Can Stelara be increased?

I think some people do monthly injections. I’m on an injection every 8 weeks.

I wanted 45 mgs every 4 weeks and my GI said the insurance company wouldn’t approve it. I feel that my pouch performs better weeks 4-6 and the other 4 weeks are good but not as good.

I’m finding this flare or whatever it is very depressing. I’m up for hours at a time at night. Not always to use the bathroom. Temporally went on trazodone to try to stay a sleep. Upped the dose twice. Try again tonight.

Keith, your stelara is an infusion?
Mine is a regular injection not a self inject.

They usually want to check your levels right before your injection before increasing the dose. Did you say they do this all the time anyway?

My levels were checked recently. They were good.
I think the Stelara should be helping with this flare. I do get a injection tomorrow.
If it doesn’t help after this one , maybe he’ll move up
He moved Entyvio to once a month

I was on Remeron while trying to withdraw from clonazepam. Didn’t help me with sleep.
Never was able to withdraw from clonazepam. It’s a big weight gainer. Going to up the dose on the trazodone to 100 mg. Tried the lower dose. 100 mg worked in the past. We shall see!
Wow 10 hours of sleep. I’m happy with 7 hours.

Sara, I hate having to take more meds. This sleeping thing came out of know where. I take the benzo at night . Never going to try to come off again. Tried 3 times. I needed to be hospitalized when I got down to 0. Had to take a higher dose when I went back on.
I’ll try trazodone 100 mg tonight. That was the dosage that worked a few years ago. Hopefully this flare and sleepy thing will correct it’s self.
I did ask the GI today if we can go every 4 weeks. I think I’ll have to wait on that. Haven’t been on it that long.




I’ll try 100 mg tonight. If it doesn’t work not sure what I’ll do.

Faithmac said...
Keith, your stelara is an infusion?
Mine is a regular injection not a self inject.

My loading dose was an infusion - everything afterwards has been a 90 mg self-injector every 56 days.

Keith: Yes, it does. I take xanax, I know. Have gotten off of it several times and didn't sleep for about a week straight. One of those times I was also on 40 mg of pred and quitting smoking all at the same time. I figured I was already miserable, may as well get it all over with at the same time! Lol. Curious what did the sleep doc do for you? My sleep isn't good.

Trazodone made me so sick today! Had to go to 100mg. Lower doses did nothing. Had a great night sleep. Terrible hangover and massive headache all day. Took migraine meds to get rid of it. So it’s not worth feeling like crap all day.
Going to my neurologist next week . Going to talk about this new sleep problem. I might try going to a sleep doc. Have no trouble falling asleep. Wake quite a few time a night for an hour or more.

I did had an appointment and consultation with an anti aging doctor. Basically for bio identical hormones. I know hormones have a to do with sleep. I do take HRT. Had all my levels checked. Progesterone has a lot do with sleep. My levels even with the HRT pill is pretty low. Menopause and peri menopause suck. Had about 15 different things checked with my blood test. Cost a fortune, all out of pocket.

A sleep study might be interesting. I’m going to look into it.
Had my stelara injection today. Hopefully it’s going to help. I do want to move up the time for getting the injections. I have a video chat with my GI first week in February.