How long does tocilizumab stay in your system

[Kershon]

Hi all

Does anybody know how long toci usually stays in your system? As it is weekly I was thinking not that long maybe a month at best. I was due a hip replacement on the 23rd July so stoped the toci 2 weeks before. The op got cancelled 3 days before because my iron was low but that righted itself quickly and I was given a new date of 21st August. As they were concerned about infection from a wisdom tooth that was due to be removed they decided to do that inbetween so i couldn't restart the toci resulting in it being 7 weeks before i could restart. I was concerned that I would have issues with my joints in this time especially as my hands and wrists are usually the worst effected and using crutches would aggrevate them. It has turned out that I haven't had any problem and now restarted the toci. This has been a very pleasant surprise bit I am curious as to if this is normal? A part of me was tempted not to restart the toci as maybe the hip pain was triggering the RA to be so bad but chickened out of that one lol. Is there ever a case that it just dissapears, seems unlikely as i have e had it for 30years. Also on methotrexate and sulphusalazine but that was doing nothing prior to starting the toci only 6 months before. Previously only humira which stopped working.

[Amandajane64]

Hi, ive recently been off my tocz for about 2 and half mths because of an infection. Restarted again now thankfully because the awfull pain has started to kick in, needed a course of steroid to help while it gets back in my system. Ive been off it once before and i find 2mths is probably the point when it stops being effective and symptoms return.

[Kershon in reply to Amandajane64]

Ok thanks. As i was off 7 weeks so it could still be holding it at bay. Thanks for your reply x

[dwsurquhart]

At the start of Covid19 I went off Toci for 12 weeks. After around 10 weeks I could really feel I needed it again. My heart rate was up, energy way down and crp levels were elevated.

[Kershon in reply to dwsurquhart]

Thanks for sharing. Could I ask did it take ages for it to build back up? When I started on toci it was nearly 4 months befire it started to work. X

[dwsurquhart in reply to Kershon]

I get monthly infusions, and it brought my crp and pain levels way down in less than 2 weeks.

[Kershon in reply to dwsurquhart]

Thanks that's good to know

[Brushwork]

I would love for RA to disappear, alas it doesn't. All I know is that Tocilizumab works well for me, and I am aware when my next dose is due as I start to feel the RA resurfacing. Maybe it is psychosomatic? However, I would imagine it would be a least a month before the difference would be significant. Of course, this is guess work for me.