February 7, 2022

Explore Everything About Psoriatic Arthritis

Specialty Infusion Blog Jess

What is Psoriatic Arthritis?

Psoriatic arthritis is an arthritis form that influences people with psoriasis. Psoriasis is a disease that often leads to red patches of skin dotted with silvery scales. People who have gone through psoriasis at some point in their life are more likely to develop psoriatic arthritis. The main indications of psoriatic arthritis included stiffness, joint pain, and swelling. If you experience this, any body part can be affected, including your spine, fingertips, etc. Its impact varies and moves from mild to severe gradually. Disease flares can rotate with episodes of remission in both psoriatic arthritis and psoriasis.

Let’s discover more facts about psoriatic arthritis related to its symptoms and treatments.

Symptoms

Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis both have their own impact on the body. The symptoms worsen with the passage of time. Sometimes, symptoms go away for a short period of time and come back even stronger. Other times, they may improve gradually, it varies from person to person.

Your single joint or both joints may be affected due to psoriatic arthritis. Those who know about rheumatoid arthritis know that their symptoms are quite similar, including swollen and painful joints, foot pain, lower back pain, swollen fingers and toes, nail changes, eye inflammation, among others. Therefore, if you feel any of these symptoms, you may have rheumatoid arthritis or psoriatic arthritis. You should consult a healthcare professional to know your current condition. However, there is no hard and fast cure for psoriatic arthritis, yet treatments are available to control the symptoms and reduce the episodes of remission.

Treatments

You need to get these treatments right after you are diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Otherwise, psoriatic arthritis is more likely to lead to debilitating symptoms.

REMICADE® (Infliximab) to treat Psoriatic Arthritis

Remicade and Renflexis are often prescribed to treat the chronic inflammatory autoimmune condition. Psoriatic arthritis is also an autoimmune disease as it can be caused by the attack of the body’s immune system on healthy cells and tissues. These are biological medications.

A doctor can comprehend the current condition of a patient and recommend treatments accordingly. They don’t recommend REMICADE® (infliximab) before knowing the history and situation of the patient. Most frequently, it has side effects. It can lower a patient’s ability to fight infections. Doctors can prescribe it to treat many diseases, including TB, Crohn’s disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Pediatric Ulcerative Colitis, Pediatric Crohn’s Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, and of course, Psoriatic Arthritis.

Those who have severe psoriatic arthritis but no dangerous history of any other disease can take this medication as per the doctor’s prescription. REMICADE® (infliximab) can help to reduce the signs and indications of active arthritis. A patient may suffer from joint pain, lower back pain, and many other physical problems. This medication helps lower joint damage. It tries to prevent fats from moving symptoms. It strengthens physical function, especially in adult patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Aged patients usually have other severe problems like cancers, nervous system disorders, TB infections, etc. Therefore, doctors avoid giving this medication to them. Remicade can cause serious side effects, including headache, or respiratory infections, including sinus infections and sore throat. It can also cause severe coughing and stomach pain. However, if you are eligible to take this medicine, it can be very effective in treating psoriatic arthritis and reducing symptoms.

RENFLEXIS® (Infliximab-abda) – Biosimilar- Recommended for Psoriatic Arthritis

Those who have been prescribed Remicade often hear about Biosimilars. Biosimilars are made of the same amino acid materials. They also contain particular processes, like other reference medicines. So Renflexis is biosimilar to Remicade.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved this medicine. Renflexis has the tendency to treat autoimmune diseases similar to Remicade. Their processing and functions are quite the same. The dosages and way of consuming are prescribed similarly. Therefore, the effectiveness shown by Remicade is similar, as are the side effects.

How do they work?

The immune system tends to produce a specific protein called tumor necrosis factor-alpha, or TNF-alpha excessively, with the health condition. This overproduction leads you to inflammation and provokes the symptoms of your autoimmune diseases. Renflexis performs its function by blocking the action of TNF-alpha and inhibiting symptoms that initiate inflammation.

Doctors prescribe Renflexis as an intravenous (IV) infusion just like Remicade. Doctors don’t recommend this medication to those whose previous medical history is not clear. For example, if they have TB, cancers, infections, allergies, nervous system disorders, or any other serious diseases. Because if they give it without knowing the current condition of a patient, it may provide fewer benefits and more disadvantages. It can cause respiratory problems, headaches, coughing, and many others. Those who have a clear medical history and have not been in contact with these severe diseases are more likely to have positive effects from Renflexis. They can improve their joints, and it may help reduce their symptoms caused by psoriatic arthritis.

SIMPONI ARIA® (Golimumab) For Psoriatic Arthritis

SIMPONI ARIA® (golimumab) is an immunosuppressive drug. It is often prescribed to decrease the inflammation of the body. It has the tendency to treat several autoimmune diseases, including psoriatic arthritis.

Nurses administer Simponi Aria® (Golimumab) as an intravenous (IV) infusion. It helps lower the symptoms of arthritis, including pain, fatigue, joint swelling, stiffness, and inflammation caused by psoriatic arthritis.

If you have psoriatic arthritis, be sure to visit your doctor and tell them about your medical history. Don’t hide your previous health conditions because if they recommend this medication and you have an infection or allergy, it may cause many side effects. Yet, if you’re clear, it will help you get rid of flare-up episodes of autoimmune diseases and lower the symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. Try to visit your doctor on a regular basis, so they can monitor whether the drugs are bringing about any improvement.