol consumption (a toughie I know)!
I got the lung nodules from it which thankfully resolved, the rashes, and the start of psoriasis which fortunately went away with a diet change and discontinuation of the drug. The pulmonary specialist I saw for the lung nodule said her group on pulmonary oncologists were thinking that keytruda is being overprescribed.
Give yourself time and try to focus on what you can do.
Best of luck in your path forward

@beebe The half life of keytruda is about 25 days. When was you last infusion? And the first two?

@wjhii It puzzles me also why Keytruda is so overwhelmingly recommended when there are side effects. I have no markers for which it has proven to be effective on. For people like me the benefit ranges from zero to 10% but as you know there are side effects that can be de-habilitating.
Why don't they run tests for immune disease markers before they prescribe it? If you have a gene defect that could lead to an autoimmune disorder and no genetic markers that Keytruda works on why prescribe it? My answer is because they feel helpless and do not realize that a lot of great benefits can come from changing your diet and exercising and sauna and social activities, and discontinuing all alcohol consumption (a toughie I know)!
I got the lung nodules from it which thankfully resolved, the rashes, and the start of psoriasis which fortunately went away with a diet change and discontinuation of the drug. The pulmonary specialist I saw for the lung nodule said her group on pulmonary oncologists were thinking that keytruda is being overprescribed.
Give yourself time and try to focus on what you can do.
Best of luck in your path forward

@beebe Keytruda kept my stage 4 lung cancer shrunk and quiet for nearly five years. When it started growing again I went back on Keytruda but got a very bad all over rash, so as the test showed my tumors were again shrinking, it was discontinued after a year, again in hopes that I would have as good a run as the previous time of nearly five years, but nine months afterwards cancer appeared in a couple of lymph nodes so back I went on Keytruda for five months, this time had ferocious diarrhea - which I still have even two months after the Keytruda was stopped because once more the tests looked good. No recurrence of the rash though. My oncologists say there was no knowing what or if the side effects might be if any, but that Keytruda is the gold standard. If anything life threatening happens they try something else but generally Keytruda is considered the first choice.