New to Otezla
Hi everyone, I’m looking for some guidance on otezla. I’m now on the full dose on the starter pack, but it is causing nausea and I’m horribly fatigued. The last two days I have been taking gravel to combat the nausea but it’s making me sleepy.. any advice on how to manage this as I’m waiting for my body to adjust? I’m new to psoriatic arthritis as well..
Hi
, thank you for reaching out to the community here. You're not alone in struggling with nausea and fatigue on Otezla. If you haven't done so already, you might be interested to browse the following forum discussion: https://psoriatic-arthritis.com/forums/otezla-1
I haven't taken Otezla but I have taken methotrexate, and I did experience some nausea at the start. I found ginger products helpful (ginger biscuits, alcohol-/sugar-free ginger beer, ginger tea). Another tip that I have seen among the community that I haven't tried myself yet is smelling alcohol swabs! Apparently this can really help with nausea. I hope others will stop by to share their experiences and suggestions with you. Hoping the nausea and fatigue will ease up for you as time goes on.
How are you coping with everything? A new diagnosis and starting a new medication can be a lot to take in. We're here anytime you need support. Hugs! -Catherine, Community ModeratorThank you Katherine, the alcohol swab idea is a new one for sure, I’ll see how that goes. The diagnosis was in February and I had mixed emotions. I was happy because I now had treatment options and I knew it was more than osteoarthritis which was what my previous rheumatologist was convinced it was. But, I was sad because it meant another fight against an autoimmune disease which I know takes time to get figured out. I have MS, but managed to stabilize it with mitaxantrone 17 years ago, a cocktail of medications to help keep symptoms at bay. So now I have another fight to take on. My hands and feet were crippling up so fast and I was in so much pain that I’m glad that I got a diagnosis that meant we could actually treat it. I’m confident we will get it slowed down at least, I just want Otezla to work and not make me sick.
I tried searching the forum but had no luck, thank you for sending the link!You're so welcome,
. Yes the alcohol swab thing was a bit of a surprise to me! Just from doing a bit of googling, it seems it's something that they try out in the ER when people come in and are feeling nauseous.
It's so common to have mixed emotions surrounding the diagnosis. I think a lot of us here can relate to that. How you're feeling is completely understandable, especially given everything you've been through with the MS. I'm sure having existing experience with an autoimmune disease gives you even more to process with when a new diagnosis comes along. I'm really glad that you have answers and can now work on finding some relief. Hopefully your PsA will respond well to the Otezla, and the side effects will calm down for you. Just from reading experiences among the community, a lot of people do say that their Otezla side effects settle within a few weeks.
Please keep us posted on how you're doing when you can. Wishing you the very best! 💖 -Catherine, Community Moderator
