Generic Name: abatacept (with maltose)
Brand Name: Orencia (with maltose) intravenous
Drug Reviews Drug and Medication User Reviews
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.
No one told me I needed two separate payment assistant cards (one for IV and one for self injections) so Orencia never paid Aetna Pharmacy for the copay portion. I have been dealing with thi bill for almost a year. I have only been given the run-around by staff of Orencia and Aetna Specialty Pharmacy. I tried Orencia through IV and self-injections in which both made my RA condition even worst. It's bad enough they are hounding me for the co-pay of $281 (I did pay the remaining balaance) but it's hard to pay for a drug that made my RA worst.
I tried Orencia for the first time last Friday via self-inject and I have not felt well since. The day after the injection I was bed-ridden for 2 days unable to get up and move around. When I did, I was out of breath. I could not concentrate and even today, 5 days letter, my brain feels fuzzy. This is my 4th biological drug. I am 35 years old, diagnosed with RA in 1994. Humira worked well for 6 years then stopped, Enbrel for a year and Remicade not at all. All of these drugs give me severe fatigue for days after use. Seeing as Orenica is weekly, I cannot afford to be bedridden for days at a time each week. My doctor says that she has never heard of such reactions, so now I have to start something new altogether. I'm so tired of physicians telling us all that "they have never heard of (insert symptom) that reaction in other patients"- yet here we all are discussing various symptoms such as weight gain, depression, fatigue. I'm frustrated and at my wits end. My disease is severe and active, I've been off work almost 2 years, had joint replacement on my right shoulder and I'm terrified on my future with this disease. Anyone else experience extreme fatigue for days after treatments with biologics? Thank you for your reviews and feedback, makes me feel like I'm not the only one. I hope all of us find relief in the coming days. Kristy
The only thing I can tell it may help sometime is the fatigue I feel. It hasn't slowed down my joint pain or swelling.
This medicine took my lungs. Very dangerious medicine. RA was bad enough but now I have no breath after walking a short distance. I can not lift things or exercise. Soon after it started, I told my doctor I could not bring my groceries inside to my kitchen without being short of breath. Finally he took me off and now I noticed a disclaimer about COPD on the side effects of the new packaging. Don't take this drug. My life will never by the same.