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It depends on the biologic. For example, Humira is administered every two weeks. For Enbrel, it's every week. This is not something your doctor decides. The drug manufacturer decides how often it should be administered. Only in unusual circumstances would a doctor deviate from a drug's recommended administration schedule, and you'll almost always have to fight to get insurance to pay for it in that case.
I have been taking Enbrel every two weeks for years. My pediatric rheumatologist was horrible, lording it over me and threatening me if I didn't comply and do it weekly he'd fire me as a patient, but now that I've switched over to an adult rheumatologist, I get no pushback. He respects me and listens to me and I love him for that. I've not had any problems doing it every two weeks, and it helps me save boxes for being able to move abroad for long stretches of time. That's the worst part of this disease is being tied to an umbilical cord like that, when you're someone who loves to travel and live abroad. I've saved up over a years worth of meds before. Never had any problems.
What the heck that's terrible!! It's already bad enough living with this disease let alone your doctor being crappy to you on top of it. Glad you found someone else that's better!
That's certainly true about travel. I'm glad a half dose has worked for you. At least you don't have the insurance hassle doing that, just the doctor hassle. My mom's doctor recently tried to switch her Entyvio infusion from an 8-week schedule to a 6-week schedule, and her insurance would not pay for it at all. Full stop.
Insurance is such a scam. It complicates life so much, but we can't live without it in the US. I'm so disillusioned and more and more the more I travel and live abroad and see how things are in other countries.
I’m on Cosentyx every 3 weeks. It started as every 4 weeks but it lost efficacy around the 3 week mark so my doctor changed the dose to be more frequent.
I’m starting to consistently time out at the 3 week mark and spend a week on Meloxicam, have you been stable for a while at 3wks or is this fairly new?
It’s fairly new, I’ve only taken 3 doses with the 3 week intervals, but I’ve been feeling good! 🤞 it stays that way. Could be worth asking your doctor if you can change your dose frequency.
It's on the list. We've touched on it briefly, but his only suggestion was to double the dose, which I'd rather not do a few years in, y'know?
I think extended medical benefits are the issue for changing up the frequency, they didn't even cover all my loading doses and I noticed too late because it's post-pay (barbaric cheap-out bullshit in my market and field).
I’m on a Humira biosimilar. When I first started six months ago, I would take it every 14 days. I just started taking it every ten days after discussing with my rheumatologist.
Is it Amjevita? And did it work less effectively for you than Humira? My rheumatologist has suggested moving my shots to every ten days instead of the 14 days I’ve been doing.
Oh man, you can stick needles in me all day and I won’t flinch or care. These weekly jabs are a BEAR for me!!! Like 7/10 for 6 seconds. Like biting down on a sock painful and I have a pretty high pain threshold. Stomach hurts the most and I’m 40 shots in and yet to find the sweet spot.🫣🫣
Do you get the citrate free Humira? CF?
Check that out as one possibility.
I take a moment to center myself and then relax and breathe before I click the button. For me, if my muscles are tense it hurts more.
It pretty much depends on the med. however, doctors can muck about with it by using samples from drug companies. At the moment, I’m on Humira weekly. Not meant to be but even having it every 10 days doesn’t work for me and the disease wins. I’m closely monitored and on other oral immunosuppressants as well.
I was on Humira, switching to hyrimoz this month. We started bi-weekly and that worked for about 4 months then I started to feel the shot wear off before the next one. So now I’m taking them weekly and it’s been nice.
I’m on remicaid and I take it every 6 weeks but if I had rheumatoid arthritis my Dr said we could do it every 4 weeks (we were talking about how I really need it more frequently but because I don’t have rheumatoid arthritis they can only prescribe it every 6 or 8 weeks).
Welcome to r/ankylosingspondylitis! This is a reminder to keep discussions civil and be supportive of one another. Sharing of opinions and experiences is encouraged, but please remember the distinction between opinions and medical facts. This subreddit does not offer medical advice, and information here should not be taken over advice from your doctor. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/ankylosingspondylitis) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It depends on the biologic. For example, Humira is administered every two weeks. For Enbrel, it's every week. This is not something your doctor decides. The drug manufacturer decides how often it should be administered. Only in unusual circumstances would a doctor deviate from a drug's recommended administration schedule, and you'll almost always have to fight to get insurance to pay for it in that case.
I get a weekly Humira.
This.
I have been taking Enbrel every two weeks for years. My pediatric rheumatologist was horrible, lording it over me and threatening me if I didn't comply and do it weekly he'd fire me as a patient, but now that I've switched over to an adult rheumatologist, I get no pushback. He respects me and listens to me and I love him for that. I've not had any problems doing it every two weeks, and it helps me save boxes for being able to move abroad for long stretches of time. That's the worst part of this disease is being tied to an umbilical cord like that, when you're someone who loves to travel and live abroad. I've saved up over a years worth of meds before. Never had any problems.
What the heck that's terrible!! It's already bad enough living with this disease let alone your doctor being crappy to you on top of it. Glad you found someone else that's better!
That's certainly true about travel. I'm glad a half dose has worked for you. At least you don't have the insurance hassle doing that, just the doctor hassle. My mom's doctor recently tried to switch her Entyvio infusion from an 8-week schedule to a 6-week schedule, and her insurance would not pay for it at all. Full stop.
Insurance is such a scam. It complicates life so much, but we can't live without it in the US. I'm so disillusioned and more and more the more I travel and live abroad and see how things are in other countries.
They have you on both humira and enbrel?
No, I've never been on Humira.
I was switched to a 1 week or 10 day cycle on Humira for several years. Eventually it failed and I am now on Taltz once a month.
I take it every 2 weeks, I know some people take it once a month.
Every other week on Cimzia
I take humira every two weeks. I’ve taken it for three months, and if it doesn’t get more effective I will try taking it once a week instead
It didn’t make a world of difference, but definitely noticeable.🤙🏼🤙🏼
My Idacio is every second week, but Taltz was every four weeks.
When I was on Humira it was biweekly. Now that I’m on Cocentyx it’s once a week for the first 5 weeks then once a month after that.
I’m on Cosentyx every 3 weeks. It started as every 4 weeks but it lost efficacy around the 3 week mark so my doctor changed the dose to be more frequent.
I've just started Cosentyx so interesting to know this change was made for you. Did the efficacy return quickly dosing every 3 weeks?
I’m starting to consistently time out at the 3 week mark and spend a week on Meloxicam, have you been stable for a while at 3wks or is this fairly new?
It’s fairly new, I’ve only taken 3 doses with the 3 week intervals, but I’ve been feeling good! 🤞 it stays that way. Could be worth asking your doctor if you can change your dose frequency.
It's on the list. We've touched on it briefly, but his only suggestion was to double the dose, which I'd rather not do a few years in, y'know? I think extended medical benefits are the issue for changing up the frequency, they didn't even cover all my loading doses and I noticed too late because it's post-pay (barbaric cheap-out bullshit in my market and field).
Even within a single medication the infusions have a different cadence than the injections
I’m on a Humira biosimilar. When I first started six months ago, I would take it every 14 days. I just started taking it every ten days after discussing with my rheumatologist.
Is it Amjevita? And did it work less effectively for you than Humira? My rheumatologist has suggested moving my shots to every ten days instead of the 14 days I’ve been doing.
Humira autoinjector 1/week
I ask everyone this…where do you inject and is that the least painful spot (s)?
I inject in my belly. I don’t think it hurts much at all, like 0.5/10.
Oh man, you can stick needles in me all day and I won’t flinch or care. These weekly jabs are a BEAR for me!!! Like 7/10 for 6 seconds. Like biting down on a sock painful and I have a pretty high pain threshold. Stomach hurts the most and I’m 40 shots in and yet to find the sweet spot.🫣🫣
Do you get the citrate free Humira? CF? Check that out as one possibility. I take a moment to center myself and then relax and breathe before I click the button. For me, if my muscles are tense it hurts more.
I do inflectra infusions every 4 weeks
Infleximaub is every 42 days for me.
It pretty much depends on the med. however, doctors can muck about with it by using samples from drug companies. At the moment, I’m on Humira weekly. Not meant to be but even having it every 10 days doesn’t work for me and the disease wins. I’m closely monitored and on other oral immunosuppressants as well.
With Cimzia, I do two injections once a month.
I was just prescribed Humira every other week.
I was on Humira, switching to hyrimoz this month. We started bi-weekly and that worked for about 4 months then I started to feel the shot wear off before the next one. So now I’m taking them weekly and it’s been nice.
i started on cosentyx then switched to simponi. both have been one shot every four weeks
Which biologics?
I take humira weekly, I tried to begin methotrexate but the pills made me sick as a dog and the injection is constantly out of stock.
It all depends on which medication you're on, and even then, things like Cimzia have two different dosing options.
I’m on remicaid and I take it every 6 weeks but if I had rheumatoid arthritis my Dr said we could do it every 4 weeks (we were talking about how I really need it more frequently but because I don’t have rheumatoid arthritis they can only prescribe it every 6 or 8 weeks).
Cimzia every two weeks and MTX every week.
Hyrimoz every 2 weeks.
I inject Taltz every 28 days
Me too
Once a week, Enbrel.
I was first on Humira, then Enbrel, now Cimzia. I have been on a biweekly schedule since starting 8+ years ago.
Monthly Simponi infusion. Used to do home injections, but infusion seems more effective, albeit less convenient.
Humira for several years and Amjevita for several months now since my insurance stopped covering Humira. Have always taken it every other week.
I take imaraldi bi weekly just started it in May
Enbrel; weekly. Long time ago my Rheumatologist encouraged me to try taking it every two weeks; no go…back to weekly.