Which Biologics have worked best for you?

I just wanted to let you know that for me, it took two decades and every medicine combination under the sun until we found the right meds to stop my disease progression and activity. Of course, by then, the damage was done but that's another story. He he. The point is I know it's a hassle and a pain and a long haul, but it takes so much time because still to this day, al we have is trial and error to find the right meds for our individual disease. For me it was an obscure biologic called Kineret, and interleukin-1 inhibitor, but there are so many to try - TNF blockers, JAK blockers, interleukin 1 and 6 blockers, and even more! Three months seems like a shorter time than they usually wait but if you are 100% sure it's not working, then try the next one! You know your body best! Let us know if there's anything we can do to help. Here's some info on biologics: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/biologics-treatment-options-for-ra Keep on keepin' on, DPM

Hi . Finding the right medication can be frustrating. Unfortunately, it is pretty much trial and error - what works for one may not for another. I want to share with you this article which describes the different type of biologics: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/treatment/biologics-treatment-options-for-ra. The most common are the anti-TNF (although I want to stress that absolutely does not mean they are the best or what would work for you). There is now a test to predict patient response to anti-TNF treatment called the PrismRA test (see: https://www.healio.com/news/rheumatology/20210114/precision-medicine-arrives-in-ra-biomarker-test-predicts-tnf-inhibitor-response). That said, precision medicine still has a ways to go reliably finding the best treatment for an individual.

I do want to stress that there is hope. My wife, Kelly Mack (a contributor here) was diagnosed at age two, 45 years ago - before modern treatments, with the damage to show for it. Five years ago she started at interleuken-6 inhibitor (Kevzara) that brought her inflammation numbers into the normal range for the first time. Another patient leader, Daniel, was, like Kelly, diagnosed as a child and not too many years ago started an interleuken-1 that has helped. Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later for you to find an effective treatment, but there are now quite a few options. Wishing you the best and please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing. Richard (Team Member)

Hi again . I was called away from my computer for a while after I opened this page and hadn't hit refresh, so I didn't see Daniel's post until after I wrote my earlier one. It is really interesting that we shared such similar information. It illustrates the often trial and error method of finding a treatment, but also that there is hope. Wishing you the best. Richard (Team Member)