Biologics Rage

Biologics tend to cause a lot of issues in the body. They are huge medications - heavy-hitters - so they take their toll. This includes the emotions. I always thought it was just me, but apparently Biologics Rage is real!!!

It was SO bad when I was on Remicade that I needed to be fully medicated in order to sleep through the four-hour infusion. It was likely the combination if Remicade and the 50mg Prednisone I would be required to take (which can also cause rage). I remember the slightest things setting me off into this fit of absolute chaos in my brain. I would say 99% of the time I would not act on this chaos or say anything, but my head would be filled with nonstop curse words and I would be screaming inside my mind. If someone else in the clinic turned their book page too loudly I would want to scream. If the tv kept getting off-kilter with the visual and auditory cues, I would want to scream. If the nurse checked my blood pressure two minutes earlier than the scheduled time, I would want to scream.
It was awful. I was a basket case angerball. My only saving grace was that I had already experienced a lot of time on Prednisone, so I found ways of swallowing it back and biting my tongue so that I didn't say anything I would regret.

Enbrel and Humira also caused some Biologics Rage, but being a quick sub-q injection, and without being on Prednisone, it was a lot milder.

This new Cosentyx is no different. Surprisingly, I had completely forgotten about this reaction when I started this new Biologic, and when I was doing the 5 week long build-up phase, I noticed that on Tuesdays I tended to be irritated. That, for whatever reason, on Tuesday, for 5 weeks in a row, I was just frustrated and irritated and annoyed by the smallest things, and I had no idea why. There was one day when I even retreated to the bedroom all day because I was so utterly annoyed, but I KNEW that it wasn't 'real' in a sense. I had no justifiable reason to be so upset, so I hid in my bedroom.

Once the third Tuesday hit, the coincidence also hit me. I had done my Cosentyx injection each Monday. I was experiencing a milder version of this Biologics Rage, with a delayed response.

Last night I took my Cosentyx injection... so I am preparing today in case every little tiny thing starts to set me off. So far I just feel a little more irritable... though not severe. At least not yet.

I swear - Biologics Rage is a thing!

So if you are on a Biologic and you have been feeling more irritable, for no apparent reason, perhaps you are also experiencing Biologics Rage. The best thing to do is watch a movie you love, listen to music you love, and when you feel you're about to lose it on something or someone else, take a deep breath, swallow it back, and if you are still overly angry about it the following day, address it then.
And always remember that you are not alone!