Weight Gain and Biologics: The Battle No One Talks About
Updated May 20, 2021
Several medications for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can lead to weight changes. Steroids is well-known for it, but if you mention Biologics and weight gain, many rheumatologists will tell you there isn’t a link. Many people in the community disagree, saying their lived experience says different and I’m one of them. I did some digging and eventually found some interesting facts about Biologics and weight gain, especially TNF-blockers.
I’ve known from the beginning that Biologics can affect your weight. When I was on Enbrel, I couldn’t keep weight on and looked anorexic despite eating like a horse. When I switched to Humira, I started gaining weight. I, who had never before spent much time past a size 6, became a 10. After years of being literally skin and bones, it suited me just fine.
And then the gaining continued, until finally settling around a weight that requires a 16-18 pant. Never having been this size, I feel it’s important to mention that I may be a bit less, but when you sit down all the time, the mid-region requires a little extra room (also: pandemic pounds). It was also scientifically kind of interesting, as I’d never eaten a more healthy diet, free of crap. So where was the weight coming from?
I figured it was a combination of medication, middle age, and menopause, each contributing to add some of the pudge. And then I discovered how big a role my biologic medication may be playing in the weight gain when I found a post by Australian physician Dr. Irwin Lim that shared a literature search that indicates that yes, they do. In fact, there are numerous journal articles about studies indicating that this weight gain happens.
TNF inhibitors, such as Enbrel, Humira, and Remicade, appear to cause weight gain and an increase in BMI. Moreover, they seem to specifically cause fat gain in your stomach.
No sh*t, says my size 16 pants holding in my pot belly (aka Lucy’s favourite pillow).
Dr. Lim points out that there doesn’t seem to be any studies on the role of diet and exercise in holding this weight gain. Purely anecdotally, I can tell him that my diet has been very much the same for over a decade and nonetheless, I’ve gained weight.
(In making this statement, I am not including the last year in which an alarming amount of delicious crap has entered my diet while I’ve been eating my feelings about the pandemic, causing some degree of subsequent addition of, well, addition. This is easily understandable, however, and when I stop eating all the crap, it will hopefully gradually go away again)
The medication-induced weight gain is extremely frustrating. In the beginning, I enjoyed feeling more substantial, but as I repeatedly had to buy new pants, I stopped finding it quite as amusing.
It is so aggravating to not lose weight despite eating a largely healthy diet. It is also extremely frustrating to, when you cut down on certain things within that diet, to not see your weight budge at all. And it is beyond frustrating when your disability and chronic pain levels prevent you from exercising.
Most of the time, I try not to care. But the odd time when I look at myself in the mirror on the way to the shower, or see a photo that especially shows my head to resemble a bowling ball, it is difficult to incorporate this body as being me.
And then I remind myself that my blood tests show I am healthier than I have ever been. And I also remind myself that the medication which has made me so pudgy is also holding my RA at bay, and enables me to live this life I love.
And in that context, who cares about the extra weight?
Tag: biologics, gaining weight, medications, rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatoid disease, TNF blockers, weight gain
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OMG!!!! My first year on Enbrel I gained around 15 pounds. I've since added more, also thinking it must be menopause because it's in my stomach and my rheumy denied it could be related to biologic. I've tried losing weight with diet and exercise, with awful results.
Maybe y’all are okay with a bigger clothing size, but fat around the middle is not healthy. It can contribute to diabetes or heart disease.
So you may be helping your Ra or whatever but you’re setting yourself up for another disease due to belly fat.
You’re absolutely right and keeping on top of this is even more important when you have RA and have an added risk for diabetes and heart disease. However, if the medication controls your RA inflammation, your risk will therefore also be lowered for diabetes and heart disease. Everyone with RA should make sure that they and their doctors stay on top of other risk factors, so continuing to be monitored is very important. But as long as the Biologics help you to be healthier — and therefore perhaps more active — overall, studies seem to indicate that they put you ahead of the risk factors, rather than add to them.
Hey, very nice site. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table, but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.
Wheelchair Lightweight
Keep Posting:)
Sheesh! If there weren't enough bad news about RA and the drug side effects. I figured my weight gain was due to the lack of activity caused by surgeries every year since I was diagnosed. But you're right. We need to keep things in perspective.
This came at the perfect time. I was diagnosed with RA last year and just started Humira a few months ago. Before my diagnosis, I had lost quite a bit of weight for me. I went down a clothing size at least. Since I've started Humira, I've put some of that weight back on and it came on suddenly. But just last week I started noticing I had belly flab, or more belly flab. I'm hardly the picture of physical fitness but this was new. So I decided I had to quit wallowing around and do more exercise. Hopefully that will keep the flab at bay. Humira has been good for me so far. If it comes with some additional pudge, I guess I'll deal with it.
I empathize completely as I am on my fourth biologic and the weight gain has been substantial. It is also in tandem with the Cymbalta I was prescribed for Fibro. So…dealing with A.S. and Fibro and weight gain have presented many challenges. And I too need to remind myself to be grateful for each and every day..it can be tough sometimes.
Thanks for expressing so eloquently what many of us feel!
I empathize completely as I am on my fourth biologic and the weight gain has been substantial. It is also in tandem with the Cymbalta I was prescribed for Fibro. So…dealing with A.S. and Fibro and weight gain have presented many challenges. And I too need to remind myself to be grateful for each and every day..it can be tough sometimes.
Thanks for expressing so eloquently what many of us feel!
Hi All! So happy to see that I am not the only post menopausal woman, with the dreaded pudge, who has noticed a significant weight gain with biologics. About 2 years ago, I was seeing a rheumatologist who prescribed Remicade for psoriacic arthritis. My psoriasis cleared up instantly! But, I immediately noticed a “blimping up” of my weight and blood pressure. And my fingernails were starting to peel off from the cuticle. The doctor told me it was “NOT A BIG DEAL”. And the nurse told me I needed to leave my house earlier, so,that the traffic didn't raise my blood pressure.. Really?! After noticing even more horrible side effects, I left that doctor because he was not listening to me. I was in more pain than before the Remicade. The new doctor put me on Enbrel. It's working for the psoriasis, but I am continuing to gain weight. I have cut down on my food intake (I'm a total sweet tooth) and have started exercising more. I feel better because the medication is taking care of the aches and pains, and my psoriasis is going away, though slowly. I guess it's going up that next size, until I can get this under control. Thank you all for sharing your stories. It is so nice to know that there are people out there like me.
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I have had moderate-severe plaque psoriasis for the past 29 years. I am currently 47 and my skin is probably 97% better since using first enbrel and then humira for the past 10 years. I have now decided to stop the biologics because I believe that it has caused significant weight gain especially in my stomach. I also believe it has caused my IBS as well. The weight gain was slow and I was always blaming myself, stress or hormonal imbalances. I would ask my dermatologist if the injections caused weight gain and he would just respond with, “no”. I just went to a new dermitologist and she told me not to inject in my stomach that it could cause digestive issues. I already have digestive issues and I believe it could be from enbrel and humira. I told the new dermitologist that I wanted to try creams, lotions a sprays again to see what happens with my skin, weight gain and digestive issues. Can anyone relate to this?
I have RA and was put on Humira in 2013 @8.5 stone(grew up with lbs & stones)Began gaining weight gradually and was told it was NOT the biologics.Humira was wonderful for about 9 months, was then switched to Enbrel.which has continued to work along with the weight gain!!!!I am now 2 stone heavier all hanging around my middle = 3 sizes larger for clothes.
I find it totally horrible having all this flab + having very little $ to buy clothes that fit
RA is depressing enough to live with without turning into a blimp AND having this side effect denied by rheumatologists……..”it is menopause”……….well that was 15+years ago??????And then my physician told me to “try shapewear”!!!!!!!
I am now heading for cancer treatment…….also caused by biologics?????????It is so good that it is FINALLY being said out loud that these drugs cause weight gain! And nothing you can do will work to move it……………….
I am so thankful that I came across this website! I started Humira about 3 months ago after being on Methotrexate for 8 years (off and on) and I have gained almost 20 pounds! I am not all that small anyway so this has affected my health by having all this extra abdominal weight (which is where I gained pretty much all of it). I have asked my Rheumatologist and she said that she can not see where weight gain is not a side effect. It is such a relief to know that I am not alone and other people are experiencing the same thing.
I was diagnosed with acute ulcerative colitis almost two years ago. I was put on simponi which work great at first and I did notice I started getting the belly fat. Im sure the steroids didn't help that at all either. The Simponi (I liked I could do the injects at home) quit working so the Doctor put me on Remicade. So now I have to go do three hour infusions and on the first one I started to break out in hives. I've only done two infusions so fare so its too early to know if it will also cause weight gain. But for a person who has struggle with her weight for the last 20 years, knowing your medication may add to that isn't the best news. I pray that all you other autoimmune suffers get to feeling better.
Thank you so much for writing this. I have Ulceratice Colitis and have been on Humira 2 years and am not even menopausal but at 34-35yrs of age I started at size 8-10 and am now size 14 in only 2 years with zero diet change and only eat fruit vegetables and chicken or fish and no fried food, no fast food, I walked daily 2 hrs per day – nothing gets rid of the weight iny middle. I wish everyone strength to carry on & feel good regardless.
I too am very thankful to have read this article and others' comments!! I was diagnosed with Ankylosing Spondylitis (a form of RA) over the summer. My rheumatologist put me on Humira injections in August 2016. I felt incredible pain relief immediately (within two days of the first injection), and I was thrilled to have my quality of life back. However, in the past few months I have absolutely noticed weight gain, especially in my belly area. I had to go up a pant size, and based on others' comments am worried I will be forced to increase sizes even further the longer I am on the medication. Nothing else in my lifestyle has changed…I still workout 3-4 times per week and eat very healthy. Although my pain was quite severe prior to taking Humira, the weight gain has made me feel awful/anxious. Maybe it sounds vain, but I work hard to look and feel good in my own skin, and I am really struggling with how to proceed. I asked my rheumatologist if weight gain is a known side effect and she gave me a very short response: “Only to the extent that people feel better, and any weight loss that came from chronic illness gets better.” Well, I don't believe that…especially after all of my online research about others' experiences. I have anxiety about my weight gain and need to feel like myself again. For this reason I decided to go off of the Humira. I don't want to live in pain, but I can't live feeling so insecure and anxious about my body either. I am simply not going to settle for going up 5 pant sizes! Has anyone else gone off of biologic treatment for these reasons, and have you found any other solutions that helped you live with less pain? I tried some natural supplements before going on Humira, and my pain was still very high. Any suggestions??
Yes, i have gained 30 lbs since starting humira in August of 2016. All of the weight is on my belly and face. I am miserable, cant loose it, for this reason I am stoping humira.
I am wondering if anyone has had any success losing the weight. I too have gained considerable weight since being on biologics. I started on Humira, then went to Cimzia and now am on Remicade. I have a wardrobe full of clothes I can't wear and a healthier diet than anyone I know. I eat better now than I have ever in my life. I don't do a lot of exercise but try to stay active. A colleague commented the other day how much energy she thought I had. I saw a dietician who recommended “tapping” (Emotional Freedom Technique) as a possible solution. This did not work for me, as overeating bad food is not my problem. I also have coeliac disease, so most chocolates cakes and treats are off the menu for me. I am really struggling with this. I know that going off the biological is out of the question, without it I cannot function, but as I continue to gain weight each month I am terrified of the health risk of being obese.
Trina I have Crohn's and I am on Remicade. I'm not sure if I would have opted out had I known about the weight gain up front. I was never thin, but I packed on an extra 30 pounds since being in the infusions. No matter how I cut back on food, drink water with lemon, spike my food and drinks with apple cider vinegar, replace a mean with a protein shake..NOTHING WORKS. So I decided to just live with it. I still can't exercise due to the pain in cause but the meds cut my number of trips to the potty in half and stopped the dreadful fistulas. So call me Shamu as I keep enjoying the relief!
I have gained 15 pds with no changes to my diet and more exercise that pre enbrel. I am starting to get worried. I hope its stays at 15 pds. I eat healthy and walk everyday. It seems contradictory that what allows me to walk is also affecting my health. Doctor and pharmacist deny any links to the meds. What else can I do besides diet and exercise?
Let me chime in, also. I have been researching weight gain and biologics because my specialists say that it's not the drug causing me to pack on the pounds but thanks to this and other blogs, I can see that the real-life experience of people on them is refuting my rheumy/dermatologist's opinions. I have been on Stelara/Ustekinumab for over a year and a half now (started in June 2015). My dosage was doubled a few months back and before that, I'd gained about 15 lbs. Since the doubling, I've gained 10 more. It's out of control! I take the Stelara for psoriasis and it's been very effective but my PsA has gone through the roof and the enthesitis is out of control (my achilles tendon, for instance, is like a wee purple balloon and it hurts like hell to walk). Therefore, I'm researching a TNF inhibitor (as opposed to an Interleukin inhibitor) because my rheumy says that it will be better for the arthritis. However, my hematologist says the Stelara is a godsend because my chronic severe iron deficiency anemia is actually no longer forcing me to have infusions every 5 months… because my GI specialist confirmed IBD and possible Crohn's, which causes blood loss through the gut/intestines. So, now I'm not suffering the bloating and gut pain or anemia but I've gained all this weight and feel So Freaking Tired and the joint/tendon inflammation is killing me. So? LOL. Gotta find a new biologic that treats PsA, Crohn's and psoriasis but doesn't cause weight gain or depression (an issue with Stelara). Any input?
http://www.bjchealth.com.au/connected-care/tnf-inhibitors-cause-weight-gain-fat-increase If anyone wants further reading.
I am so glad I found you. I am dealing with all your issues alone. NOT ANY MORE.
I have felt so shamed and guilty. I am so grateful to listen to so many voices that are going through everything I am. RA, Menopause, Battle of the Bulge while eating healthy while my friends have fun and the hips still spread from my seated view.
I am going next to Amazon to buy your book and I will check in with you regularly.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
Patricia Anita Young, Writer
Glad to know what's causing my problem. I was told that embrel wouldn't do that. 15 pounds later, up one size and a stomach that's the entire muffin not just the top! I had managed to lose 30 pounds but now feel like a big fat failure. Don't know if I can get off the embrel or not. Don't want to put on any more weight but I do like to take trips with my Huston our motorcycle. The weight gain makes it harder for him if I gain weight .What a mess. Thanks for your info and good luck.
I am male and am on Enbrel ,Gained at least 30 pounds,It started within 2-3 weeks of the first shot.
Asked the Doctor about it was told that it was not the cause and I just need to watch what I eat,
Sad thing is I have not gained weight in years until now.
The choice for me is feel a little better and be extremely overweight or feel really bad and healthier.
Thanks everyone
My Rheumatoligst may start me on Humera next week. I am newly diagnosed and just don't understand why they don't tell you weight gain is a side effect. I makes me wonder if they keep up with the latest findings. Am I being too cynical? It kinda makes me not trust what they say. It seems that if a person knows weight gain is a likelihood why not offer countermeasures to the patients. I look forward to the pain relief but I already have a weight problem. My problem is pain is hard to deal with but the possibility of inflammation of vital organs really scares me, how do I balance the benefits verses the risks?
I have been on Remicade for 2 yrs but so unsure if weight gain is because of just Remicade or some recent depression. I exercise @ 5x a week, try to drink close to 80z of water and it does not seem to do one thing.
I posted above back in the Nov/Dec timeframe that I was going off of Humira injections due to weight gain (against my rheumatologist's recommendations). I continually asked her for natural solutions, and she simply told me to stay on the Humira. Again, I admit that it worked, and I was pain-free within days of my first injection. However, there was no denying my pants getting tighter when nothing else in my lifestyle had changed. I have always worked out often and eaten pretty darn clean. I did a lot of research on my own, and almost tried a gluten/dairy free diet, which would have been very difficult for me. However, before it came to that, a friend told me about the effects of lemon juice in water every morning first thing before you eat/drink anything else. It is a known remedy for inflammation…something about the alkaline in it. I also take a fish oil supplement every day, but the lemon juice in water was the true game changer! Within two weeks, I was pain-free once again with NO BIOLOGICS in my system. It is so simple/easy/cheap…it almost seems too good to be true. I don't even use fresh lemon juice. I buy it in the big bottle sold in any grocery store for cooking. A few table spoons in an 8 oz glass of water every morning before I consume anything else has worked wonders! I hope others will try this and have the same success because I am so thankful I found a natural solution. I have very little if any pain now, and have been going strong for a couple of months since I started the lemon juice remedy. I am back to my normal weight and my clothes fit great. I feel like myself again, and it is awesome. This may not be such a quick and easy fix for everyone, since all body chemistries are different. It may take some time and hard work/determination to research and test out different solutions to find what may work for you. But keep trying! If this many people are seeing weight gain, it's pretty likely it is the biologics causing.
I have been on Cosentyx for 3 months. My rhuemy said to use it instead of Humira which I was on for almost 7 years. I was on Enbrel a couple years before that. My psoriatic arthritis was worsening so the doc thought I should change up my med. I too have gained weight (30 lbs) over the last 9 years. I have never had a weight problem. I eat very healthy and walk a lot. I agree the biologics cause weight gain. I am going to try the lemon juice in water. Also have decided to stop my meds. I have a light therapy machine in my home and that treatments works for me. I like what I have found here and learn from what others write.
Thanks so much for this information! I truly believe most Doctors, even the good ones, don't know the side effects of biologics. I have Crohns and was on Remicade, almost died! Then Cimizia with some relief, now I've been on Humira for 3 years and have gained 20 plus pounds and can not get it off any way I try!! High blood Pressure as well and never had blood pressure issues in the past. I've been doing really well on the Humira. I chose to stop taking and my Doctor freaked out!! Wants me back on ASAP, so I guess I'll do it at a reduced dose though, I was a once a week injection! So glad to hear from other women having this problem, I do agree it is better to be healthy and symptom free to enjoy my life!
I would love to know if anybody has NOT put weight on or have managed to diet it off
OH WOW, I am so happy to have found this BEFORE I visit my doc again. I have been on biologics for about 8 months. The first time, no change…after that each and every time I go I end up with another few lbs. I belong to a gym and work out (yoga, water WRTX, and swimming) 3-5 times a week. It depends on how I feel, and sometimes I admit it's a slow burn but I'm still there. I also walk my dogs.
I do not eat all that much, as a matter of fact, my family keeps asking me why I'm not hungry. And yet I've put on about 15lbs, it is mostly in my belly. I'm not a vein person, but this is incredibly uncomfortable and my blasted clothes do NOT fit. I hate this.
But thanks, I'm sorry for all the rest of you who are having this problem too. But I am happy I can fully believe (unlike my doc) that it is the meds doing this to me!
Score one for the medicated!
I started cosentyx a year ago. I was 80 percent covered in psoriasis and had the onset of psa. I noticed weight gain the first month on cosentyx.. I expressed this to my Rhuemy and was consistently told it was not the medication. At the time I could only find limited reviews on cosentyx. In total I ended up gaining 16 pounds. Mainly around my thighs and belly. I have a small frame so the weight is noticeable. I count my calories and work out 5 times a week. I tried everything to get the weight off. Calorie intake vs calories burned. I then decided to do a 4 day fast. I did it with a group everyone I. The group lost weight, I gained 2 pounds while on the fast. Cosentyx is a great medicine for what it is meant to do. It cleared my psoriasis and I was pain free. However the side effects were too great in my case. Low self esteem, lethargic , depression from how I felt. I was a watch owl on my food and weight. Not so much for vanity reasons I felt so uncompfortable day in and day out, I also became extremely emotional. I have been off it 2 months. It's been a struggle to get the weight off but it slowly is. I'm sharing this as it may help someone. I thought I was going crazy. I had my dr saying eat better yet I was eating like a heath guru and kept getting bigger. It can be emotionally breaking in anyone.
@Chelsea Roy…I cannot Thank You enough for your post about the lemon water, drinking this in the morning before any food or drink. I will be doing this faithfully. I have psoriatic arthritis and have taken many different biologics in the past and am currently on Cosentyx. It is not working and the ones I took in the past did not work either for pain. However, Stelara and Cosentyx was amazing for getting rid of the psoriasis…Just did not take care of the severe pain that I have. I have heard about the lemon water but never knew it helped so much for pain.I also have a lot of inflammation and know that lemon water will help. I am excited to try this. Thanks again for posting this and your experiences. I will post my results after a while. Have a great day. 😃
Hi, great article. Thanks for posting. My daughter finally gained control of her JIA with weekly Enbrel injections. Wonderful drug in that respect. Now been clear of any inflammatory event of over 18 months(i think) and, as a beautiful 9 year old girl, has really started to blossom into a beautiful (very) young woman. She piled on the weight with Enbrel. Its not really moving but she carries it well. She is very aware of it and it probably affects her friendships and perceptions of her at school. Why has she gained the weight…? well, biologics functionality is a bit of a black box as i understand – the clinicians don't truly understand how they function and control the RA / JIA and as a peer group, my daughter (9 yrs old) is part of a tranche of children for whom the long term effects of this medication are unknown. She is part of a trial group, so to speak. Is this a complaint? Well, i'd much rather her not carry the weight but she leads a great, active life style. As you say, given the alternative shes in a massively better world.
I am 36 years old and was diagnosed 1 year ago with RA, after months of the most intense pain that came on within a few weeks. I was unable to drive, brush my hair, tie my shoes, most basic daily functions were impossible for me. The methotrexate was helpful but did not relieve all pain and discomfort. Humira was a great relief and I feel so much more like a person in that I can carry out day to day things, with one huge drawback…… I have gained 50 pounds since starting Humira. I eat well and walk 2 miles 3 times a week and every evening I do yoga followed by light cardio. I cannot seem to shed even one pound. This is so very frustrating for me. Nothing in my closet fits, I do not look the same, I have no energy, and nothing makes any sense medically as all blood work is great. Unfortunately I cannot stop taking the Humira because I still remember so vividly the excruciating pain that had me in tears daily and prevented me from enjoying my kids. I do hope that there will be answers soon for this problem.
wow. your story sounds as if I could have written it myself. So very similar. The only difference is that I am currently not happy with my RA treatment, as I had have no relief from the cimzia. So I can't be happy with being the size 16 am now. Like you, I've never been this large and have never been past a size 6!
Glad you're loving life though!
I am so grateful for all the posts, knowing I am not alone in this. I was diagnosed 2 years ago with RA. Have been through various combinations of medicines and are going onto my 3rd Biologic Injection next week Enbrel. I have gained about 30 pounds in the last 18 months and hate it. It is difficult to deal with the daily pain, stiff joints, not being able to do what I did 2 years ago. At times I feel completely useless and get so upset if I cannot open a bottle or turn a tap on. It is a complete new life, and not everybody understands why I walk funny, do things much slower or not at all. Weight gain has affected my social life. Just to get dressed in the morning is a frustration. So if every Rheumatologist says that biologics doesn't cause weight gain – what are we all doing wrong then? Surely by now they have realized that biologics DO cause weight gain. I am absolutely terrified of what Enbrel is going go do to my body – is it really worth it? I cannot stand the pain anymore, and do need the meds, but I don't want to gain more weight – it is difficult enough as it is. thank you for sharing your stories, it means a lot to me
Hi all we must report theses side effects to the manufacturer of Humira. GOOD NEWS! Yes you can lose weight. I recently went through IVF and was given a thyroid medication to lower my thyroid- it was normal but they wanted it to be lower . So I went on a low daily dosage and finally started getting back to normal weight!! Ask your rheumatologist about this or better still an endocrinologist. alao gotta watch everything we eat, so intermittent fasting (my GP told me) and exercise as much as possible. All the best.
Ireport the SAME GOOD NEWS. I had failed to take my thyroid meds for weeks and I ended up with the infamous Hip Spreading. I went back to my routine of taking my throid med first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and the pounds are shedding.
Believe me, my Psychiatrist once diagnosed my fatigue and depression as a symptom of my low thyroid. Don't give UP!
Lene, thank you for these. You’ve made me feel better about myself physiologically and psychologically. I appreciate you and wish you the best 🙂
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I weighed 142 lbs. I became sick and went down to 126 lbs in 3 months. Diagnosed with Crohns/UC – Undetermined. Put on high dose of prednisone with a taper of a total of 9 weeks. Feet, ankles and legs swelled terribly, and gained weight back to 142. Started Humira and have been on it for 4 months and have continued to gain weight. Now 162 lbs with a huge muffin top too. Humira is working for symptoms so far but have the weight gain, joints progressively getting worse, have acne on sides of face (am 64 and haven't had acne in years), itchy skin which comes and goes, and hair loss. Very discouraged as all of this has taken place in 9 months. Exercise has not helped the weight gain. Would love to stop Humira and see what happens but was extremely sick before diagnosis.
I've had AS (ankylosing spondylitis) since 1979. I was in full remission from '81-2002 with almost no symptoms. Didn't even have a rheumy during that period. Fell out of remission in 2003 and have taken everything under the sun. AS frequently has IBD/Crohn's symptoms as well, and that's been what has activated more than anything else in me: Severe abd pain with swelling and inflammation of colon with none of the other Crohn's stuff. I've been on Stelara every 8 weeks to control that, but this past November I awoke to find that I all of a sudden couldn't even button my pants. I've put on maybe 5 lbs, (I'm small) but it's ALL in my front lower belly. It's crazy making because I eat only fresh fruit/veg, lean chicken/fish and the like. No alcohol, no sugar, etc. I also started exercising at the local gym 3x per week, and I don't have a sedentary job: I walk on average 3 miles per work day. So here I am, having clothes that no longer fit and NOTHING I can do about it. I'm glad (sorry) it's not just me, because I get the same speech about it not being a side effect. My face is puffy as well. I take it with Methotrexate injections which are weekly….I really want to get off this stuff, but I don't want the severe symptoms to begin again. (my MD thinks I need to move back to California, where I was in remission for years)
Found a GP with interest in RA who actually listened to me! Talked about weight gain and she suggested I try a Mitochondrial/Ketogenic diet. Started keeping a food diary and being VERY cautious and controlled with what I ate.Did not seem to work at first but after 4 weeks I had dropped a couple of pounds…..for the first time in 4 years! Kept going for 2 months and lost around 8lbs……..could fit most of my clothes again! I am still cautious about the food I eat but not as strict, my weight has stayed down.However I am now getting heavy sinus problems within a day of injecting………………………on we go………….I have been on Enbrel for around 4 years.
I have been on cosentyx since end july 2017. i have gained 5 stone in weight no change in diet or exercise. heres my story hope it helps some of you here.
at the time i started the biologic i was attending slimming world weekly and was losing 1 to 2lbs per week started drug post first few injections started gaining weight. 1 to 2lbs per week. one week in august i gained 12lbs. went fully plant based low fat vegan at this stage cut calories down got fit bit the whole shebang to make sure wasnt eating more than i was burning. was eating 1200 cals burning 2500 with exercise daily and gaining 2 lbs per week then took injection start december went to slimming world that night got weighed up 1lb went the following week was up 20lbs thats nearly a stone and a half in one week. needles to say didnt eat xmas dinner had bowl brocolli but still put on another 4lbs the next week. That was it for me i was done with biologics. with the huge weight gain my beathing is shocking on nebilizer and inhalers. body in a jock so last injection was very beginning december its now near end jan 2018 ive lost a stone off the injections so far that was last week. went from uk size 12 to uk size26/28 in 18 weeks so yep the biologics can back on the weight and no matter what you do it wont budge. in my case i would have ended up having a heart attack as it was going on rapidly. imfully v egan i recommend the diet to you all there are proteins in animal products that mimick proteins in our bodies as a result our immune system attacks those proteins and our own thus inflamation nuff said try vegan diet guys thats what im treating mmy psa with at the moment. I would take the cancer back rather than have all this weight.
I spent 6 or 7 years on Remicade, then a brief stint with Humira and then Enbrel for 8 years. The last 5 years on Enbrel it was very hard to control my weight. I finally decided it was post menopause, less active lifestyle and that I wasn’t so diligent.
2 years ago I started xeljanz XR which is Not a TNF inhibitor. 20 pounds dropped off almost immediately. This year my life has been a bit stressful and I’ve not always eaten a healthy diet but I’m still down 20 pounds, or a bit more.
Too bad that the weight gain affects so many. Adding weight to RA stricken joints isnt healthy
Wow, that’s amazing! Aside from helping you drop the weight, is it working for your RA?And of course you’re right — added weight is not good for the joints. It’s a difficult balance. On the one hand, the medication works well enough that it has allowed me to slowly work towards improving my strength and stamina, which means I can handle that weight. On the other hand, I’m tired of gaining every time I have an indulgent weekend.
I am more than 22 years old with RA and I was one of the first patients in enbrel, then I changed to humira because the cost of enbrel to my co payment impossible to pay and it worked I had remarkable improvement, my rheumatologist as soon Humira went on the market with program Patient assistance provided me with the copayment program and I used it for 8 years, it was like a cure, I never increase my weight, Humira stop working 4 years ago and my rheumatologist treated me two more biologics for 6 months without results, they increased my liver function test and had to suspend me even methotrexate that always use adjuvant therapy with the biological and I started on prednisone only 5 mg daily, since then increase 35 pounds. A month ago I suspended all types of sugar, refined flours and processed foods and today I have lost 9 pounds and above all the pain has improved considerably, sugar is harmful for inflammatory diseases, I have my days but not consuming sugar has made a difference in my RA and in my weight
I want to thank you for creating this forum for people who are on biologics. I’m a 53 year old “menopausal” woman who’s always managed to stay fairly slim. I’ve had psoriasis for 30+ years. Then 2 years ago it began to affect my joints, so I started seeing a rheumatologist. First my rheumy prescribed Methotrexate in conjunction with Stelara. My psoriasis rash disappeared, which was great. But the joint pain didn’t really go away. I didn’t like the numbness (weird tingling in my limbs) that the MTX caused, so little by little I weaned myself off that. Then last year my rheumy put me on Cosentyx. I had gained <10 pounds while taking Stelara. But I attributed it to hormonal changes and not really exercising as much as I did before (because of the arthritis.) For the most part, my diet is pretty good. But this past year, I've doubled that previous weight gain. It makes me feel just awful that the "fat pants" I bought last year are now getting too tight. I've been depressed and tired the past couple of months too. It's true that the Cosentyx has made my arthritis pain much better. I keep telling myself, "That's good. Now you just need to find the energy to go work out more so you can shed this extra weight!"
I keep bashing myself for not getting into the gym. (I'm an elementary school teacher. I work all day and into the early evenings to get everything done for my profession. When I get home, I'm spent.) For months I've been having doubts about the biologic treatment. It hasn't been all that fun. I had strep throat 3 times last year. I rarely used to get sick, now it's a frequent occurrence.
I feel like I'm at a crossroads with the treatment. Again, I just have to say THANK YOU so much for everyone's postings! Now I know I need to explore this weight gain with biologics more. Perhaps I'll try the daily lemon juice in a glass of water idea? I would love to NOT be dependent on any drug/biologics. I'm so grateful to not feel alone anymore in this battle with PsA and biologic treatment. All my best to all of you on here!