Seronegative RA & Skin Issues
Hello - I have been on Remicade and biosimilars over 20 years. Overall, I have done well on this treatment until the past year or so. In 2023 I was switched from Inflectra to Avsola, then this year I was switched from Avsola to Renflexis. During this time, I experienced some skin issues that after a year and going to two Dermatology Offices were diagnosed as Granuloma Annulare (it is a raised circular rash.)
Today, after yet another skin biopsy I was told that I have Interstitial Granulomatous Disease, which apparently is a rare condition. My Dermatologist explained that the condition is caused by my arthritis and the treatment is getting better control over my arthritis. The Dermatologist indicated that this was not a drug induced rash.
Has anyone else experienced similar skin issues? It has been frustrating!
Thanks,
Karen
Hi Lucy, I'm sorry to hear you're experiencing this. I'm not fully aware but I've posted this onto the community board for you in hope someone out there has information. Hope you find more answers and relief soon. Thank you for writing in. -Effie, team member - Thank you for your support! Are 20 years of stability the idea of switching medications is a little scary but it may also be helpful. I look forward to learning from the experiences of others in the life long journey of managing RA!
KarenHi Karen, you’re most welcome. That’s true and it can be, though sometimes we have to take those risks in order to feel even better. It’s one of the hardest parts living with this. -Effie, team member
Hi Karen (
). Know that you are not alone with skin issues related to RA and/or the treatments. I can't personally speak to your issue, but I did find this article which notes that interstitial granulomatous dermatitis can be caused by autoimmune conditions and drug induced eruptions: https://karger.com/drm/article/239/2/287/835459/Underlying-Systemic-Diseases-in-Interstitial. That said, the biopsy may very well have given the doctor information indicating it was not drug induced. A good dermatologist can be worth their weight in gold. Several years ago my wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here), developed a serious rash and infection. She was hospitalized and, while the infection was treated, no one could come up with a cause. Once she saw her dermatologist he literally diagnosed it in seconds (confirmed by a biopsy) as a rare form of psoriasis. I did see in looking up interstitial granulomatous dermatitis that steroids are a common treatment, so it does make sense that anti-inflammatories that control RA would help. Hoping you do get some relief soon. Best, Richard (Team Member) - Thanks for the link to the article. I have been reading various articles on this topic and they all seem too scientific! Wish there was more layman focused information 😀
KarenHi
. You are very welcome. I do understand what you are saying about the need for information geared towards the layperson. I'm probably a little guilty myself with what I share given that I come from more of a research background, although part of my job was making things accessible to the layperson. I do try to focus on the abstract and conclusion and offer some takeaway 😀. Best, Richard (Team Member)
