Otezla User Reviews & Ratings (Page 5)

• Mol...
• December 1, 2015

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I was on the 28-day starter pack, made it to the regular dose of 30 mg 2x a day. Severe headaches like I have never experienced before, I have had migraines for over 40 years, these were worse. MD reduced the dose to 30 once a day. Still had some headaches, jaw pain, and nausea. The side effects have outweighed the good-no real improvement in hands-will stop taking Otezla. It also made me extremely moody and angry."

• DCH...
• April 13, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I've been using it for about 18 months. Had used ointments, creams, etc. They helped. This has me about 90% cleared 80% of the time, even in winter (when it's usually worse). No real side effects -- upset stomach the first few days, but that went away. Miracle drug so far for me."

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 30, 2016

For Plaque Psoriasis "Just one week in, and my scalp is almost 100% clear. My forehead is 100% clear. My stomach, sides, back, and legs have stopped producing scales and are starting to clear to a light pink, not red and angry anymore. The only side effect I am having thus far is the tension headaches, for which I started taking ibuprofen when I start feeling it come on. So far, I am very pleased with the medication."

• HRi...
• March 3, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I'm on Day 10 with this medication and am already seeing significant improvements in my psoriasis! My doctor told me it may take a month or more to see any change, so this is a pleasant surprise. I had read about the side effects and was expecting the first while to be rough, but man! I can't keep anything down, and the diarrhea is unreal! I've found aspirin helps the headaches, so those aren't so bad. I've lost 8 pounds since I started Otezla, which is a bonus, but I wouldn't say it's the best diet plan I've ever been on... I'm hoping the side effects subside as my body gets used to the medication, and I'm very hopeful to see more improvements in my psoriasis!"

• car...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 9, 2016

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I have tried other biologics and nothing worked. I started on the Otezla and immediately started to see a difference. I have Sjögren's syndrome secondary with dry mouth and dry eyes, and the Otezla stopped those symptoms and I was able to come off that medicine. My psoriasis is gone by 95 percent. I use a topical for the spot on my elbow. I occasionally have headaches and pain in my knuckles, but overall it is life-changing for me."

• MDS...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• February 4, 2016

For Plaque Psoriasis "I've been using Otezla for around three months now. I had some minor side effects of loose stool and headaches. They have subsided and don't affect me anymore. I'm probably 80% clear now. This time of year, I normally have a large increase in lesions. Not only have the lesions gone away, no new ones have formed. It will be nice to wear shorts and short-sleeve shirts again. For me, this med has worked great."

• NJS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 17, 2019

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I've been on Otezla 30 mg twice a day for one week, and so far, I've had no side effects at all. My joints are slightly better already. I'm staying positive that the side effects won't appear, and I see some gradual improvement in my plaque and arthritis."

• lin...
• January 2, 2016

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Couldn't go up 1 flight of stairs without my heart rate jumping to 140 and was very short of breath. I also experienced severe pain in hip joints 40% of the time. My body felt like it was dying. I was only on it 1 month."

• Tim...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 10, 2018

For Plaque Psoriasis "I took Otezla for two years, it did help to a degree, but I still had to use clobetasol cream along with it for a decent result. For the past year, I have had five sinus infections, which my doctor picked up on as being from Otezla. I found out chronic sinusitis is a common side effect of the drug. We decided it was not worth it, and I did have a bad flare when I stopped using it, and it took a month to get it under control. One thing I did not realize is how fatigue-inducing this drug is. After I stopped taking it, my energy levels came up over a few weeks, and I feel great now. My psoriasis is a little worse without the Otezla, but not too much."

• Jus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 7, 2015

For Psoriatic Arthritis "After about a month and a half, with both psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis, I don't think Otezla has helped either condition for me. Side effects have been minimal; very mild diarrhea and some limited loose stools. Joints seem the same to slightly worse, patches seem the same. After the fight I had to put up for insurance approval, the results are a huge disappointment thus far. Will continue to four months. This is my very first, non-topical, med."

• Cd4...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• August 13, 2019

For Plaque Psoriasis "I used Otezla for 7 months. For the first two months, all was great, my skin cleared up about 80% of my body, and my joints were feeling better. About the 3rd month, then I started to flare up, but in places I never had sores before. Every month it was getting worse. I stopped using it after the 7th month. It's been a month now off of Otezla and only on a new supplement. I am starting to clear up."

• Ken...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 11, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I'm 34. I've had psoriasis for about 10 years now. I have had enough. I started taking methotrexate for a month, along with some topical solutions for scalp and spots on my forehead. That worked great, but it wasn't something I wanted to be on long term. Otezla is the least harmful when it comes to side effects. It does not require routine lab/blood work. You're also not really supposed to drink alcohol when taking methotrexate. I love that Otezla does not lower your immune system and the ability to fight off infections. I've been taking Otezla now for 2-3 weeks, and my skin has remained clear other than a couple spots on my knees that are almost gone. No real side effects. I will continue to take Otezla."

• Sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 8, 2017

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I have been on Otezla for 2 months now and have experienced a remarkable clearing of my lesions. Both knees, which were 90% affected, have almost entirely cleared up. The face lesions have dried up and are almost unnoticeable now. The scalp, which was almost completely affected, has cleared up to the point that I'll soon be getting rid of the ever-present ball cap! (YES!!!) I feel that in one month, at my follow-up appointment with my dermatologist, I am going to kiss her smack dab on the lips! My wife has given me permission. Still haven't noticed a pronounced difference in my two thumbs, which have swollen at the joint over the last year or so. Hopefully, they will get better as well so I can get back to playing the guitar."

• dai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 18, 2015

For Plaque Psoriasis "I had plaque psoriasis on most of my body so bad that I could not sleep. I had the usual cracking, bleeding, etc., and had tried everything with the exception of the injectables. My health conditions would not allow me to take these. I started the Otezla, and within 3 weeks, I was completely clear. I did have pink patches where they were, but it seemed to be a miracle. Now I have been on it for approximately 3 months, and all of a sudden, I have tiny (very tiny) patches starting up again. Hopefully, this is only temporary. The side effects have not been bad. They were aggravating the first few weeks but have lessened to just more bowel movements. I love this medicine and hope that it will continue to keep me clear."

• Nik...
• June 6, 2016

For Plaque Psoriasis "I guess I am one of the lucky ones! I love this medication, and the people at Otezla have been completely supportive and generous with me. For the first time in years, I can wear whatever I want! I recently took my first hot tub in about 5 years. No redness. Otezla started to show some progress after 2 weeks and continued to improve over 3 months, at which point I still had a few rough patches, but no redness. My side effects are mild and as expected. No weight loss, but my skin is better than it has been in 8 years. My doctor had to apply twice to Blue Shield, followed by an appeal, to get me 4 months of coverage, and Otezla is paying the co-pay. This has been a dream come true for me."

• cde...
• July 23, 2017

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Since the first pill on Otezla, I started to get severe sinus headaches that could not be remedied by Tylenol or Advil. Nasal congestion began shortly after that, as did steady head pain. I am now 7 days on the pills and I am stopping due to these headaches, loose bowel movements, sinus congestion and pain, headaches, and most importantly, insomnia! I have been up 2 days straight and have stopped these pills last night. Since being on these pills, I have not slept more than 2 hours per night, if at all. My foot pain has been lessened, as well as the pain in my fingers, but the side effects are just not worth it. Still getting sharp pains in my toes and difficulty with hip joint and knees, which I did not have before starting Otezla. Not the drug for me!"

• Fio...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 12, 2016

For Psoriatic Arthritis "My dermatologist put me on this medication using starter packs while they worked with the insurance to approve it. I lost my appetite completely. I was exhausted, I almost lost my hearing, and I got a serious upper respiratory infection. I had constant diarrhea and nausea and practically no sleep. I had to quit when I got the respiratory infection as I could hardly breathe. Why on earth is more testing not done with these drugs? The pharmaceutical companies churn out arthritis medication one after the other, all of them with horrible side effects and outrageous pricing. How dare they try to charge almost $3000 a month for a drug with such poor results? Back to methotrexate and ibuprofen, at least I can afford them."

• Gli...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 21, 2016

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I've had psoriasis for 35 years and arthritis for perhaps 30. For about 9 years, I took Enbrel and methotrexate with very good results. Despite my long-term success with this combo, about 6 months ago, I decided to replace Enbrel with Otezla, primarily because I wanted to decrease my use of immunosuppressants and because of the cancer risks associated with Enbrel. For the first 2-3 weeks, I had the expected side effects, the worst being having to move my bowels 5-6 times a day. Also, some headaches. Now, six months in, I think I am ready to go back to Enbrel. My scalp psoriasis used to be almost non-existent but is now getting bad. Same for my elbows/forearms. I also have many aches and pains that I've never had before...."

• Pou...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 30, 2015

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I started taking this in August 2014. Initially, I did get the headaches and nausea. Once I got through the starter pack, it was starting to resolve. I have lost about 18 lbs, but that's a good thing. I'm not finding that it works really well for me - not like the injectables. I have large patches of psoriasis on my legs and arms, and a smaller one on my scalp. I'm using steroid ointment on these, but nothing is making them go away. I was still hurting pretty badly, even with the drug. My rheumatologist gave me something called Leflunomide 20 mg (Arava) to boost the Otezla. It seemed to work a little better for my joints after that. I am still on 5 mg oral prednisone and Diclofenac 2x a day for inflammation. I'm a pretty tough case."

• Huc...
• January 3, 2017

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I have been taking Otezla for about 8 weeks. I experienced nausea, frequent bowel movements, headaches, and a lack of appetite. Although the severity tapered off after a few weeks, they still continue. As I did more research into others who have taken it, I have experienced 2 trips to the ER due to inflammation in my feet, and I feel so fatigued and don't want to do anything...but I feel better if I move around a bit...but I get worn out pretty easy, and then my feet are killing me. I'd like to say I feel better than when I started...and in some ways, I do. I used to feel like my joints were fusing together, I couldn't walk up or down stairs, and I couldn't open a bottle of water. I feel a lot looser now and can do some things. I still hurt."

• ddp...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 12, 2016

For Plaque Psoriasis "I've been on Otezla for 10 months now, and I'm 95% clear. I had really bad psoriasis on both feet and some on my hands. Also lost some weight. Since taking this medication, my glucose has steadily gone up, so my PCP put me on metformin, which is not helping. Has anyone been diagnosed with diabetes after taking Otezla? Please let me know because the doctors say it's not related, but I have read a few users that this has happened to like me. Also, I'm having some back pains. Thanks."

• Geo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 15, 2019

For Plaque Psoriasis "I’ve been taking Otezla for two months. It started out okay, but now the side effects are starting - headaches, insomnia, agitation (including shaky hands), and extreme nausea. Not sure if this is related to the Otezla, but I have bronchitis, which is actually a side effect. My psoriasis hasn’t started to clear, so I’m going to stop. The side effects are too overwhelming."

• tjm...
• November 24, 2015

For Plaque Psoriasis "I've been on Otezla for 4 weeks now. I've had partial clearing on arms and chest. Still have plaques on my legs, but not as itchy as before. Scaling has been reduced. I do have 3-4 bowel movements a day, mainly in the morning and afternoon. Have not had nausea or headaches. No depression either. Some minor weight loss. I'm happy with the results so far and hoping that this is the answer. Been dealing with psoriasis for over 40 years now. Started on the scalp, but over the past couple of years, the legs have been the worst. Been using creams and UV light. The UV light did work at first, but then seemed to be ineffective. Never had the desire to use injections."

• Joj...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 21, 2019

For Plaque Psoriasis "It worked okay for the first six months. However, depression, worsened insomnia, eventually an extreme reaction of high heart rate and blood pressure, landing me in the emergency room. I would not recommend this drug to someone who already has insomnia or an already high or borderline high heart rate/blood pressure."

• Sud...
• November 16, 2019

For Plaque Psoriasis "I have severe plaque psoriasis. I have been taking this for now 6 months. The first 3 months it controlled, and most of my skin looks clear. But now it’s back to a severe situation. I am still taking it, but no result. It’s expensive, but no result is really a bad experience. I don’t smoke, drink, and even eat healthy food."