NANCY

For Nancy, living with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis led her to stop doing what she loved most – volunteering with her storytelling group. But thanks to ILUMYA®, she’s ready to rewrite her story.

I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in 2016.

Like I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in 2016. At its worst, the rashes and flakes covered the majority of my body and held me back from doing the things I loved — volunteering with my storytelling group and spending time in nature. There was one week where I spent every day in bed because my plaques were so painful. My dermatologist prescribed a few different treatments before ultimately recommending a biologic treatment, ILUMYA®. After starting ILUMYA®, my skin started to clear. With fewer and fewer painful plaques, I was able to get back to doing daily activities. I stopped missing important events and spent time with my family again.

When I meet other people with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, it seems like we’ve all had similar journeys to find a long-lasting treatment. While it’s comforting to hear other people have gone through the same things that I have, I also don’t want anyone to experience what I did. If someone was living with flare-ups, I’d tell them to speak to their dermatologist about biologic treatments, such as ILUMYA®, for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis.

I once heard a quote that I try to live by every day:

I would not describe myself as a happy person. I describe myself as a cheerful person. A happy person has no worries. A cheerful person has worries but has learned how to manage them.

I recently shared my full story on The Mighty. If you want to learn more about my experience, click below.

FINALLY FINDING BALANCE

I was diagnosed with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in 2016, which quickly progressed and mostly kept me inside the house. Those first few years were tough, but I finally found the relief I was looking for with ILUMYA®—it balances an overactive immune system for lasting results.

And I’m not the only one. I recently met fellow ILUMYA® patients Mike, Holly, and Pete, and we instantly bonded over our long journeys. Different roads led us to where we are today, but we’re all so grateful to have found the right treatment for us. One that works from the inside out.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

What is the most important information I should know about ILUMYA® (tildrakizumab-asmn)?

Do not use ILUMYA® if you have had a severe allergic reaction to ILUMYA® or any of its ingredients.

Get emergency medical help right away if you get any of the following symptoms of a serious allergic reaction:

feel faint
trouble breathing or throat tightness
swelling of your face, eyelids, lips, mouth, tongue or throat
chest tightness
skin rash

What is ILUMYA®?

ILUMYA® is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis who may benefit from taking injections, pills (systemic therapy), or phototherapy (treatment using ultraviolet or UV light).

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION (continued)

ILUMYA® is a medicine that may lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections. Your healthcare provider should check you for infections and tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with ILUMYA® and may treat you for TB before you begin treatment with ILUMYA® if you have a history of TB or have active TB. Your healthcare provider should watch you closely for signs and symptoms of TB during and after treatment with ILUMYA®.

Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have an infection or have symptoms of an infection, including:

fever, sweats, or chills
muscle aches
weight loss
cough
warm, red, or painful skin or sores on your body different from your psoriasis
diarrhea or stomach pain
shortness of breath
burning when you urinate or urinating more often than normal
blood in your phlegm (mucus)

Before receiving ILUMYA®, tell your healthcare provider about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

have any of the conditions or symptoms listed in the section “What is the most important information I should know about ILUMYA®?”
have an infection that does not go away or that keeps coming back
have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB
recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine (immunization). You should avoid receiving live vaccines during treatment with ILUMYA®.
are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if ILUMYA® can harm your unborn baby.
are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if ILUMYA® passes into your breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements.

It is not known if ILUMYA® is safe and effective in children under 18 years of age.

What are the possible side effects of ILUMYA®?

ILUMYA® may cause serious side effects. See “What is the most important information I should know about ILUMYA®?”

The most common side effects of ILUMYA® include: upper respiratory infections, injection site reactions and diarrhea. These are not all of the possible side effects of ILUMYA®. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects.