Testing positive for covid and am am taking a biologic.Like my head the info is a bit wooly, but I think it maybe that I should suspend the biologic until covid test is negative.
Presume this is correct as i think it should make sense.
Is anyone in similar circumstances able to confirm or otherwise?
Thanks.
Yes you have to withhold your biologic till you are symptom free and testing negative. If anyone in the house also has covid, they should be testing negative too before you restart. If your also on a dmard that also needs to be stopped
When I had Covid last week the doctor at the CMDU (Covid Medicine Delivery Unit) told me not to stop my leflunomide to reduce my risk of flaring. His opinion was that if I started flaring that would cause more issues for my immune system than taking a DMARD.
Stopping biologics I think is pretty standard but stopping DMARDs is more individual depending on how active your disease is and how likely you are to flare. He asked lots of questions about my RA and how well controlled it was before giving me that advice.
Advice I’ve been given is to stop until I feel better in myself. I kept trying to go back on my JAK after testing negative but it took 10 weeks before I could. Each time I tried it I felt awful.
Yes stop your biologic until a week after your feel better was the advice I was given.
Sorry to hear you’ve got Covid but it’s not surprising as it’s so prevalent at the moment.
Which biologic are you on now? Still Benepali, which I recall you mentioned on a previous post? It’s probably a good idea to contact your Rheumy team/helpline to ask advice. Are you eligible for antiviral drugs? If so seek those quickly.
I’m on Tocilizumab and have been warned to be very careful to avoid infections, particularly because that biologic often suppresses temperature and can potentially hide a fever! Whilst Covid is of course a virus, it can often cause us to get infections too as we have suppressed immune systems. I have to stop my Tocilizumab until I’ve fully recovered from any infection.
In your situation I suggest you do seek medical advice and 111 is your best bet as it’s now the weekend.
I’ve had to stop my Benepali injections as I started with a Secondary Sjögren’s flare up in my eyes. As I can never get to see a GP, I went to the opticians just to check my eyes in mid November. She gave me a full eye examination and scans, because I couldn’t stand the light, suggested darker tinted transition lenses and gave me some eye gel (in those stupid vials that you can’t press with RA)!
The drops didn’t help, just stuck my eyes together so I asked my GP if they could prescribe steroid eye drops. No - go to A&E. On the first visit I stupidly went with a rollator/chair and after nearly 3 hours could no longer bear the pain in my back (DDD with rotational scoliosis). We went back the next day, with my electric wheelchair, to be told the wait was longer but the duty Opthalmologist was on her way. I eventually saw her. She had a cursory glance at my eyes and told me if I had Sjögren’s I should be used to this and just continue either the eye drops & gel. Then the headache, sore throat, swollen glands, swollen salivary glands started andcI was ill all over Christmas. I went to a walk-in centre on New Year’s Eve miles away. I saw a nurse practitioner who diagnosed a bad case of tonsillitis (Quinsy?!) and prescribed antibiotics. It was all downhill from there as they set off acute gastritis so I couldn’t eat. No GP help. Not interested as it’s a Rheumatology issue (gastritis?). I’ve been off Benepali since November but have to wait until I feel well enough to do battle as I’ve been in bed since Boxing Day now Just hoping nobody else has to go through this. Of course, I now have diarrhoea and am starting with a cold. I’m seriously considering never going back on biologics but hoping 2024 improves Happy New Year everyone. xx
Goodness you poor soul! We all seem to spend so much time navigating, pressing, waiting, complaining and hurting! Not tomention putting on a brave face. Good luck everyone in 2024!
Oh gosh you poor thing. You seem to have had a tough time over Christmas and New Year so I hope you're on the mend now but if not do get some medical help. Meanwhile, rest as much as possible, and don't hesitate to take painkillers to help you feel more comfortable.
I tested positive I'm on methotrexate and a biologic I stopped both .Was given antiviral drugs on Saturday and now tested negative today. Hope you feel better soon
Restarting RA meds after having Covid
Covid 
biologic therapy 
Covid & Antivirals
Covid & medications 
