What I Wish I Had Known Before Skipping My Biologic Medication
I currently use a biologic medication to treat my autoimmune disorders. I have been prescribed this treatment for over a year and, for the better part of eight months, my symptoms seemed to be under control. Then fall came along and with colder weather brought illness. A person prescribed a biologic medication is told to skip their next dose when they contract an infection of any kind. These classes of medication are types of immunosuppressants, meaning they slow or stop a person’s immune system, which would make healing a difficult task.
Early fall, my youngest daughter contracted an upper respiratory infection. Soon after, my youngest son and I found ourselves ill with respiratory infections. The kids were given a ten-day course of antibiotics. I was prescribed a steroid pack, ear drops, Flonase, and an inhaler- to be used 3 times a day. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say this respiratory infection was one of the worst cases I have ever had to fight. I thought the cough would never go away. A month went by before I was able to say I felt better, which meant that I had gone without my biologic for a month.
Restarting my medication was important but I wanted to keep with my previously scheduled routine so I had a week to wait for my next “starting” dose. I caved and injected myself a few days early because my joint pain was becoming intolerable. I am happy I decided against waiting because a few days after my early injection, my husband contracted Covid-19. I became ill a few days after his symptoms appeared and I was still sick for my next scheduled injection. SO…I missed another dose of my biologic because I had Covid. At this point, I was feeling rather rough. I received the monoclonal antibodies to help fight the Covid infection and the symptoms from Covid lessened within a few days, but I was left struggling with the flare-up from my autoimmune disease.
Directly after Covid, the moment I thought I was safe to inject my medication, I did so. I did not want to wait and risk another illness arising, causing me to miss any further doses. I didn’t care about keeping with the schedule, I just wanted the pain to go away. I had forgotten how terribly my hands and feet had ached before the biologic. Four doses in and I still feel terrible. My hands hurt, I am so tired all the time, and stepping out of bed each morning is a dreaded chore due to the pain my feet cause when walking. I keep thinking I’ll feel better any day now, but that day may never happen. What I didn’t know before holding back a few doses; there is a good chance my body won’t accept the medication this time around.
The doses I missed were enough for the medication to be completely out of my system. Now, I have a six-month wait to determine whether or not my current treatment will take or if I will need to explore new options. I spent years finding a medication that helps me feel better without causing negative reactions within my body. Had I known my current situation was a possibility, I would have made different decisions. I would not have held off on a dose simply to keep with a schedule. I would have taken that dose the moment I felt well enough, or maybe I would have never skipped a dose at all. Either way, I wish the doctors would not have pushed so hard for me to skip the medicine without telling me the repercussions of missing too many doses.
Until this fall, I was finally feeling better and I had forgotten how terrible my disease could be. For a bit, I couldn’t determine whether my aches were a lasting effect of having Covid or my arthritis spazzing out. Eventually, my feet began aching and were very stiff each morning so I recognized then that RA was the root of the pain. I expected a flare in my disease when I skipped a few doses but I never expected how hard I would be hit. I am miserable. The medication didn’t completely stop the pain but it had helped tremendously.
For now, I am back to square one, trying to survive the day in the least amount of pain possible and praying my disease settles down soon. I don’t know why the doctors pushed for me to skip the medication, without properly explaining all possible repercussions. Doctors have busy jobs, I get that, but they only have said jobs because of their patients. Maybe educating these patients should be a higher priority.
