Apremilast for Plaque Psoriasis User Reviews (Page 4)

• Nikki...
• June 6, 2016

Otezla (apremilast) "I guess I am one of the lucky ones! I love this medication and the people at Otezla have been completely supportive and generous with me. For the first time in years I can wear whatever I want! I recently took my first hot tub in about 5 years. No redness. Otezla started to show some progress after 2 weeks, and continued to improve over 3 months, at which point I still had a few rough patches, but no redness. My side effects are mild and as expected. No weight loss, but my skin is better than it has been in 8 years. My doctor had to apply twice to Blue Shield followed by an appeal to get me 4 months of coverage and Otezla is paying the co-pay. This has been a dream come true for me."

• Anonymous
• June 12, 2017

Otezla (apremilast) "My dr gave me samples and within a month, I was almost clear with no side effects. However, My co pay for Otetzla is $ 1,352.00 per month which is totally unaffordable. I was denied financial assistance, because I was a little over income. I am on Medicare plus supplementals and never thought that at this stage in my life I would be unable to afford my medication. Due to breast cancer, the other meds on the market are not suitable. If anyone has any idea what to do next, I would appreciate it. Otetzla is a great product - but unaffordable. Their customer service dept was stone cold in denying my plea for help."

• Rolyma
• August 13, 2016

Otezla (apremilast) "This medicine has been unbelievable for me. I am now 100% clear with only a couple of dry places on my scalp. I was so completely miserable and in pain but since I started taking this drug almost two months ago I'm clear! My insurance refused to pay for it even after my doctor petitioned a second time. I'm now in another fight for coverage and I will continue to fight! I have had some side effects (severe headaches, nausea, sleeplessness) but worth it! While I know this drug does not help everyone, I love it and so appreciate what it's done for me."

• Joano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• June 29, 2019

Otezla (apremilast) "Happy with the clearance but am struggling with the side effects. I'm 8 weeks into this treatment and have had problems with my digestive tract. I started taking a probiotic at the recommendation of my pharmacist and that's helped a lot. The pain is probably my biggest issue at this point and if it gets worse I may consider discontinuing as the pain areas are hips, back, shoulders, wrists and elbows. Sometimes my knees as well. So pretty much everywhere but not all the time. I have had psoriasis for 52 years and this is the clearest my skin has been in my memory."

• Elila
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 23, 2018

Otezla (apremilast) "I have had psoriasis since I was 13 and now after 22 years I am finally happy with a pill that has helped me get rid of it. I used to get major migraines before I started taking Otezla and in the first 2 weeks of taking orezla I did get migraine a couple of times and I always had my migraine pills with me so that was not a big deal. Exactly after 2 weeks I started seeing results. I had Psoriasis almost at 70% of my body and I have less than 5%. This pill is amazing and I swear by it. Also I am from Canada and it's nice that it's covered by my insurance. I do see my doctor every 2 months to make sure nothing has changed in my attitude and for checkup. I usually don't write recommendation online but I am so impressed with this pill and that's why I wanted to share my experience with everyone."

• ddpr
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• February 12, 2016

Otezla (apremilast) "I've been on Otezla for 10 months now and I'm 95% clear. I had really bad psoriasis on both feet and some on hands. Also loss some weight. Since taking this medication my glucose has steadily gone up so my pcp put me on metformen which is not helping. Has anyone been dx with diabetis after taking Otezla? Please let me know bc the drs say its not related but I have read a few users that this has happened to like me. Also I'm having some back pains. Thanks "

• Pookies...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2017

Otezla (apremilast) "I began Otezla two weeks ago. I have extremely bad plaque psoriasis on the palms of both my hands, including terrible itching. The condition started a few years ago, at age 55. So far the Otezla is going well as far as not having the negative side affects. I have no diarrhea, only a couple of minimal headaches and no nausea. I am hopeful the Otezla will work out well. With my insurance, I pay zero out-of-pocket."

• JP Bi...
• February 8, 2017

Otezla (apremilast) "Been on it for over a year (with a one month hiatus in there). First of all, I take psyllium husk fiber every day and have NO diarrhea...definitely recommend that people on (and not on) Otezla do that. Do get occasional headaches but not too bad. Psoriasis is under control. Had bad plaques but those are mostly red skin areas now. Biggest improvement on the face...which makes this worth it to me. I do enjoy the side effect of weight loss. Would definitely recommend that one with bad Psoriasis give it a try (and stick out the first couple weeks). Still need to use a few topicals as well."

• moedad
• July 21, 2016

Otezla (apremilast) "took for psoriasis went away!!!! then came back!!! quit cold turkey do not do!!!! side affects are worse coming off drug. acts like a narcotic!!!!! i too thought the sides effects were worth it but it comes back!!!! one side effect not mentioned bad mood swings!!! and have panic attacks when you try to get off the drug!!!! people need to know."

• Tom
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 13, 2019

Otezla (apremilast) "I am 49 and have psoriasis on my legs, back, shoulders, arms, back of scalp, and finally on the inside and outside back of both ears. It has progressively gotten worse since 1998. I was on Otezla for 7 days after receiving a sample packet from my Doctor. I and had nausea, diarrhea, headache, throwing up, and an upper respiratory infection for 5 of the 7 days. There was no improvement and with only seven days I didn't expect there to be. The sinus infection was the worst (lost my voice and missed work for 3 days). After reading so many reviews (good and bad) the negative far outweighs the handful of positive. I know after only seven days many would say I should give it more time, but I would rather just deal with the itching, flakes, and nasty looks people give seeing it on me. I guess I'll just wear my jeans all summer long. I made the decision to quit while I'm ahead and continue to use raw coconut oil, eucerin, and steroid creams to control dryness and outbreaks."

• Letty
• February 28, 2017

Otezla (apremilast) "I have had psoriasis my entire life, the last 6 years, it has been so bad on my feet, walking is a problem. I have been on Otezla for about 3 weeks. Here is what I have experienced; I have had some good results on my feet, but a bit of a trade off. Loss of appetite, nausea occasionally, no headaches at all, and only one day of feeling lethargic and a bit sad. I also get itchy, sometimes my skin crawls especially at night, and yesterday my bones actually ached. It is so random when this comes and goes. I am still on the fence a bit with it. I am hoping these things will go away. I haven't heard anything about long term effects."

• RJ1974
• February 5, 2016

Otezla (apremilast) "I am using Otezla and have been for the past 5 months now. Before taking Otezla I only had plaque psoriasis on my scalp. It would get very dry and hard and when I would scratch my scalp it would bleed. The side effects were nothing too hard to get use to. I have loss some weight but overall the plaque psoriasis has cleared up to where it is more manageable and less scaly. On my body which the only time I had a bad case of psoriasis was when I got mosquito bites on my legs and it turned into red scaly patches all over. I used this sea salt scrub every day when I showered and it went away. Now with using sea salt as a regular monthly regimen all over my body. I only have psoriasis on my scalp."

• persian...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• January 5, 2017

Otezla (apremilast) "Hi everybody, Sweden's calling: I've been on Otezla for more than 9 months and most of my Plaque Psoriasis have cleared up! It seems like the scalp is showing some resistance but I'm not giving up. Had some side effects like diahrrea and poor appetite in the begining but it's all fine now. Take care!"

• ACano
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 5, 2019

Otezla (apremilast) "I have been taking Otezla for almost 2 months and the side affects are terrible. I have had severe vomiting with or without meals. I am told to give it 16 weeks, yet also was told side effects would only last a couple weeks. In 8 weeks I lost almost 20 lbs, but not in a good way. I just feel so unhealthy; the psoriasis at times looks better and other times worse. I’m considering coming off and seeing what else can be done. Doctors and pharmacies are really pushing this medication, but I am beginning to feel like a guinea pig. Side effects are just too severe."

• Chris
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 16, 2019

Otezla (apremilast) "I’ve been on otezla for a week now, and have had the loose stools and mild depression and foggy feelings but am kicking myself for not reading reviews beforehand. It seems as though nobody who gave it high marks had tried stopping it yet—and everyone who’s stopped has had psoriasis come back worse. I’m stopping."

• Lizzy
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 30, 2019

Otezla (apremilast) "I've had psoriasis for 15 years, with 75% of my legs covered. I've tried various steroid creams and laser, but it came back as soon as I stopped. I was on Enbrel for 1 year with great success but then it stopped working. Switched to Humira and it worked great for 3 years, then it stopped working. Switched to Otezla with high hopes, but it never really worked even though I took it for 4 months. My psoriasis didn't worsen while I was on it, but it never improved either. As for side effects, I did experience a mild upset stomach all day long and sudden urges to go to the bathroom, but these lessened after about a month or so. I'm prediabetic and did note that when I stopped Humira and started Otezla my fasting blood sugar readings were much higher than normal. Now my doctor has switched me to Cosentyx and after 2 weeks am already seeing improvement."

• SKW
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 17, 2019

Otezla (apremilast) "I have had plaque psoriasis for nearly 35 years. Tried all the topicals and just lived with it. I was having some minor depression and Dr gave me Wellbutrin and about 2 weeks in my body broke out in a wellbutrin /bupropion induced Erythrodermic Psoriasis which is life threatening. 85% of my body was covered with huge patches of open skin and extreme burning. You could feel the heat coming off my body. My Derm put me on 60mg of Prednisone that I took for a week until it made me so ill I couldn't function and I stopped it. My skin cleared completely within a few days. At that point I started Otezla. I'm 3 months in and my skin is still clear but it take Otezla a few months to 'work' so I'm not sure if I'm naturally clear or if the Otezla is actually doing something. The DOWN side is the first few weeks I had a constant pressure headache and after each dose I would feel really lousy for a few hours. So 3 months in I have basically had a headache for 3 months and feel lousy, lethargic, and blah."

• Yo mo...
• May 18, 2016

Otezla (apremilast) "Started Otezla aftertaste years of psoriasis and the onset of psoriatic arthritis. I saw results within two weeks and was completely clear after second week. I did not have any side of effects except a slight headache, I did nothing different drank beer while on it no side effects."

• BB Ash
• October 31, 2018

Otezla (apremilast) "Whelp, the psoriasis cleared (mostly) after having it on my arms, neck, stomach, and scalp (lost a lot of hair) so I broke down and started Otezla. I’ve been on it for almost a year & after being an active & healthy adult (psoriasis aside), I’ve had the worst health issues I could imagine. The nausea, loss of appetite (lost 25 lbs in a year), depression and immediate, runny bowel movements after eating have all driven me crazy. I hated the psoriasis more than anything (which kept me on the med this long) & my dermatologists (that’s right, there have been two) convincingly told me none of these were side effects & advised me to change other aspects of my life (stress levels, diet - which has always been healthy & balanced, etc) as those were to blame for what I was experiencing. I’m sad that it’s taken me this long to do my own in-depth research only to find out these are common & ARE in fact side effects. I need my health back! Even if it means I’m itchy and bald!"

• CVL
• September 16, 2018

Otezla (apremilast) "I’ve been on Otezla for about 4-5 months now. The first month I definitely saw some clearing in my original areas which were always on the upper part of my feet, scalp and a bit on my knees every now and then. Now starting my 5th month on it, I’ve begun to get breakouts in places I’ve never ever had problems like my fingers, wrists and as of the past couple days the soles of my feet. I’ve never had so many breakout areas...when I told my dermatologist in my follow up that I wasn’t cómpletely sure it was working, her first reaction was to keep me on Otezla until the end of the year to give it time to work. When I told her I’d been feeling a bit down and had nausea...she told me straight up that statistically most people suffer from depression so not to worry. I really got the vibe that she didn’t care and that she’s probably getting a commission from Otezla for keeping me on it. I’m really considering getting off it...Otezla for me has done more bad than good."

• Anonymous
• October 27, 2015

Otezla (apremilast) "took starter pack for 13 days and felt like I was in a fog all the time- on the 10th day started to have dizziness- by the 13th day it was so bad I stopped it. My doctor said to stop it for one week and then only take it once a day. Will see if that works or not . Both the company nor the doctor ever mention these effects!"

• Donagh
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 4, 2016

Otezla (apremilast) "Worked fantastically well after a short period of side effects (stomach pain and other gastrointestinal issues). Psoriasis has practically cleared, leaving only pale patches where it had been. Experienced significant weight loss, likely due to the stomach issues."

• Weight
• May 25, 2017

Otezla (apremilast) "This medication is like a miracle. I have gone from no fingernails no toenails no skin on my feet to almost completely healed. It takes some time for the medicine to kick in but this has been a life changer. My fingernails are coming back my psoriasis is much more manageable all because of a Otezela. The medicine I took before was a biologic and it made me so sick and tired and fatigued and depressed. So thank you to those that make this product this is a great thing for people with horrible psoriasis it is such an Insidious disease."

• Iron...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2018

Otezla (apremilast) "Third day in the starter pack. Marked improvement in scale and red cracked skin on my face, scalp and belly button. Slight stomach discomfort on day one, barely noticed. I work out riding a bike 21 miles, 1.2 hours daily, which I feel may help me also. Hopeful. I can see people now, and not feel judged for my skin."

• Jctoys
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 20, 2017

Otezla (apremilast) "Otezla worked for me. (Please read entire review). A little bit of a stomach ache for about a week for about an hour after each of the twice daily doses. I was given the drug for several months due to my financial state. First the free Otezla stopped at 3 months, My psoriasis came back, a little worse than before. Talked with dermatologist and they got it reinstated, and my skin again slowly cleared. But again, like before the gratis product ended at 3 months. My skin is now worse than ever. I guess I am looking for an answer. Does taking this product with success and then stopping trigger a worse condition than when it was started. I really appreciate the company giving the product as paying $1233.00 p/mo as it was is impossible for me to afford it"