Anyone been put on Kevzara to help with prednisone tapering?

I hope you get some responses because there are quite a few people on Kevzara. I think most people have good experiences with Kevzara and either taper off Prednisone or get to a lower dose of Prednisone faster than they would have without Kevzara.

I only have experience with Actemra (tociluzumab) which is another biologic and IL-6 inhibitor similar to Kevzara. Actemra was a game changer for me but people who have experience with Kevzara should chime in. I wish there was a way to compile everyone's experience with biologics compared to Prednisone. A recent study that attempted to compile social media posts suggested that people have generally more favorable experiences with biologics.

"The experiences people have with glucocorticoids were perceived more negatively than biologics."
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41488189/
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I remember when I was reluctant to try a biologic. My rheumatolgist made the following point which was hard to dispute -- "I wouldn't know if it works or not unless I tried it to see."

Yes, all good,on Kevzara. I too was reluctant to,start another drug. Wrong! The Rheumatologist neglected to,tell me it would help,me get OFF OF PREDNISONE!
Yes it did and have had no side effects.
Good,luck

I tapered off prednisone quickly while starting Kevzara at 5 mg prednisone. I did not experience PMR pain any time while on prednisone so I must have been on the correct dosage. I have not noticed any side effects of kevzara since using it. Started it in November of 2025.

Thank you for your reply, my Dr recommended it and I guess we will try it and see what happens, Tha ks

Thank you for your reply, It's good to hear other have had success with this. I guess I will give it a try and see what happens, thanks

Kevzara is a complete game changer, miracle drug for me.

I'll just chime in as another recent Kevzara convert. Been on it for approximately 2 months now -- this is my second debilitating flare of PMR over about 9 years, with this one hitting me hard last fall. It probably took me 5 years to work through the first flare up. Needed 20mg prednisone to get it under control this time. Now down to 5mg and still titrating quickly -- although will probably go a little slower than the doc is telling me for these last 5. (He says go down 2.5mg a week. I will probably half that for this last bit, even though I'm having no problems. Flare ups can mean months of set backs.)

By everything I've read, IL-6 inhibitors take time to build up and be fully effective. Like 3-6 months. That's one of the reasons I'm slowing my titration some. By the time I'm off prednisone (if all goes well), I'll have a little over 3 months of Kevzara in me.

I've had no side effects on the Kevzara and have been pushing my body fairly hard.

Your other concern should be cost and how long your insurance will pay for it. These shots can cost a couple thousand per dose. Insurance companies don't like that, compared to the few cents prednisone costs per dose. So make sure it's sustainable if you go down this road. I'm fortunate as a retired soldier -- the VA has been amazing to work with where I'm at. But I've read others who have had to quit Kevzara once insurance said it would stop paying. Then you're back to prednisone, which is nasty stuff to be on long term. I wouldn't want to be switching back and forth.

The thing I don't know is how long I will have to be on Kevzara or how titrating off that even works. Taking this one step at a time. My attitude toward all meds is get off them quickly.

I've taken a full-body approach this time. Learned a lot from my first go. Dietary controls (Input stringent limits on calorie intake), physical therapy, Chinese medicine (Tai Chi and acupuncture), chiropractor, daily exercise. Try everything you can. If nothing else, it helps you feel in control. The weight gain that can come with prednisone and the lack of movement is, I believe, extremely negative to overcoming PMR. So do whatever it takes to get out the door and keep moving.

Next step for me when ready to get off Kevzara might be to try a GLP-1. Early off-label use for inflammation such as PMR has shown promise.

Hope you find some of that helpful! Good luck.

r/ Barry

@barjohnson62
Hi. What do you mean early off label ?
Thanks
Ellen

Early, as in initial indications from early adopters for its use in controlling inflammation. Off label because it hasn't been approved by FDA specifically to use for inflammation, but some doctors are finding it effective and are prescribing it anyways. A pretty common practice, as I understand it.

NYT had a good article recently that touches on GLP-1 use for vascular inflammation diseases, including PMR, along with other maladies. It was called "The Great American GLP-1 Experiment." (This forum wouldn't let me attach a link.)

Yes. I have used Kevzara and find it very helpful with few if any side effects. I began at 40 mg of prednisone, a year ago, got stuck at 15mg for months, was put on Kevzara and now am at 2mg, tapering at the rate of 1mg a week on the advice of the board certified rheumatologist who prescribed the Kevzara. I too was reluctant to try it. I was wrong and I wish I had done it sooner.

I started Mounjaro/Zepbound--the weight loss drugs-- a week ago. To my great surprise, I feel significantly better. The rheumatologist said that M/Z are particularly known for their anti-inflammatory properties and whether that is the explanation my mental clarity is appreciably better, I have more energy and my body just "feels" better. No idea why. The weight loss is attractive as well but more importantly, I now feel for the first time in over a year I am beginning to heal.

M/Z can be prescribed for diabetes and for sleep apnea so if you have either of those conditions your insurance may cover them. It's the same chemical formula for either, just with different names.