So far, I am unaware of any side effects of Actemra. I've been having weekly injections of Actemra since around April 1, 2023, which is also the point at which I began tapering off the 60 mg/day of Prednisone I was prescribed. I am now down to 9 mg/day of Prednisone. If I can avoid relapse, I will be completely off Prednisone in mid-October 2023, but my rheumatologist says I will likely need to continue on Actemra for a year or two.

My symptoms from PMR and Giant Cell Arteritis are now virtually gone. This is quite dramatic since my symptoms were extraordinarily severe initially, with extremely high levels of inflammation (CRP measured at 347 mg/L), very severe 24/7 pain, nausea and significant weight loss, episodes of double vision, and some fever. (My PMR/GCA symptoms began on January 14, 2023.)

In terms of mask wearing, I mostly avoid large groups and being indoors in close proximity to other people, but in these situations I do wear a mask. I don't wear a mask at home, or outdoors unless I am in close contact with other people.