Effectiveness of Kevzara & its Dosage, Side Effects

Tear in the intestines or stomach can result due to usage of kevzara or sarilumab. The situation is likely when you have stomach ulcers, taking non-steroidal anti inflammation medicine, methotrexate, steroids and diverticulitis. You should contact the doctor immediately when you have frequent stomach pain and fever.

How Effective is Kevzara?

How Effective is Kevzara?

Kevzara also known as sarilumab counters the effects of body substance which causes inflammation. In adults, kevzara can effectively treat rheumatoid arthritis both severe and moderate.

There are various arthritis drugs which can be used in addition to kevzara or sarilumab. Kevzara or sarilumab is provided after undergoing several unsuccessful treatments.

Crucial Information

Regular blood examinations are crucial during and before kevzara or sarilumab treatment. The results of the tests should guide on whether to stop or delay the treatment.

Bear in mind that critical infections can occur during kevzara or sarilumab treatment. There are situation where you should stop the treatment immediately and contact your doctor. They include: bloody mucus cough, fever, tiredness, loss of weight, breath shortness, skin sores, painful stomach aches, painful urination, diarrhea and chills.

Things to Observe before Consuming Kevzara

Those with sarilumab allergies should not use kevzara or sarilumab.

Inform your doctor when you have been infected with tuberculosis or if any of your family member had tuberculosis. In addition, inform the physician when you have visited region with particular infections such as the Southwest, Mississippi river and Ohio River Valley.

Infection signs that you should look at for include: painful urination, loss of weight, skin sores, diarrhea, stomach pain, tiredness, cough, fever and chills.

In order to ensure that kevzara or sarilumab treatment is ideal for you, you should inform your physician about the following:

  • yeast, herpes or pneumonia infection
  • liver infection or hepatitis B
  • intestines or stomach ulcers, stomach pains and diverticulitis
  • diabetes
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Poor immunity system
  • Cancer
  • Vaccines that you have received or are scheduled to be given.

The risk of acquiring specific cancer types are increased when taking kevzara or sarilumab treatment. You should consult your physician about the risk.

Not much is known on whether kevzara or sarilumab treatment can have negative effects on the unborn. You should inform the physician if you are pregnant or intending to be pregnant.

You should be in the pregnancy registry when you are expectant. This will keep watch over the pregnancy outcome in addition to evaluating effects of the treatment on your baby.

Not much is known if kevzara or sarilumab gets access to breast milk and its effect on the breastfeeding baby. Inform your physician when breastfeeding.

Measures of Taking Kevzara

Kevzara or sarilumab is injected below the skin. You can be instructed on the usage process of the injection while at home. You should not administer kevzara or sarilumab injection when you are not aware of the usage process of the injection as well as how to dispose properly the syringes and needles.

Test may be carried out by a doctor to ensure that you do not have specific infections or tuberculosis before starting the Kevzara treatment.

The kevzara or sarilumab treatment is provided once after two weeks. Adhere to the instructions provided by your doctor.

Prefilled syringe should not be shaken. The kevzara or sarilumab dosage should be prepared when ready to inject. When the medicine has some particles or has changed color, it should not be used. In this case, you should contact your clinician to be provided with a new drug.

The prefilled syringe for kevzara or sarilumab treatment should be used once. Dispose it off after a single use even when there is some medicine available after injecting the required dose.

The syringe as well as the disposable needle should only be used once. When disposing the syringes and needles, you should adhere to the local or state laws. Disposal containers which are puncture proof should be used for disposal of sharps. Your pharmacist can guide on where to acquire one and how to dispose when filled up. The container should not be accessed by pets and children.

You should keep the prefilled syringes in their initial container and store them in a refrigerator. You should not freeze the medicine. Ensure that light and moisture do not get into contact with the medicine.

What is the Recommended Dosage of Kevzara?

Normal rheumatoid arthritis dosage for adults:

  • Subcutaneous two hundred milligrams dosage every two weeks
  • The kevzara or sarilumab can be used alone or in addition to traditional DMARDS or methotrexate
  • Patients should be tested for latent tuberculosis. When the patient is positive, they should first undergo TB treatment before proceeding to the therapy.
  • The kevzara or sarilumab should not be used with organic DMARDS. This is because they increase the infection risks as well as suppressing the immune system.
  • Simultaneous use of natural DMARDS like IL-1R antagonists, discriminatory co-stimulation modulators and TNF antagonists should be avoided.
  • Patients with infections should not use the treatment.
  • Adult patients suffering from severe to moderate rheumatoid arthritis that have insufficient response to more than one disease may consider DMARDs such as kevzara or sarilumab.

What are the Side Effects of Kevzara?

Kevzara or sarilumab treatment may have various allergic reaction signs which may require seeking immediate medical attention. The signs include: breathing problems, hives, feeling like passing out, chest pain; throat, lips, tongue and face swelling.

In the kevzara or sarilumab treatment, there are deadly and serious side effects that can occur. Severe side effects that you should look out for and contact your physician immediately include:

  • Sweating, chills, fever, body aches;
  • Bloody mucus cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Loss of weight, diarrhea, stomach pains
  • Skin soreness
  • Painful or burning sensation when urinating
  • Tiredness

In addition, you should contact your physician immediately when you identify perforation signs in your intestines or stomach:

  • Fever
  • Continuous stomach pain
  • Bowel habit changes

The side effects which are commonly associated with kevzara or sarilumab treatment include:

  • Sore throat, sinus pain, stuffy and runny nose
  • Abnormalities in the liver functions
  • Pain when urinating is also a side effect of kevzara or sarilumab
  • Reddening of the skin where you were injected.
Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:June 5, 2019

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