Since being on this medication I have had bronchitis twice, enlarged tonsils with snoring, facial nodules weekly post injection, UTI x2 and my back went out. I did not experience any hair loss or weight gain that I can attribute to this medication. My side effects was diarrhea day 1 after injection and fatigue.
I was diagnosed with RA when I was 28 yr old & prescribed aspirin & cortisone. I started Orencia IV infusions in 2005. It has been the best medicine. It stopped the joint degeneration. I have been in remission for 18 years. The cost has tripled in price since I've started it & may have to stop due to out-of-pocket expense becoming a burden.
This medication nearly resulted in the death of my spouse because of severe side effects. She experienced severe fatigue, fever, and diarrhea before going to the emergency room. She was admitted and after multiple days of testing and consultation with many doctors, it was determined that Orencia triggered pneumonia and nearly fatal intestinal infection. She spent more than one week in the hospital and is on a slow road to recovery with no understanding of long-term effects. Please be mindful as this occurred after her third injection.
Worked for a little while at first. After seven months. I feel it has failed me As a 6000 dollar price tag, it's not worth it. Need something ekse.
At first after the 2 months I felt great then the 3rd month pain returned and have been loosing alot of hair and am not sure if it will come back. Wish they manufacturer would explain this as a side affect and how to treat it.
I was diagnosed about 16 years ago and have tried at least 12 drugs. Nothing lasted very long until Orencia. I have been receiving infusion for about a year and I feel better than I have in years. This drug has helped me have a life again!
I have suffered with psoriatic arthritis for over 15 years bi used Enbrel until I got on Medicare then I could not afford that drug. I tried Remicaid for 10 months but was allergic to it bafter suffering for 3 years Orencia is working for me. I am so grateful. I am sorry for those still suffering. Try another infusion it may work.
I have had a great response to this medication, and the staff who administers it is so good. They explain everything, and I am looking forward to it's continued use, as it has had such a profound effect on me.
I think I've been on this for at least six months. Fuzzy thinking, tired, depressed, flu symptoms. Not sure it is helping. Will definitely ask for a new drug/new idea in December when I see my Rheumo Doc.
I had the worse experience with this Orencia medicine. I kept waiting for the six months that They said it takes to work. In the process, I got worse than ever . It not only didn't work but made me worse. I was so mad that I waited so long in vain. I will never try another medication that supposedly take that long to work.
I have been on Orencia (3 months) and Methotrexate (2 years). This past couple weeks I have felt horrible. Depressed, flu like symptoms, tired, sore throat and heavy breathing. I have been tring to figure out what is wrong. When I seen this page I felt better that I am not the only one. I am wondering how long this is going to last? Can't wait until Orencia is OUT of my systems!
Started 2 months ago. First time blood pressure dropped dangerously low, felt terrible. Helped my joint swelling somewhat. Second time again felt terrible, pain in lower back, legs, nausea, diatthea, headache, went back to doctor, who said he thought I had fibromyalgia. Waiting to get in to g.p. Don't think I wat to take it anymore
I've taken Orencia for about a year and a half.During this time, my hands and feet have continually worsened, and I also have hip pain, which I did n't have before. My back and knees remain about the same. I'm 57 and have had arthritis for about 20 years, so I'm not expecting miracles, but expected a better result, since I go to the gym 5 times a week to try to support my joints. I take plaquenil, methotrexate, prednisone,and meloxicam in addition to Orencia.
so far I still have pain
I received Orencia IV for seven months without any improvement in my RA symptoms.
I've been on Orencia for over a year now. It seemed to work well at first, but now the pain is getting worse and worse each day. This medication does not help with pain, unless combined with another medication (such as methotrexate) from what I've heard. The side effects of Orencia that I've noticed are: weight gain and trouble breathing (e.g., heavy breathing after walking up a few steps)...I am an active person. Please speak with your doctor to see what other drugs Orencia can be combined with to increase its effectiveness.
Took Orencia IV for a little over a year and it worked good. Was diagnosed with bladder cancer 2 months ago and am waiting results of the biopsy after my treatment.I am not saying the treatments caused it but I typed in Orencia and Bladder Cancer and there is a small percent of people that have got Bladder cancer after taking the Orencia treatments.Plan on returning to Humira which was a little less effective than Orencia.
Large joints are better. Hands, feet not so much. Have gained about a pound a month on this drug even as I watch my diet. A cost of over 48,000 dollars a year seems excessive for the results
I started weekly Orencia injections 3 months ago. After 6 weeks, I felt great with joint swelling and pain significantly reduced. Thought I may be going into remission. After 8 weeks of injections I experienced extreme fatigue which remains unabated. I sleep 8-9 hours every night and take 1 1/2 hour naps in the afternoons. My level of fatigue has worsened while taking Orencia but the joints feel good. Hoping to balance feeling decently energetic and relatively pain-free while on Orencia.
During treatment I started to feel very weak and fatigued. After 3rd infusion I developed serious side effects and had to stop. I developed a kidney infection, my immune system crashed and I became very ill with right flank pain. Waiting for Orencia to finally wash out of my system.