Sad

By Wpayne

1 min read

My second biologic has failed. It seems like I’m fighting a battle, and the deck seems to be stacked against me. I get up everyday with so much stiffness. Every morning I grab a cup of tea and get into the tub. It takes hours to be able just to function.

I do tai chi and work on keeping it positive, but it’s hard when you’re in pain. I’m looking for a better way of living with AS besides all the drugs.

I’ve been doing a lot of research and was wondering if it’s possible to go without drugs. I’ve tried a lot of natural remedies and nothing seemed to work. If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations please feel free to share them with me.

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Kathy.SmyserCommunity Admin
<inline-mention username="crbusman" user-id="2107228"/> Thank you for sharing your experience. Many of our community members also report needing to switch biologics for many different reasons, from allergic reactions to insurance concerns to better response. In so many cases,, like yours, it pays to keep lines of communication open with your rheumatologist, who can help make the necessary changes. Here's an article you might find interesting from one of our health leaders about the <a rel="noopener" href="https://axialspondyloarthritis.net/living/healthcare-system">ups and downs of navigating the healthcare system</a>. Warmly, Kathy (Team member)
crbusmanMember
<inline-mention username="Wpayne" user-id="8896986"/> I'm so glad -- knowing that one simple fact has greatly improved my well being, and it sounds like it might be a path that will help you, too. Keep us updated!!
WpayneMember
<inline-mention username="crbusman" user-id="2107228"/> thank you for that information I will look into that
Latoya.JunielCommunity Admin
<inline-mention username="crbusman" user-id="2107228"/> This is wonderful feedback and insight! Thank you so much for sharing your experience as it may be helpful to others in the community. It’s really interesting how much of this comes down to understanding what’s actually happening in the body, not just trying medication after medication and hoping something sticks. And having a doctor who can connect those dots can make a huge difference in how we approach treatment. -Latoya (Team Member)
crbusmanMember
I'm just now reading this, and I do have some insight. After being on Humira, Enbrel, Cosentyx, and Cimzia for my AS, I finally realized that the only one that I felt gave me any relief was the Cosentyx, and my insurance doesn't cover that. My new rheumatologist was able to explain why! Apparently, Cosentyx targets a different inflammatory pathway than the others did (ILK? or something like that?). Knowing that, he switched me to Bimzelx, which supposedly targets the same pathway, and guess what? It works much better, similar to how the Cosentyx worked! This was all a big learning experience for me, and since you've only tried two biologics, it would seem a good idea to discuss this with your rheumatologist (and maybe trying a med with a different pathway than the ones you've tried). Good luck to you, and hang in there!!