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When your treatments for psoriatic arthritis (PsA) haven’t worked, your healthcare team may recommend a different kind of medication called biologics. These target specific proteins in your immune system to lower inflammation.
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It’s normal to have questions, worries, and concerns about trying a new medication, especially a drug that requires giving yourself injections at home. You should always talk to your doctor about your concerns, but hearing from others who’ve used the same medications can help, too. Here’s what members of MyPsoriasisTeam want others to know about using biologics to treat PsA.
Biologic drugs are usually injected. Although some biologics can be administered intravenously in a clinic setting, most options for PsA can be injected at home. This may be hard for people who have anxiety about needles.
It helps to understand how biologic injections work. Most of the time, the medication comes in a premeasured device, like a pen. You don’t have to do much to use it.
One MyPsoriasisTeam member described it like this: “The needles are totally contained. Twist the top off, flip a switch, and push a button. You don’t even feel it, literally. There’s usually no blood and, if any, just like a tiny little drop.”
“I, too, am not real fond of needles,” another member shared. “I chose to use the auto-injector needle instead of the syringe needle. Honestly, the first few times it did hurt. There was some burning, which is to be expected, but I have gotten to where I am used to it now.”
In the end, most people decide that facing anxiety over needles is easier than dealing with their symptoms. A member summed it up when they said, “I’m not a needle fan either, but I decided the shot and the commitment to it could NOT possibly be worse than all that I was experiencing.”
Some people may not be afraid of needles, but they have anxiety about doing the injection themselves. One MyPsoriasisTeam member shared that preparing themselves ahead of time made the injections easier: “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, but you have to mentally prepare before you have to start.”
It might help to remember how much you’ve been through and what you’ve already overcome. As one member told another, “You can do this. Just look at everything you have gotten through so far.”
Injecting yourself can get easier with practice. Another member explained, “It takes a few times to feel better about injecting.”
It also might help once you see the medication working. “Now that I can see it working … that’s what I have to think about,” one member wrote.
If you have significant pain with your shots, it can cause you to feel worried or nervous. “I also have anxiety leading up to taking the shot because of the pain,” one MyPsoriasisTeam member shared. “I am getting better at handling the pain tolerance, but I hate injection days.”
Some members have offered tips for dealing with pain related to the injections. “I typically put ice on the site for about five minutes,” one said.
How and where you give yourself the shots can help, too. “There is less pain in your tummy. Arms and legs HURT!” a member offered. “Pinch your tummy then inject. Hold the pinch while injecting,” another added.
If one medication causes you pain, another might not. A team member noted, “I was on one type of biologic injections for a while, had no problem with it. But the other biologic! … Soooooo painful!”
If the injection pain is too much, tell your doctor. They may have strategies for reducing pain, recommend a different injection method, or talk to you about treatment alternatives.
Different biologics can have different side effects. Learning which side effects are possible with a new medication can help you be prepared if they show up.
In general, MyPsoriasisTeam members suggest that side effects may go away once you’ve been on a biologic medication for a while. “It will settle down. I didn’t feel sick at all after the next injection,” one member shared while encouraging another.
“I had very minimal loose stools the first five days … nothing after that,” someone else said, discussing diarrhea as a side effect.
You might be able to manage side effects so you can stay on your medication. For instance, one person who deals with nausea after taking biologics noted, “I always take mine with a meal. It helps with the nausea.” You can talk to your healthcare provider and come up with a plan for dealing with any side effects you experience.
If your side effects don’t go away and interfere with your quality of life, you and your doctor may decide that you should go off your biologic therapy. “I’ve been on a biologic for four months and stopped taking it yesterday. I had diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting, and it increased my anxiety and depression.”
You have several options for treating PsA. Even if other medications haven’t worked, there are many biologic treatments for psoriasis and PsA. Together with your doctor, you can talk through them and choose the best one.
On MyPsoriasisTeam, people share their experiences with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, get advice, and find support from others who understand.
What advice would you give people who are starting to use a biologic to treat psoriatic arthritis? Let others know in the comments below.
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