Secukinumab for Psoriatic Arthritis User Reviews

• Joh...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 7, 2019

"I was diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis 11 years ago and have not been able to find anything to cut my pain and the debilitating effects of the disease. I have gone through assorted pain management programs, and they are either ineffective or my body rejects them to the point of hospitalization. Combining my disease with type 2 diabetes and massive amounts of neuropathy, I find myself in a tough situation physically and mentally. When I take my monthly Cosentyx shots, I get violently ill for a few days, and then my joint pain increases for a few days followed by intense itching and redness. It has cleared up 80% of my skin and maybe 10% of my joint pain, but it doesn't help enough. Thank you for allowing me to share and vent a little because it is a lonely battle. A tip of the cap and a hoist of the cup to the warriors who live it and the angels who support them."

• Car...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 1, 2024

"I’ve done the loading dose of Cosentyx and so far it’s been great. I do seem to get a mild, dull headache for a few days. The shot really doesn't hurt, no rash or burn after. I’ve been able to do so much more, my energy has increased, lost my urge for sugar (coincidence perhaps), my sores have minimized - scalp, hands, feet, arms. I’m going to continue and hope that now going into the mo dose I’ll have the same success. After reading reviews I was terrified to start this, but I’m glad I did. Someone else mentioned people usually only leave reviews when they aren't happy w the med so I’m hoping this feedback will give others hope. I’ll post another review after I’ve been on for a while."

• Bat...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 5, 2018

"I have had moderate to severe plaque psoriasis for 44 years. I'm 48, and Cosentyx has kicked my psoriasis to the curb. It took about 6 injections, and my skin looks absolutely normal with no side effects at all. Moving on to the psoriatic arthritis part of this drug, I have had no improvement. I'm so mad. I used to be a super fit person until this disease turned my 48-year-old body into a 90-year-old woman. I had high hopes for Cosentyx alleviating my psoriatic arthritis the way it did for my skin. Sadly, it hasn't touched my psoriatic arthritis... This pain is a monster!"

• Mid...
• December 15, 2020

"Was on methotrexate for ten years. Did well but thought it was causing some IBS-type symptoms. Derm PA put me on Humira. Did nothing and flared really bad waiting the six months before insurance would let me switch. Next was Cosentyx. Skin 100% clear in three weeks BUT---hives up and down my arms, back-to-back UTIs -five of them. I felt a little groggy and like I was wading through chest-high water all the time. THEN--major bloody diarrhea. Major. By the time I had a colonoscopy, I was a mess. Six weeks of nonstop bloody diarrhea. Diagnosed with Cosentyx-induced Ulcerative Colitis. Four months on prednisone trying to clear it up. Hoping it is not permanent. Gastroenterologist said he sees it from Cosentyx a lot. Now I have gained another fifteen pounds from the prednisone and back to being in terrible pain. Scalp starting to flare again. Cosentyx was NOT my miracle drug."

• Jea...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 19, 2021

"I have had 2 drugs for psoriatic arthritis. One was a pill and made me very ill with stomach problems. The other was Cosentyx. Unfortunately, it also did not work for me. I had diarrhea for 4 months. My hair started to fall out, and now I have half the hair that I had before. Soon to be bald. Do not take this drug. If anyone else has taken it and had hair loss, please let me know. Thank you."

• mad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 21, 2018

"To all you short timers. I too had some side effects and thought it did not help with my pain. I gave it 5 months, and now I feel much better, and I was almost disabled. Now I can do a lot more of the things I could not do just on anti-inflammatory meds. The side effects have gone away, so it is working for me."

• Hea...
• January 24, 2019

"Six weeks after I began Cosentyx, I was cleared of 70% psoriasis coverage, and P.A. and A.S. were serious. Out of nowhere, I had 10/10 pain in my abdomen. The ER thought it was colon cancer or a perforated colon, with a bad infection, and went for surgery immediately to see what was putting me in shock. I woke up with a colostomy bag. Thank God I was told two weeks later the colon had no malignancies. I stayed in the hospital a few weeks and pray I can have the ostomy reversed within a year-if at all. According to my rheumatologist, dermatologist, and family doctors' research, Cosentyx was the cause of the perforated intestine. I am a mum of three, my kids, husband, and I thought my psoriasis was disappearing! Maybe arthritis and A.S. soon also! Never did I think I'd be in this situation. Stay away from this poison, please. Psoriasis quickly returned. I don't want anyone else to drop off kids for school with a smile, hugs, and kisses, and then feel like you'll die from pain an hour later."

• Mad...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2019

"I have been on Cosentyx now for 2 months. Still no change in my psoriatic arthritis. I’ve begun to get weird issues like cramping in my legs, excessive joint pain, and this morning I had a vertigo attack! Wondering if anyone has experienced any of these side effects."

• son...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 20, 2019

"I used Humira in the past but developed pulmonary embolisms. Now I am on Cosentyx and have nothing but good things to say. My psoriasis is 95% cleared. My arthritis is 75% better. I was mostly affected in my right hip, knee, and ankle. It was terrible! Now I am good! It's been 4 months. I hope I am not jumping the gun!"

• Lja...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 20, 2020

"I’ve been on Cosentyx for about 8 months for PsA. About 4 months in, my right eye started twitching. My rheumatologist said it was due to me being overly tired or under a great deal of stress, neither of which I am. Has anyone else had a similar reaction? Overall, it has helped my PsA, but the twitching is very annoying!"

• Suz...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• March 29, 2020

"I have been on Cosentyx for over 6 years now after trying Enbrel, methotrexate, and a 3-year stint in a clinical trial. It has done wonders for me. My skin is 97% clear. I do have 3 tiny patches, but I am okay with that. I am not hiding and have more self-esteem. I sleep better at night, no more cracking skin and blood spots on my sheets or clothing. I have had PSA for almost 20 years. I know when I get sick (I had strep throat last year), my skin cracks up, so I try to keep healthy. Does anyone know if I can still use Cosentyx if I get pregnant? My joints are manageable now as well. I love this life-saving drug!!!"

• Cel...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• August 2, 2019

"Been on for over a year. Psoriasis is gone and arthritis for the most part lessened but for my hands. I need to treat them with pain-relieving roll-ons and lotions every day. I can live with that situation but am having real trouble with exhaustion as some days I cannot get out of my own way. It really affects my daily life as three to four days out of the week I am very limited in doing much at all."

• Kel...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 24, 2019

"I have had vertigo symptoms, extreme joint pain, fatigue, as a result of all medications that supposedly treat psoriatic arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis. So far, every medication I’ve tried has made me much worse. Humira attacked my heart and almost killed me. The steroids caused panic attacks, shortness of breath, and high blood pressure. That’s just to name a few! I think these medications are poison to anyone’s system. I have decided to avoid medications altogether. I still have pain, but at least I don’t have ten to twenty other awful side effects to go with it. Not to mention, none of the medications ever helped with my pain anyway. If anything, they only made my pain worse."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 15, 2017

"Experienced headaches, exhaustion, and UTI symptoms while on this drug. Also, several areas of psoriasis seem worse, redder, and painful. Did help slightly with accompanying joint pain but not enough to warrant tolerating the side effects."

• Jan...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 13, 2019

"Took the 4-week loading dose of Cosentyx, then took 2 months of 150 mg, then have taken two months at 300 mg. I have had zero improvement in my plaque psoriasis, and while I am able to function physically, I definitely am not pain-free like I was when on Enbrel. Switched from Enbrel to Cosentyx to try and combat the psoriasis. Have had diarrhea consistently ever since starting the drug. Will not be continuing Cosentyx, as it doesn't do its job."

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

"1,000 characters is not enough space to put down the information for these kinds of medications. I tried to summarize diagnoses: January 2018, Cosentyx: January 2019, current date: August 2019, disease: psoriatic arthritis. Side effects: next to none besides some mild diarrhea. Time to work: 24 hours. Full effect: month. I cannot walk without medication and am in horrendous pain all the time. With this, the pain is mostly gone with some bad flare-ups, but it keeps everything manageable and I no longer need a cane. It is expensive, and you will have to try NSAIDs and DMARDs before getting approval. They dealt with my insurance directly. It has worked great. I would say slightly less effective since I started, but going strong, and I will stay on it. Give it a try if you are able."

• las...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• July 5, 2017

"I am not sure yet if it is coincident or not, but shortly after starting Cosentyx, I experienced extreme pain while urinating to the point of even passing blood. I was taken off the medication for approximately 2 months for other medical issues, including UTI, and started seeing a slight improvement. (At this time, we didn't consider that this could be a side effect.) I was given the startup dose again because of the gap in treatment, and by the third shot (startup dose), I was experiencing extreme pain again. I have been taken off the medication again to see if the bladder pain will improve. Not thinking what I am experiencing is worth taking the medication. While on the medication, I do not feel there was any improvement in the arthritis pain."

• Dg6...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• December 30, 2016

"Was given my first two-shot booster and nothing happened at all. After 5 weeks with one shot a week, I have no improvement at all. Suddenly felt sick and sleepy all the time and got the worst vaginal yeast infection I have ever had along with urinary tract issues. Not going to continue this treatment. Just glad that my medical insurance didn't pay the 16 thousand dollars that big pharma mercy wanted for a three-month treatment!"

• Hub...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 6, 2019

"I've had psoriatic arthritis for over 55 years. Embrel was the new wonder drug, that is, until I started to suffer with scrotal abscesses. I stopped Embrel and hoped my body would stay clear of psoriasis. No such luck. Psoriasis came back with a vengeance. I'm now trying Cosentyx. 1st injection 21-05-19, the skin is starting to clear, but, and here is the but, I've got a sore throat, I'm wheezy, ache all over and feel tired all the time."

• Jim...
• February 14, 2018

"Cleared up my plaque psoriasis about 95% -- could tell a difference after the first or second dose. Psoriatic arthritis pain has been significantly improved. Still some pain in the fingers, but that's probably just osteoarthritis. TMJ (PA related perhaps?) pain and jaw clicking went away completely. No side effects noted after 6 months (knock on wood)."

• Fra...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 23, 2018

"I would give this medication a 1/10 for PsA and 7/10 for psoriasis. My psoriasis was and has been fairly mild for some time, but within 6 weeks of taking Cosentyx I was all clear pretty much. I took the 5-week loading dose and 4 consecutive months following that and was forced to stop due to switching insurances and trying to get re-approved. I did not experience any improvement in my PsA symptoms and, in fact, would say that my general joint ache, stiffness, and pain were worse. Besides seeing no improvement in my primary complaint, I have had 4-5 week-long sinus infections, a thrush infection, and several days in between with general stomach upset I hadn’t had prior to starting this medication. In switching insurances, they wanted me to try Enbrel first prior to reordering Cosentyx for some reason. I will try that as I am curious to see the difference in effectiveness as well as side effects. I’ll also be taking Enbrel through the winter, which will give me a better idea."

• Kim...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• April 6, 2018

"So far I have done the 4 loading doses and one monthly dose of the Cosentyx. My body is killing me. Elbows are on fire, fingers are sore and swollen, all of my muscles are killing me. I am trying to give this med 3 months to work as that's what it states, but I'm having a real tough time. I feel like a truck hit me, backed up, and ran me over again. I tried Humira before, but that did nothing for me. I was on Remicade infusion, and that actually seemed to be working. Then I had my 4th infusion and ended up with the worst sinus and double ear infections I have ever had in my 55 years! Not to mention that after each infusion I came down with a small cold for a few days. So my Dr. put me on Cosentyx. He wants me to take 6mp with it, but I refuse as this is such a major anti-rejection drug. He doesn't want me to take methotrexate with the Cosentyx for fear of another infection, but I would rather take that than the 6mp. Hoping for the best!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 28, 2019

"Easy to use without injection pain at all. Had two pens that only injected 1/2 meds (replaced free). Very supportive customer service. 5 loading doses and one monthly dose. Itchy, flaky scalp is 90% improved. Actually, joint pain is worse. Sleeping 12-14 hrs/day and horrible vertigo to passing out and falling on my face. Hoping for some joint pain relief soon."

• Sam...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• December 23, 2017

"Have been on Cosentyx monthly, along with methotrexate weekly, going on two years for psoriatic arthritis. After about a year, my finger joint pain, stiffness, and swelling seemed to lessen quite a bit to the point where I didn’t need to take an anti-inflammatory on a regular basis. A couple of months ago, I experienced a very bad flare-up, which seems to be getting worse. Also, a recent X-ray of my hands shows increased joint damage, which leaves me to wonder if the Cosentyx is actually working. My rheumatologist wants to double the Cosentyx dose to see if it makes a difference before she starts me on Humira. I’m wondering if Humira is consistently more effective for PSA than Cosentyx?"

• Sam...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 2, 2016

"I have been taking the med for two months, and I have as of yet had no recognizable side effects, and the med seems to exacerbate the reason I'm taking it for: the pain and psoriasis symptoms. So far, I can say OK."