I’d love to hear from our readers who have been on one biologic for over 3 years. It would allow those with PsA to accurately predict their future…HA! As if that would happen! Make our day, and respond! Thx
I was on Cosentyx for 5 years, it worked magically for me for 4 and half years. However there is no prediction that another PsA patient would react to Cosentyx, for example, as well I did.
I’m on a second biologic since then. Tremfya the first one didn’t work well enough at all and flared me at every dose which was once every 8 weeks. I stayed on it over 11 months to see if anything useful would happen. It didn’t but it kept my Crohn’s doing better for sure. It treats both. The next one is Skyrizi now once every 12 weeks. Started it in January and it’s done absolutely nothing positive yet. I’m in a perpetual flare presently for both PsA and Crohn’s and it’s supposed to treat both. Next dose isn’t until end of April.
Before Cosentyx I was on a biosimilar to Etanercerpt/Enbrel as my first biologic. Spent 11 months on it and it kind of worked from month 6 to 9 and then gave up. After that I was on a biosimilar to Adaluminab/Humira and that one really didn’t like me at all - the first and presently only biologic to give me horrific side effects so I was whipped off that after 8 weeks.
Thanks. You must have been disappointed when Cosentyx dropped you. When it quit working did it slowly fade out or was it a rather sudden drop?
My first biologic was enbrel and I was on it for 7 years I think. I had an okay response but never phenomenal
I’ve been on Adaluminab for 12 years starting with Humira and a couple of biosimilars since then. Things have been pretty good for a long time.
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Intially I got sudden flares of a body part very intensely and then it would go down within two or three days but at the end it did it very dramatically. In August 2024, it blew both my arms together so I couldn’t use either of them at all (that was so horrendous and frightened the life out of me) for several days until the steoids worked.
From memory other bits were also inflamed but I can only remember the arm horror. So rheumy and I decided to call it quits. I was just devasted. This med got me up my first ever mountain aged 59 and fat. I adored what it could do to increase my capacity.
So once those steroids prescribed stopped - I had quite a long wash out period as Cosentyx stays in your system for around 4 months min. Interestingly throughout that long washout period I felt better and better, it felt like a poison leaving my system. It truly felt like my body was so delighted to be rid of it. I found that very uncanny actually.
So I extended the washout period despite the next biologic being lined up until my body gave me back at least some PsA symptoms again, which it did by inflaming my SI joints again and having fun with my leg tendons - both are particular favourites of my PsA.
Then I felt brave enough actually to try the next one. Which sadly flared me badly after every dose which was a real pain in the backside as I described above.
Nice to hear from you @Sybil and “pretty good” is better than many!
The only biologic that worked for me was Remicaid infusion but I reached my level and it quit working after the second year. Since then I’ve been on just about every biologic and none has worked for me. I’ll just have to live with the pain.
Well that’s not the answer we look for but it is a reality check for all of us. Live to the hilt in the “Good days” and keep up hope for a better future. I suspect that the world of AI will speed up much science and new and better treatment for many things could be around the corner. Perhaps the best is yet to come!
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Have been on only one biologic so far, Cosentyx, not sure since when, perhaps 2020? Am also with Methotrexate , but in addition have also been on the carnivore diet for a few years now, and fasting when in pain. Seem to be moderately functioning overall, although recently, last couple years, fainting spells, who knows if from cervical issue as was diagnosed after one episode years ago. Also have Ankylosing Spondylitis. But my breathing seems more efficient without the need to use puffs now. That might be perhaps due to the fact have moved tò the seaside, less pollution. Wonder if my attempts at alternative measures are useful in the wider picture? Or if it Is the medications we use? All the best to you all,
Longest for me was my second round of cimzia. (several years apart). The first time I was only on it for 3 months or so? The second time it worked for a good two years. I’m now on Bimzelx (a second time after taking a wee break to try skyrizi bc I developed a chronic migraine and wasn’t sure of the cause). I’m hoping it lasts another year or more bc it has worked the best for me and I’ve officially been on everything but rinvoq.
Good to hear from you! How successful would you say Bimzelx is? 80%?
Honestly not sure how to quantify it. Maybe 70-75%? Though it’s the first biologic I’ve had actually seem to help my fatigue a bit. But I still can’t do standing chores for as long as I need to (SI and sacral joint involvement) and my knee is still constantly swollen. It’s just quite a bit more manageable.
Yes it is a bit hard to quantify a variable condition. And as PsA becomes our new normal…the memory of the real good days kind of fade. Taltz has been about 90% great on psoriasis but maybe 65-70 on fatigue and joint pain. I can push myself to be active, and I do, and feel pretty good while in motion and quite physical but pay for it later. Always delayed pain and stiffness often at night and quickly when I rest, sit, get horizontal etc. We press on, it could be worse!
I was on Humira for 16 years. For me it worked brilliantly, it gave me my life back. I was able to go back to work and be more active than otherwise, hugely important to me with a young family.
Unfortunately when I moved to Wales and transferred Rheumatology care 2 yrs ago it was suddenly stopped with no communication.
My subsequent complaints were stopped when a blood test showed I’d developed very high antibodies to Adalimumab.
I’m now waiting for a decision on next Biologic, expected to be Stelera. I’ve been off meds (bar a false start with Benepali) since August, so you can probably guess how I’m doing 
Thanks for your input @MommaBear It is very encouraging to hear of someone going 16 years! But sorry to hear about the trough you are now in…what are you using in the waiting time to help cope?
I started on Humria in 2014 and was on it for about 2 years before it stopped. Started on Embrel and gave it a year but it never really helped my PSA. The doctor put me on Cosentex and it worked great until October 2025. I got an allergic reaction but didn’t put it on Cosentex until November when I got the exact same reaction exactly 10 days after my injections. I looked back and noticed that my first reaction was 10 days from that injection. I loved Cosentex! It worked fantastic I was able to get moving in the morning and keep going all day long. I almost didn’t tell the doctor about the reaction because I knew he’d take me off it but I was also afraid of how bad the next reaction would be. They were getting worse so I said goodbye.
They tried Taltz but that didn’t work at all. Flares just kept going. Now they have me on SKYRIZI. So far it seems to have calmed down my flare but it’s only been 6 weeks. We’ll see if I can make it to June for my next injection.
Your love of Cosentyx follows mine. I’m now also on Skyrizi since January. Not sure about it yet but over the past two weeks I’m certainly feeling a little better at least.