Otezla for Psoriatic Arthritis User Reviews (Page 3)

• max...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2016

"I have now been on Otezla for the magic 4 months the company says it takes to improve. I am so much worse now. My arthritis is so bad I can hardly use my hands, they are so swollen and painful, most of my joints are swollen and painful, and my psoriasis has gotten worse. I wish I had stayed on Enbrel, and I will be going back on it as soon as possible. I did not have any adverse side effects, it just wasn't effective for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 14, 2018

"I’ve been on Otezla for almost 6 weeks for psoriatic arthritis. It improved my psoriasis almost immediately, but then the change slowed way down. No patches have totally cleared yet, though they do look better. No noticeable effect on pain yet. Unfortunately, the GI side effects seem to be getting worse instead of better, to the point where I don’t want to eat anything. I’m also consistently having headaches and increased fatigue. I’m going to try taking only one pill a day, but if that doesn’t get the side effects to a manageable level, I’ll have to stop."

• Sti...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• June 21, 2016

"I was prescribed Otezla for psoriatic arthritis in my knees and psoriasis on my knees and shins. After 6 months of regular usage, my knee pain has resolved, but my psoriasis remains entirely unaffected (I had way better visible skin results using Triamcinolone cream once a day at bedtime). But what I wanted to share is why I came off Otezla this month: I lost 23 pounds these last 3 months, developed a bowel problem where I had to rush to #2 after most meals, lost some appetite in general, and worst of all, I developed terrible anxiety and fears that I never experienced before. I also lost my sense of joy overall, even though I did not quite reach the lows of depression. I am on day #2 of no Otezla. I am starting to feel better already."

• joh...
• July 19, 2018

"I had very mild psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis and was put on Humira about 10 years ago. I thought I might have been in remission, so I stopped. After 18 months, I finally went back to the Dr., and she suggested Otezla. I started Otezla about 11 weeks ago. I only had mild stomach issues. I wanted to lose weight, so that side effect was welcome (lost 20 lb). I found my appetite was greatly reduced. Five weeks in, my joint pain was getting better, but I developed the worst upper respiratory problem that I ever had. I do not get sick typically - even while on Humira. It was really bad for about a week, but it is now five weeks into this upper respiratory issue and it continues to linger - I'm taking both Sudafed and Mucinex DM, so the symptoms are milder (a mild cough, ears plug up off and on). I have not read many people who had upper respiratory reactions. I still have about three weeks until I reach the full efficacy point, so I think I will stick it out for the time being."

• Nor...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2016

"My joint pain in hand and feet is all gone. The only side effect I have is a tension headache every evening about the same time. It's a good drug, I am pleased with it. Going to give it another month or two to see if the tension headache goes away, it's always on the right side of the back of the head. It helps to hear other people's side effects to see if any other people have the same effects."

• DaB...
• August 17, 2016

"This drug was wonderful for my pain and psoriasis, but caused horrible depression, so I wanted to tell people to watch for mood changes. I thought it was only me, but my rheumatologist told me this medication now has a black box warning for severe depression. Please be aware and watch for changes in personality. Sadly, I had to discontinue use."

• Zfg...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• December 24, 2015

"I started taking Otezla in January 2015 and stopped in August due to price. It definitely helped my psoriasis and also psoriatic arthritis, but not completely. There are many side effects that are not mentioned. I had a very bad backache, and also my Hb A1c went up to 6.2, though I am not diabetic, and I also lost weight on Otezla. After stopping Otezla, now A1c is 5.7, and backache is better too."

• act...
• July 7, 2017

"I am technically taking this for reactive arthritis that I have struggled with on and off for 15 years. Most recently on a 4-year stint, where I have been taking steroids. The idea was that this would allow me to get off of steroids. It took a few months to seem to help, but now (6 months) I have been weaning off the steroids. In the beginning, I experienced migraines, which I never had before, about 2 per week. Now about 1 per month. I also regularly experience diarrhea, not having to go more often but lose stool when I do. Annoying but tolerable. It also seems to work as an appetite suppressant, which is a positive side effect for me at 40 years old, lost about 8 lbs so far. So overall pretty good med now that migraines are less."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 12, 2019

"I took Otezla for 10 days, and I had to stop. At day 2, my neck was so sore I couldn't turn my head. Next came my arms, and then my whole body was so achy, it was affecting my quality of life. It was a tough decision to stop because I did lose a few pounds. I had constipation, so the stomach side effects did not bother me much. I also had really bad headaches, but that went away after 7 days."

• she...
• September 28, 2016

"It is hard for me to rate this. I have psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I have been taking Otezla for 9 months now. Within weeks, my severe psoriasis had cleared. However, my arthritis is worse. At first, it seemed to stop the swelling a little. I have to say it was about 5 months before all the swelling and severe pain came back. While the pain was never completely gone, it was never this bad, not even before Otezla. My muscles in the back of my legs hurt, and on the bottom of my right foot. I am having trouble walking. I also take hydrocodone for pain. I was taking the hydrocodone for two years and was hoping to get off with Otezla. Not going to happen. Has anybody had dental problems? I have had 3 teeth crack in the past 6 months."

• Jos...
• September 1, 2017

"I took Otezla twice, two years apart. My first experience helped my psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis within 3 months with minimal side effects. I had loose stool for a couple of days and a mild headache. Then I developed a very aggressive breast cancer and was advised to stop Otezla. I underwent chemotherapy, bilateral mastectomies, and reconstruction. One year later, I began taking Otezla again because my psoriasis and PA came back with a vengeance, as predicted. Four months into treatment, I developed breast cancer in my sternum. Once again, I quit the Otezla and have since undergone radiation treatment. I did not tick the boxes for a patient at high risk for breast cancer. I feel my cancer may well have been a direct result of Otezla."

• Gue...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2016

"Side effects are tremendous, severe headaches, diarrhea, and nearly living on the toilet, fever, and aches and pains all over. Been taking it for 3 weeks to see if I will ever get used to the side effects and they will subside, so far, no. Not sure how much longer I can last on Otezla. Was really hoping it would help..."

• Ren...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 24, 2016

"I took Otezla as an alternative to Enbrel for 6 weeks. The itching turned out to be the least of my worries. I developed migraine headaches, blurred vision, severe depression, and upset stomach. I stopped taking it when I couldn't even get out of bed and saw a psychiatrist. He told me to stop the medication immediately and gave me medication that would eventually counteract the side effects. This took approx 6 weeks. In the meantime, I went to see an eye doctor due to the clouds in my peripheral vision and blurriness. Turns out, although my last visit to him was in November (only five months earlier), my eyesight was completely different. I now need to wear reading glasses and a separate pair for watching TV, driving, and distance. If anyone has experience, please reply."

• Mea...
• August 13, 2016

"Been taking Otezla for 3 weeks. The first week, I had a mild but persistent headache, bad heartburn, and nausea, bloating, and muscle cramps in my legs. By the second week, the headache was gone and down to slight nausea for a few hours after taking a dose. PsA is much improved, lesions are slightly better. By the 3rd week, I am having very slight nausea, but the PsA is almost gone. My knees, back, hands, and feet feel almost normal. Lesions are still improving but very slowly. I'm still using steroid topicals and an occasional dose of Naproxen for joint pain."

• Sca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2024

"I have been on Otezla for 18 days for psoriatic arthritis (no rash). The morning dose is brutal, with horrific nausea and vomiting, diarrhea with fecal urgency, and a slight headache. After only 2 weeks, my joints feel better, and I am trying with all my might to tolerate this med. I thought it would ease up by now, but day 18 so far has been the worst. Overall, it is a great drug if the GI symptoms would let up."

• Nea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 15, 2017

"Was on Otezla for 4 months. Absolutely no improvement, and side effects were dreadful... splitting migraine headaches daily, chronic diarrhea, depression. I would never consider taking this medication again."

• Mid...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• January 17, 2018

"I have now been taking Otezla for 2 years. I have never had bad psoriasis, but psoriatic arthritis has affected me for about 5 years. It took me almost 9 months for my psoriatic arthritis to see any improvement. After 1 year of taking it, I thought it was a wonder drug. I have had constant stomach and headache issues that I was willing to accept. I figured it wasn't as bad as having PsA. About 6 months ago, it stopped working for me. I started experiencing pretty bad moods and felt like I was falling into depression. I have since moved on to a single dose at bedtime. I recently started using CBD oil, and it seems to be working pretty well. It worked for a while, but side effects were almost as bad as the condition."

• Sou...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 1, 2016

"I started this in March. By the end of August, this med stopped working. It did a pretty good job of clearing up the psoriasis, but my joint pain is through the roof. My hands are progressively getting worse. It doesn't touch my RA. Instead of taking me off of it, my rheumatologist added MTX, which I don't tolerate well. So I'm taking myself off. I got so bloated and gassy through the starter pack. I gained 20 lbs! Not sure if it's the med or my increase in pain has me sidelined. I currently have tons of congestion, which I have had for 3 months! Done with this stuff."

• Hod...
• December 18, 2017

"I was prescribed Otezla for psoriatic arthritis. I took it for about 18 weeks. My arthritis improved only minimally. I experienced the side effects of nausea, diarrhea, and headaches throughout the 18 weeks. I stopped the treatment since it wasn't really working for me. And that is where the real trouble began - I had only suffered mild psoriasis over the years. I have not had a significant outbreak in over 25 years. In very short order, after I stopped this medicine, my psoriasis returned with a vengeance! It's now almost 6 months since I've stopped taking this drug, and I'm STILL trying to get the psoriasis under control. I would NOT recommend anyone take this drug."

• CHA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 10, 2018

"From the start, I had joint pain. I needed a couple of Advil every day. The stiffness is slowly increasing also. It's been 5 months. We are now going to try something else. I go to the bathroom 3 times a day. My stomach is very upset after taking the pill for 3 hours. My stomach is getting worse. I have yogurt every day and avoid disruptive foods. My teeth hurt. At first, they woke me up during the night and I had to have Advil for the pain. Now it is mild a couple of times a week. My psoriasis has completely disappeared, that's the good."

• Yan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 1, 2017

"I took Otezla for about 5 months for psoriatic arthritis. I experienced headaches and upper respiratory infections almost the entire time. I saw little, if any, improvement to my arthritis pain and inflammation."

• Net...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2016

"I've been on Otezla for about 6 weeks. I don't know if I'm imagining it, but I feel worse than before I started on it. Lower backache, horrible pain in my head and face. Can't get a good night's sleep as my hips hurt. The headaches are the worst, trying to work with a daily headache. I don't have much psoriasis as it cleared up years ago, just some on my scalp now. The doctor says to give it at least 14 weeks to work. Don't know if I'll last that long with the pain in my head/face. I get the meds straight from the company, so don't know how much they actually cost."

• mel...
• August 15, 2015

"This was the hardest drug to get and be approved. I was doing the bridge pack and kept having to call the doctors to get them to keep trying with insurance. Then I had to keep calling Otezla to keep it coming to my house. I never felt fully better. Maybe just a tiny bit, but definitely not worth all the hassle. I ended up just quitting since I couldn't get it here on time, and it kept lapsing my treatment."

• Tru...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 19, 2021

"I have been on Otezla for 3 weeks for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. It started out okay, but then I became nauseous, couldn't eat, had diarrhea, but I was managing. Then my joints got worse and worse, I couldn't move. The final straw was I took an evening dose and severely began vomiting. I stopped taking it and called the doctor. I have been without it almost 48 hours, and while my stomach is still a little queasy, I'm not nearly as sore and don't feel miserable. 90% of my symptoms came on as a result of this medication, it might have helped a little with my plaque psoriasis, but not enough to keep feeling miserable. We are looking into a new treatment."

• Cin...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 17, 2021

"I started with the Otezla starter pack and then began the daily dose. I have to say, at first it did help with the psoriasis on my scalp. But I began to have vertigo and felt like I was in a fog. I am still working full-time and need to be alert. Also, not sure if this is the cause, but I am losing my hair. I stopped taking Otezla a week ago, and I am not as out of it, although my joint pain and stiffness is really bad, so I may need to look into another drug. If anyone else has experienced hair loss, please let me know, I am still trying to figure out why this is happening."