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PMR - How will I know I am in remission?
Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR) | Last Active: May 12, 2023 | Replies (43)Comment receiving replies
You oviously had a doctor working in your behalf. We should all be so lucky. However, I can see now that, while actemra andles the IL6 that you produce, it doesn't encourage your body to make less. That may be your stumbling block to get off of it.
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Over time my rheumatologist hopes that my body will produce less IL-6. It was explained to me but I can't say I understood everything.
The explanation had something to do with immune memory. The thought was that my immune system was over reactive to something in the past which resulted in an autoimmune response. The autoimmune response persisted for a long time so now my immune system has a "memory" for attacking my own tissues.
An immune memory develops for foreign invaders and is useful for future attacks. In an autoimmune scenario, this immune memory is detrimental because my own tissues are always present and my immune system perceives them as a threat.
My rheumatologist doesn't think my immune system will forget about what it has been attacking anytime soon. However immunity to things does wane over time so maybe my immune system will eventually stop attacking me. It does provide me with some hope.