Benlysta Blog

So I have decided that today is going to be dedicated to Benlysta. For those of you without Lupus, this is the newest FDA approved drug to treat Lupus. It is an IV infusion and is the first drug designed to treat Lupus, as well as the only drug to be FDA approved to treat Lupus in over 52 years! This is my newest medication that was added to my already established arsenal of drugs. I LOVE it...it has given me my life back. It did not cure my Lupus, but it surely has helped reduce my flare activity and helped me to hurt less and be less fatigued.

 

Everybody's body reacts differently to any drug, so I won't make a blanketed statement that this drug will work for everyone, but it has done wonders for me! My doctor's office administers this IV to at least 18 patients, and the nurses told me that every one of them had a positive reaction to the drug...now some had to stop their infusions for different reasons (like insurance, costs, or infections) but I was told that every patient could tell a difference in a positive direction.

This was exciting to me as I started my infusions, but I wasn't 100% that I would fit into that category of 'patients helped'...it sounded to good to be true. Time is a testament. After one year of infusions every 4 weeks, I feel better than I have since my diagnosis. This drug works and if you have Lupus, I would highly recommend you fighting to try Benlysta---I call my infusions my "date with Ben". This is a date night any Lupus patient could benefit from, even if it was only a small difference. My results did not show until after 3 weeks, but my body has not been responsive to any other drugs prescribed by my rhuemy (other than prednisone) over the past 5 years. Please, do the research if you or a loved one has Lupus and consider this drug;) I'm hooked!

 

Here are a couple sites that I like relating to Benlysta:

1. http://www.benlysta.com/

2.Lupus Research Institute: What is Benlysta?

3.FDA- Benlysta

 

I am also a member of a wonderful Facebook Community called Benlysta Buddies, where you can go and chat and read what other Lupus patients taking Benlysta experience. This is my daily go to guide. An absolute LOVE!

 

 

Ben, Ben, what would I do,

If ever I had to live without you?

I'd probably hurt and feel pretty blue,

Who am I kidding, I couldn't make it through!

 

But on a serious note, I think tomorrow I will take a few minutes to write a thank you note to Human Genome, the company who manufactures Benlysta. As a matter of fact, this week I am going to try to thank some of the different doctors and people, as well as companies, that have helped me through my Lupus. We spend a lot of time critiquing those in the medical field that make things harder for people like us, constant and chronic patients, but I think I want to make sure I thank those big players in my physical changes lately! I'll let you know how that goes! God is good!