Benlysta and Swelling: What Users Say

• Jal...
• January 25, 2014

For Lupus "I'm a 42-year-old African American who has been diagnosed with lupus for 16 years. I've been taking Benlysta for one year now and notice a big difference in my body. I have more energy. Before taking the medicine, I suffered greatly from fatigue. I feel little to no joint or muscular pain. Before the medicine, I suffered from severe inflammation and swelling in my joints and could hardly walk some days. I now jog on my treadmill, go to Zumba classes, and workout at Curves. The medicine has been a godsend for me, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to witness to this great invention. The only downfall is my insurance will only cover 80%, which leaves me a hefty $800.00 balance each month. I'm on disability and cannot afford this expense."

• Jal...
• January 25, 2014

For Lupus "I'm a 42-year-old African American who has been diagnosed with lupus for 16 years. I've been taking Benlysta for one year now and notice a big difference in my body. I have more energy. Before taking the medicine, I suffered greatly from fatigue. I feel little to no joint or muscular pain. Before the medicine, I suffered from severe inflammation and swelling in my joints and could hardly walk some days. I now jog on my treadmill, go to Zumba classes, and workout at Curves. The medicine has been a godsend for me, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to witness to this great invention. The only downfall is my insurance will only cover 80%, which leaves me a hefty $800.00 balance each month. I'm on disability and cannot afford this expense."

• Roc...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 9, 2022

For Lupus "I have been on Benlysta for only 6 weeks now, but can already notice a difference in my fatigue and joint pain! I have so much more energy and am no longer dying for a nap each afternoon or sleeping more than 8-9 hours a night. I can exercise again without my knees swelling or the joints in my feet aching for days afterward. I want to say that other people's reviews about the shot being painful scared me before I started, but I don't think it hurts at all! I leave it out for an hour and autoinject it into my stomach. Just a brief pinch! I was able to get the Benlysta copay grant program to cover up to $15,000 in deductible fees per year, which made it possible for me to go on this medication. I am not low income, but middle class with rubbish insurance. I would not have been able to justify/pay my $9,000 deductible with accruing debt. The program approved me within an hour of filling out a 15-minute online application. So, to anyone who thinks they can't afford it, look into that program!"

• GER...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2012

For Lupus "First infusion - experienced swelling everywhere (inside and out), two days after infusion. Day 1 had a migraine-like headache (light sensitivity), fatigue, some heart rhythm issue (temporary), and temporary voice changes. I was pre-dosed with Tylenol. Second infusion - pre-dosed with Benadryl and solumedrol, very slight swelling, headaches coming on now (I was told: Literature says these headaches will improve with subsequent infusions), less heart involvement, I tried to sleep through most of the infusion time (1 1/2 - 2 hours with prep). I was blessed to be accepted by the HealthWell Foundation where I applied for co-pay assistance."