Kevzara
I am curious about other’s experience with KEVZARA. I am currently taking 11 mg of Prednisone, down from 60 mg in April 2024. I am continuing to experience pain and stiffness daily, especially in the late evening and the morning. I am also fatigued most days. I am on an anti-inflammatory diet, walk daily and do a little restorative yoga. My Rheumatologist suggests going back up to 12.5 mg but I do not think that will be helpful as it will only lengthen the time I am on a drug that appears to not be helpful. She has suggested KEVZARA and we are now waiting on approval from my insurance company. My questions are: should I wait a bit and stay at 11 mg to see if anything changes (I have been on this dose for 4 weeks) before I start KEVZARA? Is it too soon in my treatment to start a biologic? It seems as tho my autoimmune system is not responding to the Prednisone or maybe I need more patience? My doctor was vague on these questions. Thank you in advance, I really appreciate this forum!
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My rheumatologist feels exactly the same way. I have had PMR for 3 months and unable to taper to less than 20 mg per day without significant flares. Starting on Kevzara as soon as I get back to NJ from the Florida sun.
No problem with our insurance, which is an Aetna Advantage Medicare plan, but I believe it is very insurance dependent. Had an answer in just a few days.
I have had a similar experience with Kevzara. I felt almost normal in a few days. I was also able to taper prednisone from 13 mg to 5 mg in less than 6 weeks. However, after the latest reduction to 5 mg this week, I am having sweats, headaches, nausea and fatigue. Although I have only been on steroids a few months, I guess the discomfort may be caused by my adrenal system trying to wake up. My question: what did your taper schedule look like once you reached 5 mg. ? Did you have to alter it from your earlier schedule?
My rheumatologist said basically the same thing. I thought he had me confused for someone else when he said I was "too young" and "too healthy" to take prednisone for the rest of my life. I was 65 years old but I felt much older --- over 100. I took prednisone for 30 years already but daily for PMR for only 12 years. I didn't think the remaining years of my life would be very long.
Actemra gave me a new lease on life after I was finally able to taper off prednisone. My chronological age is how I currently feel. I'm 70 but getting to 90 seems feasible but 100 might be pushing it. I feel healthier as evidenced by 10 other medications in addition to Prednisone I have also stopped taking. Time will tell but I don't have the steroid burden or PMR anymore as long as I do a monthly Actemra infusion. The following study was funded by Genentech but other studies suggest the duration of PMR/GCA treated with Prednisone is much longer than 2 years.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7991019/
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"The higher-than-anticipated number of patients with continued disease and exposure to glucocorticoids at 2 years suggests a more chronic nature of GCA and PMR in this real-world study rather than the existing expectation that GCA and PMR often resolve within 2 years of therapy. These results highlight the need to consider a potential long-term disease course in patients with GCA and/or PMR and for the use of efficacious, glucocorticoid-sparing therapies in these patients.
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Now my rheumatologist says it is clear that my overall condition is much better on Actemra. The turnaround happened within a year of getting off Prednisone. I had forgotten what it was like to really feel good again and not needing Prednisone every day.
My doctor's office handles that. I don't know. I have traditional Medicare and a supplement.