Actemra seems to be my magic biologic bullet. I have been on this particular biologic drug since January of 2014. I switched from weekly injections of 162 ml to the infusions three months ago.
Actemra knocked down my inflammation markers ( CRP and SED rate ) almost immediately. I did not have any apparent side effects when I was injecting weekly. The infusions do come with a day or two of down time due to fatigue. The day of the infusion, and sometimes the day after the infusion, I feel a little sick to my stomach. All in all, well worth it.
The reason I switched to infusions was because I was approved for Medicare in March of this year. None of the Plan D prescription drug plans available to me covered Actemra, except for one. That one had a copay of 1,000 a month. Medicare covers 80% of the cost of the infusion, and my supplemental insurance covers the rest. I was told each infusion cost around $5,000.
Actemra does have a foundation that can help those who cannot afford the medication. You must apply for the assistance every year, but it is a blessing to many. People who are single and on disability have a very tough time affording their medications. Their income is fixed. They cannot work, and no one else in the household is bringing in income.
My husband will be retiring soon, and he worries about us being able to afford my medications. I told him we will take one day at a time. He can still work a couple of days a week, but he doesn't have to work as hard as he is working now. I feel a bit guilty because I think he could have retired last year if I did not have RA.
I have two prescriptions that cost 350.00 a month. One is my Butrans pain patch, and the other is Advair for asthma. I am in the proverbial "donut hole". Until we have another $4900.00 in medication expenses, I will be paying half of the retail cost of my prescription medications. I wanted to see if I could get by using Advair only once a day. The script is to written for twice a day. My experiment failed. I must use Advair twice a day.
Without the Butrans pain patch and the Actemra infusions, I would be confined to bed. My quality of life would be minimal because the pain would be intense. I am thankful for these medications. I wonder what the future holds, and I think about all of the people with autoimmune disorders who need help paying for their medications.
For now, I will take one day at a time, and be thankful for each day. I will continue to follow my own advice............Do not let anyone or anything steal your joy.
No comments:
Post a Comment