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Anyone with COPD taking Nucala (mepolizumab)? How did it help?

Posted by snoots @snoots, Dec 15, 2025

I started Nucala a month ago, it’s an injection once a month. Has anyone else taken the monthly shots, how did they help?

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snoots | @snoots | Jul 29 9:01pm
In reply to @hicopd "I've been on supplemental O2 since 2008 for altitude. In 2016, they also told me I..." + (show)
Profile picture for hicopd @hicopd

I've been on supplemental O2 since 2008 for altitude. In 2016, they also told me I need it for sleep and exertion. I am guided by my pulse oximeters. I am OK without O2 for just sitting with room air (it used to be 92-93 and now can be 94-96% sitting). If I walk slowly (like around my house), I generally am OK without O2 as well. If I'm going to walk and don't want to do pursed lip breathing continuously and watch my oximeter, I just wear my O2, so I don't stress my heart. It's just easier and better for my heart. I really don't want to develop heart problems in addition to my bad lungs.

I have an Inogen Rove6 and just bought a waistpack that has a crossbody strap. It works very well for me and allows me to be hands-free while wearing it. I am getting used to not getting tangled up with the tubing (always a work in progress). I prefer it over the single shoulder strap and over the backpack because I can turn the O2 on or off and also adjust settings as needed.

The last time I had a 6 minute walk test (while being on biologics), I needed to crank my POC up to level 6 (the max) to keep my pulse from being at an unsafe rate, as well as to keep my saturations up. I prefer walking at a fairly brisk pace, so that may be part of the issue.

Of course, it was nice before I needed supplemental O2, but I don't see myself being able to get rid of it at this point. I prefer to protect my brain cells and heart, so they need O2 and I will be sure they get it. I really dislike having my heart race when my O2 saturation levels drop.

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@hicopd what stage are you with COPD if you don’t mind me asking. Do you do any inhalers? I am stage 4 severe bolous emphysema. I was like you a year ago until I got pneumonia a year ago August. came home after 15 days on 24/7 oxygen 5 l , sometime i can do 3 sometimes 4.I only walk 3000 steps a day was doing 4000 , so I cut it back because The weight loss also fit to eating problem I had to, reflux, torqued esophagus, was dilated in march, swelling is better, eating is better, I am on dupixent have been for several months, carefully watching how the first week is. But I’m ok!

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hicopd | @hicopd | Jul 30 11:10am

I have had moderate to severe emphysema for 26 years, from 2000 through today. I was told to get my affairs in order in 2000 & that I’d likely need an imminent lung transplant. I’m still being considered for one but we all agree I’m too healthy at this time.

Staging isn’t that helpful. I function quite well and always have. I have never been hospitalized, which I’m sure has been helpful. We catch & treat exacerbations very early so I’ve always been able to handle them at home with antibiotics and sometimes so prednisone.

For me, the lucky thing is I “only” have bad emphysema, chronic asthma, allergies and silent gastric reflux. Some folks have a lot of comorbidities, which complicates treatment & their lives. I’m very glad the biologics seem to be helping reduce frequency & severity of my exacerbations.

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kat1359 | @kat1359 | Jul 30 12:41pm
In reply to @hicopd "I have had moderate to severe emphysema for 26 years, from 2000 through today. I was..." + (show)
Profile picture for hicopd @hicopd

I have had moderate to severe emphysema for 26 years, from 2000 through today. I was told to get my affairs in order in 2000 & that I’d likely need an imminent lung transplant. I’m still being considered for one but we all agree I’m too healthy at this time.

Staging isn’t that helpful. I function quite well and always have. I have never been hospitalized, which I’m sure has been helpful. We catch & treat exacerbations very early so I’ve always been able to handle them at home with antibiotics and sometimes so prednisone.

For me, the lucky thing is I “only” have bad emphysema, chronic asthma, allergies and silent gastric reflux. Some folks have a lot of comorbidities, which complicates treatment & their lives. I’m very glad the biologics seem to be helping reduce frequency & severity of my exacerbations.

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@hicopd does it do anything for your day to day breathing?

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snoots | @snoots | 6 days ago
In reply to @hicopd "I have had moderate to severe emphysema for 26 years, from 2000 through today. I was..." + (show)
Profile picture for hicopd @hicopd

I have had moderate to severe emphysema for 26 years, from 2000 through today. I was told to get my affairs in order in 2000 & that I’d likely need an imminent lung transplant. I’m still being considered for one but we all agree I’m too healthy at this time.

Staging isn’t that helpful. I function quite well and always have. I have never been hospitalized, which I’m sure has been helpful. We catch & treat exacerbations very early so I’ve always been able to handle them at home with antibiotics and sometimes so prednisone.

For me, the lucky thing is I “only” have bad emphysema, chronic asthma, allergies and silent gastric reflux. Some folks have a lot of comorbidities, which complicates treatment & their lives. I’m very glad the biologics seem to be helping reduce frequency & severity of my exacerbations.

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@hicopd what or how are the treating your silent reflux? I too have emphysema bulous, I have a torque esophagus which has been dilated to 54. I think i to have allergies. I went to GI again yesterday we are switching my ppi and h2 blocker. It all takes alot of faith and prayer. i have come a long way

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hicopd | @hicopd | 6 days ago

For many years, I took Prilosec 20mg at night for my reflux. My docs finally switched my to 20 mg per night of famotidine (Pepsid). My reflux is mainly when I sleep so I take it at night.

Honestly I don’t FEEL different from taking the Nucala, but my resting saturation rates are higher—want from 92-93 to 94-96%. To me, this means SOMETHING good is happening. I also don’t get exacerbations, even when things occur which MIGHT otherwise trigger an exacerbation (like POC running out of battery or pushing myself physically when traveling).

We traveled to NYC, Scandinavia and Tokyo and I stretched out my Nucala so took it 5 weeks after prior dose instead of 4 and still stayed healthy.

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bigbird1956 | @bigbird1956 | 2 days ago
In reply to @hicopd "I've been on supplemental O2 since 2008 for altitude. In 2016, they also told me I..." + (show)
Profile picture for hicopd @hicopd

I've been on supplemental O2 since 2008 for altitude. In 2016, they also told me I need it for sleep and exertion. I am guided by my pulse oximeters. I am OK without O2 for just sitting with room air (it used to be 92-93 and now can be 94-96% sitting). If I walk slowly (like around my house), I generally am OK without O2 as well. If I'm going to walk and don't want to do pursed lip breathing continuously and watch my oximeter, I just wear my O2, so I don't stress my heart. It's just easier and better for my heart. I really don't want to develop heart problems in addition to my bad lungs.

I have an Inogen Rove6 and just bought a waistpack that has a crossbody strap. It works very well for me and allows me to be hands-free while wearing it. I am getting used to not getting tangled up with the tubing (always a work in progress). I prefer it over the single shoulder strap and over the backpack because I can turn the O2 on or off and also adjust settings as needed.

The last time I had a 6 minute walk test (while being on biologics), I needed to crank my POC up to level 6 (the max) to keep my pulse from being at an unsafe rate, as well as to keep my saturations up. I prefer walking at a fairly brisk pace, so that may be part of the issue.

Of course, it was nice before I needed supplemental O2, but I don't see myself being able to get rid of it at this point. I prefer to protect my brain cells and heart, so they need O2 and I will be sure they get it. I really dislike having my heart race when my O2 saturation levels drop.

Jump to this post

@hicopd Thank you for your input. I really appreciate it. I recently started Pulmonary Rehab twice a week. It is my hopes that this will help reduce my dependancy on O2. I would live to be able to walk around my house totally independant of it. I totally understand about protecting your brain and heart.

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hicopd | @hicopd | 1 day ago

I am very happy that my resting O2 levels are higher now that I’m taking biologics but never read that was a benefit of taking it. we are all different but I do hope it helps you without many side effects.

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snoots | @snoots | 18 hours ago

See my pulumnary in a couple weeks and i think gonna ask him about nucala . We tried it one time he asked me what i thought i told home i couldn’t tell a difference but they didn’t have anymore in that day so he went right for dupixent. Sometime i feel very exhausted from it for several days, and short of breath to. Like it take 3/4 days until out get better after the shot

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2 replies
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kat1359 | @kat1359 | 8 hours ago
In reply to @snoots "See my pulumnary in a couple weeks and i think gonna ask him about nucala ...." + (show)
Profile picture for snoots @snoots

See my pulumnary in a couple weeks and i think gonna ask him about nucala . We tried it one time he asked me what i thought i told home i couldn’t tell a difference but they didn’t have anymore in that day so he went right for dupixent. Sometime i feel very exhausted from it for several days, and short of breath to. Like it take 3/4 days until out get better after the shot

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@snoots
Any side effects you can tell with dupixnent? Tell any difference at all? Mine is talking about Nucala, so I am sure he will try that first. If you change over let me know if you can feel any changes. I really struggle with breathing just walking to bathroom and back. Only about 40 feet, round trip.

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Profile picture for bigbird1956
bigbird1956 | @bigbird1956 | 5 hours ago
In reply to @snoots "See my pulumnary in a couple weeks and i think gonna ask him about nucala ...." + (show)
Profile picture for snoots @snoots

See my pulumnary in a couple weeks and i think gonna ask him about nucala . We tried it one time he asked me what i thought i told home i couldn’t tell a difference but they didn’t have anymore in that day so he went right for dupixent. Sometime i feel very exhausted from it for several days, and short of breath to. Like it take 3/4 days until out get better after the shot

Jump to this post

@snoots Nucala and Dupixent treat different types of issues from my understanding. This is what I was told Nucala treats:
An eosinophilic phenotype is a visible disease trait defined by high numbers of eosinophils, which are a type of white blood cell that causes swelling and tissue damage. It most often appears in severe respiratory conditions like Eosinophilic Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

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