Apremilast and Diarrhea: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Oli...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 8, 2022

For Plaque Psoriasis "I have had psoriasis for most of my adult life (60 years) in its various forms and severity, at times totally distracting, itchy/painful, and in remission other times, with never a hint of arthritis. I have tried everything, as you can imagine, without success, and it has never been in my family. Started Otezla 5 weeks back - within a week, plaques were shedding, and now it has largely disappeared! Absolutely no side effects whatsoever - my weight is stable, no nausea, diarrhea, or depression. I think it helped to approach the taking of Otezla with enthusiasm and faith in my body to accommodate its potential benefits."

• Top...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 4, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I have been taking Otezla for about 6 months, after about 6 years of Neotigason and various creams. The Neotigason can have side effects on the liver and requires constant monitoring via blood tests, with the result that I was often noncompliant with horrible flare-ups of my moderate to bad plaque psoriasis. Now with Otezla, the outcome is fantastic, 98 percent clear up, with just light pink marks on forearms left. Scalp and face totally clear, which is great. If I cut down on a dose, it comes back. Had the odd headache, loose stools, odd patch of insomnia. Can live with all of it. Biggest problem is the cost, extremely expensive, even after being subsidized here in Israel."

• Jmj...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 23, 2016

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Within weeks, my plaque psoriasis disappeared. Chronic diarrhea caused me to stop taking it. Psoriasis came back within weeks. Several months ago, I was in a motorcycle accident and sprained my wrist. Never got better, got worse. Diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis. Thinking of trying it again. Don't know if I can take living on the toilet. Hoping my body will get used to it, but not optimistic."

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• March 31, 2023

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I have been on Otezla for over 2 years, and it appeared to be working just fine. Great reduction in swelling and arthritis pain. Very little itching and skin flares. Six months ago, I started having stomach issues with severe cramping and constant diarrhea after a colonoscopy. Upper GI diverticula were found, and once inflamed, caused severe cramping and pain. That problem was solved with antibiotics. Two months more of cramping and an 8 lb weight loss was solved within a day by stopping Otezla. Never again. These are known side effects."

• Tra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 24, 2022

For Plaque Psoriasis "Otezla was very effective for me! After the first week of use, I noticed a tremendous improvement with my skin. BUT, LOL, it wasn't long before the diarrhea started and headaches. I didn't mind the diarrhea so much, as the headaches are what made me stop using Otezla. I would certainly recommend Otezla to anyone suffering from plaque psoriasis. Hopefully, your side effects will be more tolerable for you."

• Cou...
• September 3, 2018

For Plaque Psoriasis "I am day 5 into the starter pack, and I have to tap out. It gives me headaches. It causes nausea, and the second I eat something, it causes loose, somewhat urgent bowel movements. The worst part, though, is the acid reflux thing going on. I am burping often and cannot sleep due to the burn. It's so uncomfortable, and I have been popping Rolaids like Tic Tacs. My doctor thought it would help with my nail psoriasis since it is so difficult to get rid of. I did have pretty stubborn psoriasis on my elbows that has never gone away with anything, and it took about a month for my insurance to approve the Otezla, so in the meantime, he did give me Clobex spray to try, and it's the best thing I've ever used. My elbows were clear in two weeks, as well as the rest of my body, and I have not used it in a week since we started Otezla, and nothing has come back. I am going to ask for more of this and try to use it more aggressively on the nails."

• Bat...
• March 31, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I started Otezla in Nov 2016. I don't find it effective for my moderate to severe psoriasis at all, in fact, I'm having breakouts in places that never had them before, and to make my issues worse, I'm riddled with pain unlike anything I had ever felt in my 42 years of being a psoriasis sufferer. The worst pains happen when walking, and I can only pinpoint 2 possible reasons for the pain: Otezla or Synthroid, or a combo of both. I started Otezla and Synthroid roughly at the same time, but after reading many posts, the pain seems common with both meds. Personally, I could try and deal with pain if Otezla worked better, or at least not break me out in areas that never had them. I eat a little before and after taking the pill and have not suffered diarrhea or nausea at all."

• Bri...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• March 25, 2018

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I took this drug for 11 months and finally had to come off it. From February to May, I did notice an improvement with pain, but in June, my hands and feet had such nerve pain I could hardly walk and had trouble planting my little garden. I was told the nerve pain could not be from Otezla. From day one, I had 2 hours with diarrhea and was told that too would pass. It didn't. I stopped the drug in December before Christmas, and the nerve pain and diarrhea completely stopped. Mind you, I still have sore feet and hands but feel so comfortable. I had been on Methotrexate and Humira before this drug, and they too had massive problems. I have always had Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), but now my surgeon said it was undiagnosed diverticulitis that I had kept controlled by diet. These drugs made my bowel much worse, and now I need a section removed. How sad is that? Is there even a good drug out there?"

• KK2...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• May 20, 2016

For Plaque Psoriasis "I was on Enbrel for about 3 years. The only good thing was it cleared my psoriasis, which was horrible, especially on my scalp, but also on my elbows, waist, legs, etc. I started to have allergic reactions, and once at the end had anaphylaxis. Shortness of breath and other symptoms also encouraged me to try Otezla. I am sorry to report that my psoriasis immediately returned with a vengeance, my scalp is covered with tight, painful scales, it itches, burns, is embarrassing, and also is on my elbows and they crack, bleed, hurt. But, since I started Otezla, I have been on 4 rounds of antibiotics for URIs, sinus, pneumonia, had terrible diarrhea, swollen glands. I have to go to my dermatologist next week and am asking for Cosyntx."

• Hey...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• December 10, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "Have had psoriasis for 42 years, legs, arms, trunk. Afraid to take biologics because of side effects. Started Otezla and started clearing patches up on arms and trunk after 6 weeks, had light headaches and loose stools for a couple weeks but subsided. I've been on it for 15 months and it's not clearing up any more of my skin. It seems stalled after starting out so well. I thought it was finally the miracle for psoriasis, but it doesn't seem to be. The maker of Otezla actually pays for mine 100%, and I have insurance that would not cover it at first, but they will now."

• DrM...
• June 19, 2020

For Behcet's Disease "I started using Otezla twice. The first 30 days it seemed to help, but when I stopped, I immediately developed psoriasis. I don't think it caused psoriasis. The 2nd time I started it, I had the same diarrhea and nausea as the first time, only after the 3rd week, I started having frequent migraines and severe low back pain. My oral ulcers went away, but nothing else. My pain medication had already been slashed down, making me bedridden. I just couldn't handle any extra pain. I believe it helped the psoriasis and the ulcers. If I could have been given medication to control my pain instead of the abuse heaped on those of us suffering, it may have worked. It caused severe diarrhea, which made me incontinent, but the medication Lomotil was even stopped because of the insanity of the opioid hysteria, so I was left incontinent! One thing I know is that people should not have to suffer uncontrolled diarrhea and pain because of hysteria over others who abuse illegal drugs! I have started Humira."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 29, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I'm five days in and had to stop taking Otezla due to the horrible side effects from this drug. I'm having every side effect you could think of: nausea, diarrhea, headache, vomiting, pain in my upper stomach so bad it was unbearable, and chest pains. I haven't spoken to my rheumatologist yet, but I chose on my own to stop taking this drug. Nothing helped for pain, and I couldn't keep any food or liquids down. Joint pain, as well as back pain, started getting worse."

• KBo...
• January 16, 2018

For Plaque Psoriasis "I'm writing this review because I know how much I relied on them when I was trying to decide if I would start Otezla. I have only been on Otezla for 16 days. I am taking 30 mg 2x a day...seems like maybe I skipped the starter pack? Headaches and nausea the first 2 weeks. Aspirin helps. A little bit of loose stools and loss of appetite, but those have gone away by now. I have not experienced any depression. It does seem like my scalp is clearing up, but my shins/legs are my big problem area. So far, I haven't seen much improvement on them. I will report back in April unless something awesome happens before then. This lotion is great: First Aid Beauty: ULTRA REPAIR CREAM INTENSE HYDRATION."

• Jul...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 26, 2022

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Female, 54. Scalp psoriasis for 15 years. Psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis for 15 years. Giant cell arteritis, 2022. Mild atherosclerotic disease in main arteries for 4 years. Was put on Otezla 6 weeks ago. Had loose bowel movements for 4 weeks, settled now. No real other side effects. I don't drink, I don't smoke. I'm 3 stone overweight. Stopped eating processed food, fried food, crisps, chocolate, cake, fizzy pop. I feel Otezla is suiting me now, scalp calmed down, it used to bleed and was so scaly. Good luck to you all, it's not easy, is it? Just try small changes to enhance the drugs, not rely on them and carry in bad patterns. Personally, I quite like this earth we live on, so trying my hardest to stay on it."

• Bab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 25, 2016

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Started taking Otezla 12 days ago. I have experienced headache, nausea, fatigue, swollen and painful joints, upper right abdominal pain, swollen belly on the right side, feet pain, back pain, mild diarrhea, no ambition, hoarseness, light-colored stools. I still have to take indomethacin for joint inflammation and pain. I thought this drug would relieve my pain and prevent inflammation and further joint damage, instead, it has made it worse. I don't see the advantage of continuing to use it along with an anti-inflammatory drug. I might as well stick with indomethacin."

• pus...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 4, 2023

For Plaque Psoriasis "This product worked well for me. The type of psoriasis I have is very painful. With the starter pack, within the first 15 days, I was already getting a tremendous benefit. The worst side effects that I had were headache, diarrhea, and insomnia. For the record, the insomnia has stayed with me even after I have taken it for a while. It is a tremendous relief to not be in pain because my pustular psoriasis was on the bottom of my feet and the palms of my hands. Grateful."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 22, 2024

For Plaque Psoriasis "Have had scalp psoriasis since I was a kid. Thin, almost like dandruff, no blood or large build up. Tried shampoos, steroids etc. This medicine cleared my scalp completely in just a few weeks, it was amazing. However, it stopped working after about 1 year. I took 1 pill 2x a day. I would forget to take it sometimes so I’m not sure if that’s the reason it stopped working. The side effects go away (nausea, diarrhea). Don’t be nervous to take this, this is actually one of the safer ones with less side effects. My doctor said it helps inflammation. Now I’m going to have to screw up my immune system with an injection"

• Ano...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 24, 2021

For Plaque Psoriasis "Been on it for over 6 months now. Has horrible nausea and diarrhea from the start, with the symptoms still present but to a lesser extent now. My psoriasis really isn't getting better, and Betamethasone is the only one that seems to really work. Will probably have to find an alternative, but stuck through with it in hopes that it would work. Seems like a hit or miss for anyone who takes it."

• Ste...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 4, 2024

For Plaque Psoriasis "I started on Otezla about 2 months ago. It's done wonders for my psoriatic arthritis and my psoriasis. However, I'm considering stopping the medication. The diarrhea, headaches, and vomiting continue. The worst part is the fatigue. I have zero energy and no ambition. I've had psoriasis for 61 years, and topical meds no longer work."

• Jbu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 19, 2021

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I started taking Otezla last week. I have had severe diarrhea, vomiting, headache, and mild dizziness. My doctor told me to wait until all symptoms disappear, then start with one pill and see. I don’t know how I’m going to tolerate this drug."

• Spe...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 5, 2022

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I have been taking this medication for 10 weeks now. My psoriasis has progressively gotten worse. I'm about 90% covered. I'm miserable. The nausea, diarrhea, headaches, insomnia, fatigue, muscle cramps, stinging itching pain... Yeah, I need to get off of this medication. I've become agoraphobic, I don't want anyone to see me like this. I'm miserable."

• Mar...
• November 13, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I'm 62 years old with a complicated medical history. I have chronic pain (RSD), diabetes, and now plaque psoriasis (mainly scalp). I began with the Otezla starter pack, increasing the dose even slower than the pack. I've never had side effects, but Otezla changed that. I had headaches, loose stool, and stomach pains. My insurance denied paying, and at $3000 a month, I couldn't afford it. I stopped for two weeks and then got more samples. I used the starter pack dosing since I had already used Otezla. Big mistake. My stomach was on fire every time I ate. I stopped again for 2 weeks and restarted very slowly. Doing much better, and it's helping. However, if insurance doesn't cover it, I have to stop. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯"

• hoo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 10, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I am just about to hit my 16th week of Otezla (which they say is about as long as it takes to start working). I am not noticing a massive improvement-some spots in certain areas are down to just pink inflamed dots (legs and torso), while other areas actually seem to be worse (elbows, ears, scalp). I found the first week or two I had a lot of loose bowel movements, and my appetite was suppressed, but that quickly went away. I cannot comment on headaches as I live with a neurological disorder. I have a drug plan through work, and luckily this drug is covered, so I will continue this drug until Christmas and then go from there."

• mdg...
• October 9, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I have had psoriasis since I was six years old (I am 22 now). My worst area has always been my scalp and elbows, with it extending to my torso, back, and legs. Recently, I have been under stress and I'm overweight, so my psoriasis is the worst it has ever been. My dermatologist decided on Otezla. They warn you about the most common side effects: nausea and diarrhea. I experienced these symptoms within two days of starting the medication. I will say right away it started working, clearing my scalp first (which is the first area it tends to start working on). Now, I am somebody who struggles with having diarrhea and can't deal with it emotionally. I had to stop the drug after only three weeks, which sucked because it was working amazingly for me."

• che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I feel like the ground is moving under me. I have headaches and diarrhea. My hands hurt a lot, I wear white gloves to try to protect them. It would be better to learn what is causing it than to be medicated. I am not as happy as I was before this medicine. Why can they make this medicine, but not know what is wrong?"