Comparing Actemra vs Prednisone
Actemra Remove Actemra from your drug comparison | Prednisone Remove Prednisone from your drug comparison |
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Actemra tocilizumab Remove Actemra from your drug comparison | Prednisone Remove Prednisone from your drug comparison | ||||||||||||||||
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Prescribed for Giant Cell Arteritis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Cytokine Release Syndrome, Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. Actemra may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide. |
Prednisone effectively controls inflammation and an overactive immune system but may not be suitable for everybody. Long-term use is limited by potentially severe side effects such as adrenal... View more |
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Prescription only |
Prescription only |
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Ratings & ReviewsRecent helpful reviews |
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7.0
For Rheumatoid Arthritis: I have very active rheumatoid arthritis, I started Actemra in May 2010, it took 8 or 9 months for it to start working. March 2014, I had a low white blood count, called Neutropenia. Stopped Actemra for 3 months, now I'm on a 1/2 a dose. Tried many other meds over the years, but nothing worked like Actemra for me. I hope I can keep taking it. Time will tell. So many side effects to look out for. 55 year old female on Medicare. |
7.7
For Inflammatory Conditions: My mother has been on prednisone for almost four years for polumyalgia/rheumatica. We found out recently that the reason she was in such horrible back pain and could hardly walk was the extended use of prednisone. The MRI showed she had actual cracks in her spine. We are still in shock. This cannot be reversed. Even though people feel fine and really on top of the world the end result is devastating. So now we are dealing with even more pain not even associated with Polymyalgia. She will never recover from this. Everyone is different, but please look at the cons of the medicine before taking. Beware! For Inflammatory Conditions: I took prednisone 20mg for 3 years for Autoimmune Hepatitis and it definitely helped bring down my AST/ALT. I even saw regression of cirrhosis (by fibroscan). Side effects included increased appetite, weight gain (20lb max), moon face, hair started growing curly instead of straight, more severe infections (especially GI), and trouble regulating emotions. I didn't complain though, as I knew it was keeping me alive! |
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Drug Class |
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Side Effects |
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See the full Actemra side effects document. |
See the full prednisone side effects document. |
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Pricing and Coupons* Prices are without insurance |
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View all Actemra prices |
View all prednisone prices |
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Generic Availability |
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No |
Yes (this medicine) |
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Dosage Form(s) Available |
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Brand Names |
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N/A |
Rayos | ||||||||||||||||
Half LifeThe half-life of a drug is the time taken for the plasma concentration of a drug to reduce to half its original value. |
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210 hours |
36 hours |
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CSA Schedule**View glossary of terms. |
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Not a controlled drug
Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act. |
Not a controlled drug
Is not subject to the Controlled Substances Act. |
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Pregnancy Category |
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Category C
Risk cannot be ruled out
See the full Pregnancy Warnings document. |
Category C
Risk cannot be ruled out
Excluding First Trimester
Category D
Positive evidence of risk
First Trimester See the full Pregnancy Warnings document. |
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FDA Alerts |
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N/A |
N/A |
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Drug Interactions |
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A total of 263 drugs are known to interact with Actemra:
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A total of 495 drugs are known to interact with prednisone:
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Alcohol/Food/Lifestyle Interactions |
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No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider. |
No known alcohol/food interactions. This does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider. |
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Disease Interactions |
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First Approval Date |
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January 08, 2010 |
February 21, 1955 |
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WADA ClassView World Anti-Doping Agency classifications. |
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N/A |
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More Information |
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Consumer Resources |
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Professional Resources |
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Related Treatment Guide |
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** The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) schedule information displayed applies to substances regulated under federal law. There may be variations in CSA schedules between individual states.
Further information
Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.
For Rheumatoid Arthritis: I started Roactemra (tocilizumab brand in the UK) 4 months ago for RA, previously been on Humira and enbrel which did not work enough. I also tried metotextrate but can't seem to tolerate it, so then I got roactemra. Started to work after 3rd injection and has been working very well to control my RA. However I now experience a feeling of not getting enough air, get very fatigued and feel weak, also some dizziness and headache approx 2-3 days after injection. So IDK if I can keep on taking this drug. I'm not even sure if it is Roactemra causing this but it I might have to go off medication to find out, since I can't really function in my daily life - meaning I have no stiffness or joint pain, but can't breathe properly so I cant enjoy it.