Creams, pills, and biologics. OH MY!

[SnarkyTexan]

Hey y'all
It's been a couple years since I've posted anything in the forum. I've had so much going on, it's been crazy. I'd been thinking about this forum a lot in the last couple months and had been wanting to find support somewhere. Y'all were so supportive before and I know y'all are excellent folks. 

I had joined because I have had psoriasis since I was a teen. I'm 38 now. I've been on creams and done light therapy with short relief over the years. 

In 2019, when I joined, my Dr put me on methotrexate. It seemed to work. But the side effects were something else. Brain fog, fatigue, easily distracted. I honestly believe that it brought out adult ADHD that I didn't know I have. Well, the med capped off and stopped working this past April.

In April, my Dr prescribed Humira 40mg. It seemed to work at first. But in June, my psoriasis came back with a vengeance. It is worse than it has ever been. It's everywhere except my face and feet. It's even on the palms of my hands. It is debilitating and is killing my self-esteem. And my fatigue is worse than ever. I'm thankful my bf has been so very supportive or I'd feel worse. If that's even possible. 

So, my Dr has put me on Taltz 80mg. I am to begin the first double dose, week 0, tomorrow. I'm quite nervous. Humira didn't hurt at first but towards the end, the injects started to be a bit painful. I do not like to infect pain on myself. But, at this point, I don't care. I just want the itching, burning, and pain to end. 

Does anyone have any tips or thoughts on Taltz?

[Caroline]

Hi SnarkyTexan,

Can’t give you tips on Taltz, but the will come when the others wake up.

But in your story I see a classical development as many psoriasis sufferers are going through.

Creams - light therapy - it has been done by many of us, and if you have more than average psoriasis, it will fail in the end.

Then the MTX… just like Fred I feel this should be forbidden, it has a too severe impact on most of the psoriasis sufferers. I used that myself and after a few month I just refused to take it anymore. Still there is a group of patients that can deal with it.

Humira… for many it works for a while, after that for a very large group it will fail.
After Humira, which is a TNF blocker, you will get into the more detailed biologicals, the IL-23 and IL-17 blockers like Taltz.
And I must say, what I have heard from this group of medication is very positive. Most people do quite well and quite long on this type of medication, with only marginal side effects.

So if I were you I wouldn’t scared for this, but go in with an open mind and relax, it may very well be that this works for you!

Good luck !!
Caroline

[Turnedlight]

Hi! I didn’t have any luck with humira either, tried it twice but it just didn’t work. I also have had the same issue as you with things working for a bit but then they fail. I have had better luck with the latest one though, been on it nearly 2 years I think.
I tried Taltz but I don’t think I was on that one long.
Hopefully it will help you, it seems we just have to try things as some biological work great and some seem to do nothing.
Are you injecting yourself with a needle or a pen style auto injector? With the auto injector I get it out as long in advance as I can, and I only go for the stomach as it hurts in the thighs.
Fingers crossed for you, I’m sure you’ll find one soon.

[jiml]

Hey y'all
It's been a couple years since I've posted anything in the forum. I've had so much going on, it's been crazy. I'd been thinking about this forum a lot in the last couple months and had been wanting to find support somewhere. Y'all were so supportive before and I know y'all are excellent folks. 

I had joined because I have had psoriasis since I was a teen. I'm 38 now. I've been on creams and done light therapy with short relief over the years. 

In 2019, when I joined, my Dr put me on methotrexate. It seemed to work. But the side effects were something else. Brain fog, fatigue, easily distracted. I honestly believe that it brought out adult ADHD that I didn't know I have. Well, the med capped off and stopped working this past April.

In April, my Dr prescribed Humira 40mg. It seemed to work at first. But in June, my psoriasis came back with a vengeance. It is worse than it has ever been. It's everywhere except my face and feet. It's even on the palms of my hands. It is debilitating and is killing my self-esteem. And my fatigue is worse than ever. I'm thankful my bf has been so very supportive or I'd feel worse. If that's even possible. 

So, my Dr has put me on Taltz 80mg. I am to begin the first double dose, week 0, tomorrow. I'm quite nervous. Humira didn't hurt at first but towards the end, the injects started to be a bit painful. I do not like to infect pain on myself. But, at this point, I don't care. I just want the itching, burning, and pain to end. 

Does anyone have any tips or thoughts on Taltz?

hi snarky Texan and great to see you back, sadly because your treatments have failed and it seems as if it has revisited you with a vengeance. I don't have any experience with biologicals apart from what I read from our members here
Several of our members are on Taltz and have good results so hopefully it will give you some relief fast and allow you to get on with life. I will look forward to hearing how it works for you and hope it gives long term clearance
Jim

[Fred]

Hello SnarkyTexan good to see you back again and good to know you remembered we were here. 

I've not used Taltz but I'm on my 6th bio in around 12 years. Apart from Remicade they are all the same in the way you take them, so if you managed with Humira it shouldn't be any different . I've never had pain from the bio injections apart from once when they gave me the pen type by mistake, since then I always insist I get the prefilled syringe.

• Take it out of the fridge 1/2 hour before using.
  
• Swab the area with surgical alcohol and wave your hand close to it (that will make the area feel cool)
  
• Pinch an inch of skin between you thumb and forefinger
  
• Stab the syringe in quickly like a dart (the quicker you stab it in the less you feel it)
  
• Inject the product slowly whilst taking deep breaths
  

Once you are finished have a little treat ready, something like a sweet/candy and praise yourself for being brave.

Good luck I think you will find it better than Humira, and don't forget to report back.

*You may want to change the treatment in your profile. 

[KatT]

Hi SnarkyTexan

I'm on my 4th bio but never tried Taltz.

I use an auto injector as I hate needles and don't want to see it and like TL, prefer to inject in the stomach as it's less painful.

Hope it works for you 

[Kat]

I had the auto injector pen and not trying to put you off but it did sting a bit more for me than the other ones I had been on.

Definitely do the 20-30 minutes outside the fridge.

Good luck and hope it works for you!

[SnarkyTexan]

Hey y'all. I was happy to log in and see so much support! I am using the auto injector pens. 

So I did my first loading doses on Friday. I did it in 2 separate spots on my belly. I did one below my belly button line first. Then I had my bf do the one above my belly button line. The one below didn't really hurt. The one above, omg... It stung during the injection. Then 5 minutes after the injection it felt like someone was stabbing me in that exact spot with an ice pick. I nearly fell out of my chair. I told my bf he will be doing my future doses. I just can't stand inflicting that sort of pain on myself. Nope.

BUT! I am happy to say that I've had improvement already. Yesterday, all day, my plaques started scaling like mad. My bf and I exfoliated them as best we could and I applied a body butter to prevent drying out.

This morning I'm starting to look like a leopard, as the white new skin from the healed spots against my tanned skin gives me the appearance of a reversed leopard lol 

I'm so happy it has begun working so quickly. 

Only side effects so far was the pain during injection and the sudden pain afterwards, red and swelling like a welt at the injection site for about 36 hrs, and I had nausea this morning.

[jiml]

Great to read it's started working already. Hopefully it will give clearance quickly and the lighter skin will colour up again in the sun

Shame it hurt so much getting it in the stomach ...did you take the Taltz out if the fridge 30 minutes before injecting it

[Caroline]

Very good to read that it worked so quickly. That is really amazing !!