Has anyone ever been told how long? Know of any research that states the longest time? Thanks.
From my understanding of our disease, we should be on meds for the rest of our lives to decrease symptoms and damage.
Angela- I think you're wondering how long they will keep working? If that is the question, it varies from person to person. Some people will be able to use the same biologic for 10+ years with no loss of efficacy. Others might burn through them every year or two.
Maybe my Rheumy didn’t want to come out and tell me, but he never said life long. Me, being in denial thought it was a-ok to take the biologic until things blew over. He did say once that drug companies had not done sufficient research (nor will they because that would be $ out of their pockets) to conclude that PSA pts could take biologics for periods of time until a medical remission.
I just read a reply made by Tntlamb on Medical Remission post. I think that may help you.
Yeah, that was me! Lol.
I talked to mine a couple of weeks ago, and she was telling me about studies looking at people who had been on them for 8 and 15 years.
What you have to understand is that this isn't like taking antibiotics for a strep infection or chemo for cancer and making it go away. Think more along the lines of diabetes and insulin or hypertension and its drugs. Once you stop them, the problem comes roaring back.
“Until they come up with a better treatment or a cure.” Dr. B.L. November, 2012
There is an article out there by the hmmmm Oxford Journal I think it was that gives statistics on this very subject. I believe I had to pay a few bucks to read it, but it was not much. I bought and read this when I started Humira. I can't remember the exact stats but unfortunately the average time of efficiancy was not as long as I had hoped. For Humira I believe (I can remember exactly) responders reported satisfactory results for an average of 22 months. Enbrel was slightly less.
But of course, these are just averages. Everyone is different. Personally I know of two other people on Biological meds. My aunt took Remicade for RA and it worked for 3 years. I also have a co-worked who's been on Remicade since it's inception for IBD and he's still on it and doing well. In fact, he was actually one of the VERY first users. His condition was so bad he was near death when he started Remicade. Today he is a picture perfect image of good health.
Ive been on humira for 26 months. Unfortunatly it is failing me. see the rheum on Thursday on ward to remicade I think . Who knows what . Right now a kenolog shot is keeping me going : Gotta love steroids for a quick fix :