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@tsharkey01

Thanks 😊 I have taken 2 doses of kevzara now and seen no improvement so far. I actually had a flare at the beginning of the month when I was tapering my prednisone. I increased my prednisone back to 15. It’s all just a wait and see it seems.

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Replies to "Thanks 😊 I have taken 2 doses of kevzara now and seen no improvement so far...."

I only have my experience with Actemra but Kevzara should work roughly the same if it is going to work.

It might take 3 months for you to know if a biologic is working or not according to my rheumatologist. I tapered by 1 mg per month for the first 3 months after starting Actemra. I may have been too cautious but that was how I tapered at first. Nobody gave me instructions other than "try to taper off prednisone."

I started with Actemra injections every two weeks the first time I tapered off.

I expected another failed attempt to taper off during the first 3 months while I tapered by 1 mg per month. I was surprised that I didn't have to increase my prednisone dose.

I switched to a 1 mg per week taper mostly just to see if I could taper faster or not. I was still expecting to have a flare at any time. When I reached 3 mg of prednisone, I wasn't sure what to do so I asked my rheumatologist. I was told to stop my taper until I could be evaluated by an endocrinologist. I stayed on 3 mg of prednisone for a couple of months.

The endocrinologist was concerned about my low cortisol level but said she expected it to be low given I had taken prednisone for 12 years. She was optimistic that I had a measurable cortisol level even though it was low.

I stayed on 3 mg of prednisone until my endocrinologist said my cortisol level was "adequate" and that it "might be safe" to discontinue prednisone.

I went from 3 mg to zero in a couple weeks without any real tapering plan. It was more like "testing the water" before "taking a leap of faith." My endocrinologist reassured me that I could take prednisone again if I needed to.

I had a need to take prednisone again but only temporarily. The second time I tapered off was much easier. I went from 15 mg to zero in 3 months the second time after my Actemra injections were increased to weekly.

I have been off prednisone for nearly 4 years. My rheumatologist thinks I'm better off being on Actemra. I currently do a monthly infusion rather than the injections.