Ixekizumab and Pain: What Users Say

• Pai...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2019

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I have had this God-forsaken disease of Psoriatic Arthritis too long, like most of you. I am on shot 4 loading dose, and it has taken me from wanting to die to what I call now living in such an awful place. My swelling and pain in my head, neck, and shoulders is almost perfect. But then there is my right arm and shoulder. It seems like my tendons are spinning, and they tighten up so much it will burst my skin if I do not keep manipulating it around in circles. You can’t make this stuff up. When I walk, it tightens, and makes me feel as if I am slowing down, and it gets harder and harder until I have to literally spin around in place to relieve the tendon. I am at a loss. I was so hoping this would work, and it sort of did. My mind is burnt, and my will is broken. Prayers for all. Has anyone else ever had these symptoms?"

• Hgr...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 8, 2018

For Plaque Psoriasis "I’ve been using Taltz for a year now. I’ve suffered with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis for about 20 years. I’ve tried everything, and nothing seemed to work completely. Some meds worked okay on the plaques but didn’t touch the joint pain! When I started using Taltz, I noticed a difference in my skin in about 4 weeks. After 3 months, I was completely clear! I said completely clear! After having plaques for decades, you can imagine how ecstatic that made me. My joint pain has improved so much that I’m able to take dance lessons! Yes, the injection is the most painful medication I have ever taken, but the benefits are totally worth it. I can play with my kids and dance with my husband! I can wear a bathing suit on vacation or wear a skirt or short sleeves to the office! I wish the shot itself weren’t so painful, but for the first time in my life, I’m not a prisoner to my psoriasis and joint pain!"

• Meg...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 18, 2019

For Psoriasis "I started Taltz around 5 months ago. I previously have tried different tablets and injections, none of which really improved my psoriasis, and one of which lowered my immune system so low that I was admitted to the hospital for 5 days. So understandably, I was a bit hesitant, especially with such mixed reviews. And at the age of 26, I had little hope of anything ever improving my psoriasis. Taltz has been an absolute miracle for me, I had psoriasis on 80% of my body, and after just the 2nd injection, my psoriasis was completely gone. Granted, the injections are slightly painful, but I’d take 10 seconds of pain once a month over a lifetime of psoriasis any day."

• GBa...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• November 28, 2020

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Taltz injection has really worked for me. Started on Temfya, and it did not work for my joint pain. Taltz has cleared up my skin and 99% of joint pain. However, the injection has been painful, and I do get a site allergic reaction every time I take the shot for about a year now. Have been taking it on my stomach. Tried my thigh once, and it was very painful there, so I stopped."

• Mik...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 30, 2019

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I have palmoplantar pustular psoriasis, Hidradenitis Suppurativa, and psoriatic arthritis. I’ve been through Humira, Enbrel, Stelara, Cosentyx, and Otezla. I started with a new rheumatologist, and she prescribed Taltz. I’m on week 8 of the loading dose, and I hate this medicine. For one thing, it doesn’t help with my constant stiffness and pain from the arthritis, it hasn’t stopped my nails from pitting, and worst of all, I have constant severe breakouts of folliculitis. I’ve been taking doxycycline for over 30 days and still have pimples all over my body. The dermatologist suggested I stop with the Taltz. Additionally, it is unquestionably the most painful injection of all the biologics I’ve tried."

• Anonymous
• July 22, 2021

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I am 27 y/o and have had psoriatic arthritis for 11 years. I have taken Enbrel, Humira, Cosentyx, Methotrexate, and Xeljanz. This drug has cleared up my psoriasis and helped my arthritis tremendously. I still have slight joint pain (no psoriasis), but this helps me live and function almost normally! The only complaint I have is the amount of pain I have. I thought I was going crazy after speaking with my doctor, who told me that her patients don’t report pain with this medication, but it’s extremely painful. I have tried lidocaine, and it does help a little if anyone is experiencing the same thing I am. I have a horrible site reaction as well, the reaction goes away in less than 48 hours, though. It does work well, I am grateful to have it and hope it lasts. My last 3 medications have failed in less than 6 months. If you are feeling the same as I am, don’t worry! You are not the only one complaining about how bad the pain is! :( Hope everyone is recovering well!"

• Chr...
• July 27, 2020

For Psoriatic Arthritis "I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis (PA) 14 years ago. I have been on everything. My rheumatologist recommended Taltz. Just took my first shot yesterday. My leg is very sore and red. I have been getting weird nasal sensations as well. I think I'm done trying all medications. I plan on taking a food sensitivity test and looking into natural supplements."

• tal...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• September 9, 2018

For Plaque Psoriasis "It's been over a year on Taltz, and I am 100% clear. Miracle drug for me and improved my quality of life. Was in Hawaii last week and sunbathing, snorkeling, swimming like any other person without feeling ashamed. One last callout: I see a lot of negative reviews on Taltz due to the injection. I migrated from autoinjector (very painful) early on to a normal needle, and the latter has minimal pain."

• Anonymous
• August 24, 2018

For Plaque Psoriasis "I just started Taltz. My first two injections were two days ago. I’ve done auto-injectors before, but this one is so painful that I have to have someone else do it for me. Is it the injector itself or is it the medication? Am I doing the injections wrong? Idk."

• Bus...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• October 10, 2020

For Psoriasis "I have been on Taltz for a year now. It has helped me a lot. I’ve noticed that people have said that the injections are painful. When I first started, it says to inject in the leg, so I did, it was the worst pain from an injection I ever felt. But after that, I inject in the abdomen and it does not hardly hurt, and sometimes I have no injection pain. I do the abdomen always now."

• ATL...
• July 11, 2016

For Plaque Psoriasis "Taltz caused severe swelling the size of hockey pucks that lasted an entire week at injection sites for the initial two injections (mid-thigh). Thought it was just my body adjusting to the new medication, but upon week #2 injection, an even worse reaction! Same 'hockey puck' under my skin as week #1 and spread to an 8' hardened 'pancake' under the skin with redness, severe swelling, itching (for a week and counting). It is painful and radiating heat, an under-the-skin 'hive.' My doctor believes I may be reacting to a certain protein often used in injections. I was on Stelara = no improvement, tried Humira, and had some improvement but problems getting the product shipped at proper refrigerated temps and flimsy injections needing to be replaced."

• Jay...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 14, 2021

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Recently started Taltz a month ago after my Stelara stopped working after 10 years. The bit of psoriasis I had has cleared, and the psoriatic arthritis is slowly getting better. Terribly painful. Yes, the shots hurt, so I put ice in a zip lock on my leg 15 minutes before injection. Problem solved."

• Jam...
• February 6, 2019

For Plaque Psoriasis "After 3 weeks, my skin and nails cleared. The autoinjector did not hurt at all. The medicine is a bit more painful than vitamin B shots. Well, Taltz did nothing for the inverse psoriasis under breasts, groin creases, and buttocks. Even that was sort of okay with the other results. Unfortunately, at once a month, EVERYTHING went sideways. Arthritis pain. Huge sores opened up overnight. The inverse psoriasis worsened. I got psoriasis on my scalp, on and in my ears, at my tear ducts, on eyelids. I did not have psoriasis in these areas before. These sores itch worse than the plaque. They are not dry. They are sticky and weepy. I am getting pustules on my hands, wrists, and palms. Everywhere. The itching is truly horrendous and the pain of all of this new psoriasis is excruciating. My bones and joints are moving, and they hurt. I was amazed with Taltz. I do believe it needs much more testing and work on dosages."

• Cre...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 16, 2021

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Was on Otezla for four years along with Sulfazine. Otezla messes up your bowels so much that I lost a lot of weight. I went from 195 lbs to 159 lbs at my lightest, but then leveled off at 165 lbs. I stopped taking it 3 months ago and am already 175 lbs. I did not have a normal bowel movement while taking Otezla. I was switched over to Taltz, it seems to work okay for skin but not so sure about arthritis. With Otezla, it's a pill you take twice a day every day, so the efficacy stays constant. The biologic I notice by the end of the month I am getting breakthrough pain in joints. Lots of people complaining about the pain from injection. I never did another biologic, so I have nothing to compare, but it wasn't so bad. At least I got my colon back."

• Emi...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 19, 2019

For Plaque Psoriasis "Overall, I'm very pleased with how clear my skin is after taking only 4 injections. I had been taking Stelara, but it seemed to stop working after about a year. I found the auto injector very painful, but I was able to switch to the preloaded syringe, and it's a lot more comfortable."

• Nan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 9, 2018

For Plaque Psoriasis "Taltz works really well. But, oh my God, the pain during the injections is almost unbearable. I have to have someone give me my injection because I'm crying the whole time. I wish they could make it like it was with the Humira injection that didn't hurt at all."

• Tee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2020

For Ankylosing Spondylitis "I’m on Taltz about a month now. My insurance chose it for me (which shouldn’t be legal). The pain of the injection pen is silly high. Then you get lumps at the injection site. The joint pain has been much worse than the last medication. Really bad blurred vision. Neck, shoulder, and arm pain. I don’t recommend it, but I’m so glad it worked for a few on here. I haven’t had my liver checked, but I’m going to be careful with it. It’s hard to believe anyone would feel better on this."

• Tee...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 6, 2020

For Ankylosing Spondylitis "I’m on Taltz about a month now. My insurance chose it for me (which shouldn’t be legal). The pain of the injection pen is silly high. Then you get lumps at the injection site. The joint pain has been much worse than the last medication. Really bad blurred vision. Neck, shoulder, and arm pain. I don’t recommend it, but I’m so glad it worked for a few on here. I haven’t had my liver checked, but I’m going to be careful with it. It’s hard to believe anyone would feel better on this."

• mik...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 28, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I have had psoriasis for about 10 years, am in my late 20s. Trialed creams, phototherapy, soriatane, methotrexate with little success, had spots absolutely everywhere. I got approved for Taltz (in Ontario); my shots are 100% covered. I am a RN and have lots of experience giving injections, how to make it hurt as little as possible, etc. Now the shots did hurt quite a bit, but the pain was only a couple of minutes. It's now almost 2 weeks since my first shots, and my skin is a million times better. Skin discoloration remains, but the dryness/plaque has all gone, 0 itching. I can't wait. For anyone who has hesitated to start biologics, I can tell you the fear of side effects does not outweigh my long-time fear of having any area of my skin exposed."

• Exp...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 20, 2022

For Psoriatic Arthritis "Got diagnosed when I was 19. I have tried Humira, Enbrel, Stelara, and Taltz. Stelara was the least painful for me and worked best for my psoriasis but did not help my arthritis. Taltz is the only medication that has helped my arthritis. I do not like this shot, though. It hurts the worst going into the skin compared to the others I have tried. I also have a reaction every month, a giant red welt on the injection site that is hot and swollen for a week after the shot. I usually administer the shot in my thigh, so it also causes me to limp for a day or two. Wish I had another option to try that did not put me at risk for fertility issues, but apparently this is my last option for now."

• Kra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 9, 2022

For Ankylosing Spondylitis "Was recently on Taltz for 6 months. It has always been a hassle to order the next dose every month, so sadly in November of 2021 I could not return calls and skipped that dose. But then in December they started calling again, and always when I had zero time to go through the 15-20 minute rubbish in order to get my prescribed med. So now January, and I am starting to feel my AS symptoms coming on, but a million times worse than I have ever experienced. I have been on just about every other biologic. Never an issue once I stopped those. Is it possible that Taltz has a severe withdrawal problem? Has anyone else experienced this after stopping Taltz? My pain is so bad, and my nerves are irritated through the roof. I am short with people and can’t get good sleep."

• ski...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• November 13, 2018

For Plaque Psoriasis "Taltz has my plaque psoriasis almost cleared up, I had 80% psoriasis all over my body. Been using Otezla with minimal results. It's great feeling skin on my elbows and knees instead of armored skin cells. Only one complaint: the injections are too painful. I am seriously thinking of quitting Taltz, I hate that pain. I hate needles anyway, but these injectors are horrible."

• I...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 10, 2017

For Plaque Psoriasis "I've had severe psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis for over 35 years. I have been on everything to treat psoriasis and/or the rheumatoid. NOTHING really helped. Nothing ever cleared my skin. Started Taltz in January 2017, within a month, I had completely clear skin and had less pain and stiffness with the rheumatoid. In July 2017, I had a flare with the rheumatoid. The doctor took me off Taltz and put me on Actemra. It's been a disaster! Psoriasis is back! It's so bad that it's unbearable, and there's no improvement with the rheumatoid, it's getting worse! I saw my doctor last week and literally begged to go back on Taltz. The doctor agreed, I'm counting the days until I start Taltz again. I'll NEVER go off it again. I cannot wait to have clear skin again. Taltz is AWESOME!"

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 13, 2021

For Psoriatic Arthritis "The pain of the injection is beyond painful. I will not be taking this again. The only way would be if it came in a shot type. I have endured a lot of pain. Just got a new knee. I would rather have another knee surgery than to ever take this shot again. Also, I received this injection as a sample."

• WRA...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• October 24, 2021

For Psoriasis "I’m sixty-four and have been living with moderate to severe psoriasis since my late teens. I’ve tried it all: UVB, creams, ointments, etc., nothing got rid of my psoriasis. Major breakouts left me in pain, bleeding, peeling, and depression. When Enbrel came out, I thought it was a Godsend, it knocked it way down to maybe one percent of my body but never got rid of it until Taltz came along. I’m 100% clear now. I’m very happy with the results. Been using it three months now."