Thanks Jen75, and agreed, life tends to get busy between raising a family and managing a career. But we all have our stories, and I’m very glad I found this oasis of support for my condition.
1 Like
Day 3 on Otezla, and already feeling results. Soreness and stiffness in fingers and elbows has been significantly reduced. Hope it continues. Do have some slight nausea but very tolerable for now. More to follow…
_
2 Likes
Dear Marie, I just received my first packet of Otezla. I have not been on this site for a while. Trying to raise our adopted granddaughter has been hard although she is amazing. I feel bad because I’m in pain so much. I have multiple autoimmune diseases including psoriatic arthritis, move to Tennessee in this doctor, not a rheumy, Wanted me to start on Otezla. I am praying for the best. I cannot take Biologics including methotrexate because every one of them drops me to where I get every imaginable horrible infection and I have to go off of it within 2 to 3 weeks So I’ve kept my prednisone close by for the last three years for when the pain just gets absolutely unbearable. Did you find you had any side effects? Are you still on the Otezla? Thank you so much! Hoping you are continuing to feel so much better.
Orion, How are you doing now? Are you still taking the Otezla? I hope you are feeling so much better!
Orion hasn’t been in for some time.
You may want to do a search on otezla by using the magnifying glass on the top right and seeing what you find.
Actually, you can also just use this link https://discussion.livingwithpsoriaticarthritis.org/search?context=topic&context_id=4145&q=Otezla&skip_context=true
I did the search for it to get you started.
2 Likes
Thank you, Stoney!
How wonderful that you have had success on Otezla! It is amazing how things work on one person and not another. Unfortunately my Otezla experience didn’t go well. It was prescribed by my dermatologist for psoriasis (I also have full blown PsA which I didn’t know at the time) so she really didn’t know much about it. She gave me samples and I tried it and after a month my skin was better. However, my insurance wouldn’t cover it which made it impossible for me to continue. At the same time, it made me very sick and nauseous. She gave me more samples, telling me to only take one a day. Turns out it is a medication where it doesn’t work unless you take the full dosage. So I was always sick without improvement.
To be fair, I’m extremely sensitive to medication. Methotrexate also makes me horribly nauseous to the point that I can’t function. I switched to a mtx weekly injection.
Glad to know it works well for some people. To bad it’s such a trial and error process.
DBinHB, I just completed my first month on Otezla. Got it free by calling the one 800 number giving them my income etc. otherwise, I would never ever have been able to afford it since I am disabled and on Medicare. First week I got a little scared because I cried every day, had terrible sweating, dizziness, nausea and unending diarrhea :-). Second and third week diarrhea, dizziness and sweating continued, less depression and so on. I saw my doctor this week and she recommended possibly cutting down to one pill a day since I am also super sensitive to medication. Like you, I tried this and like you it did not work. By the time I would’ve taken the second pill I was so achy And had realized the medicine actually took care of all that pain (other than my spine) so I weighed the two… Otezla won out… started back on the two a day 30 mg and that pain subsided. You might consider doing the same since it seems a gradual decrease at least in my situation with the side effects and going to one 30 mg a day for a few days actually helped instead of diving right into the two a day I did initially. A Flare of my spine started yesterday, excruciating, which this medicine does not help. I keep prednisones for times like this as well as 600 mg ibuprofen. I have been taking the ibuprofen along with the Otezla with very little side effects. My doctor, family doctor also has psoriatic arthritis and is the one that recommended the Otezla Knowing I cannot take Biologics, methotrexate, etc. if you get the opportunity please note that the side effects did subside at least with me and if you can get the medicine free from the 800 number so you can take the recommended dosage each day, it may help. I just received my second order and it included three months worth of medication this time. Blessings to you, my friend.
Over a year and a half on Otezla.
It has literally changed my life. Zero side effects on me and 100% improvement/positive results. I wish this for everyone suffering from PsA. Cheers everyone, and hope the best for all.
University of Big Pine Key
“There’s nothing finer than a Big Piner”