Kevzara?

honeybeagle · ‎10-19-2011

My rheumatologist has prescribed this for me to try. Has anyone tried this new injection medication? I would love to know your experiance with it. Thank you!

on the bay · ‎03-09-2010

@honeybeagle,

I have not taken it but if you go to a site called-

askapatient,

there are no reviews-only "FDA "Adverse Events Reports Summary for Kevzara."

Listing from "pain" to "not effective," to "aggrevating condition" to "hospitalization" to "death" as "outcomes."

I hope your rheumatologist alerted you to the side effects from the drug's website itself or drugs.com and adverse reactions as reported to the FDA.

Drugs.com has "Important Warnings" for Kevzara. "This medicine can cause some serious health issues."

I know that doctors do not always take the time to inform their patients of all of this necessary information and leave it up to the patient to do their own research, or assume they will.

I would hope there would be a more promising and safer alternative. I don't know why doctors just prescribe things that they may not take themselves or haven't really investigated.

One of the best drs I've had told me he would not prescribe a new drug for a patient until it had been out for 5 years and not for his family until 10 years on the market.

As always drs and drug info says we need to weigh risks vs benefits.

I wish there were drugs that did not cause more harm than what they are supposed to help.

I hope you can find something that helps and doesn't have so many scary outcomes.

"If you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you'll learn things you never knew. Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains? can you paint with all the colors of the wind?"

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

The pharmacy should have given you a ton of information about this (assuming you already picked it up). If not, ask your doctor if he/she has paperwork or a link to reputable information about it.

We rescue cats · ‎01-25-2023

I just read thru the online info for Kevzara, looks to be par for the course with RA meds. Like most, if not all, RA meds it helps to supress the immune system, and it is probably pricey. My RA meds are nearly $7K a month but there are patient assistance programs out there if insurance does not cover it. I'm on Xeljanz-a pill-which I prefer over an injection or transfusion, after 30 years of this disease and I feel like a pin cushion.

Lynn-Critter Lover!
(especially cats!)

grandma2pkmh · ‎08-04-2013

@honeybeagle I had never heard of that particular RA medicine but after reading the possible side effects I woud NOT take it. I am currently on Humira but may change soon as I think it has stopped working for me. Maybe Enbrel.

catter70 · ‎10-11-2017

I don't take that type of medicine, but to me sometimes, it seems the side effects are enough not to take the meds. They are scarey.

juanitalinda · ‎03-11-2010

@honeybeagle

It looks like it was approved in 2017 and the label was printed in 2018. I don't know if that is reassuring at all.

I haven't tried it so I have no personal experience with it.

Good luck with whatever you choose. I'm guessing that this wouldn't be your first RA medication, so you probably can judge the risk/rewards ..... always tough!