I started taking the Rinvoq three weeks ago. And . . .
So far, so good! I've been off the prednisone for about five weeks, and this is the first time that I've been able to be off of that steroid for this long and not have gone backwards. Usually five weeks out from stopping prednisone I'm urgently going to the bathroom six to eight times a day, wearing diapers again, dealing with pain of various types and levels, having diarrhea bowel movements, and sometimes starting to bleed. This has happened even when on other medications (on top of taking mesalamine. I've never stopped taking mesalamine since I first started taking it mid-December, 2021.) None of this has happened on the Rinvoq.
It is bitter-sweet. Sweet, because we may have actually found a medication that works for me and is only one pill a day; bitter, because Rinvoq is one of the most expensive, if not the most expensive, colitis medication out there. And it is a brand new medication, which means it will be years before there is a hope of the price coming down.
Rinvoq is still a type of steroid, and it still suppresses a person's immune system, but my understanding is it's short-term side effects are not as bad as prednisone. Long-term side effects are unknown since this is such a new product.
Nevertheless . . . it is progress! Progress without prednisone. Whether this is a little step or a giant leap remains to be seen. But for now, it is worth celebrating!
Oh, I almost forgot! I'm no longer wearing a mask in public! Yes!!!
Next Update: April, Fault on Both Sides - And No Bananas!
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