Patient Stories
While there may be challenges to living with non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), you’re not alone. From their road to getting a diagnosis to finding a treatment that works for them, hear from real CIMZIA patients about their journeys.
Individual results may vary.
I no longer think about pain every day. It’s no longer my constant companion.
- Brandy, CIMZIA patient
Individual results may vary.
Continue to stay firm in your own sense of self and truth. And don't stop until you have [your questions] answered.
- Beth, CIMZIA patientIndividual results may vary.
Early diagnosis and honest conversations with your rheumatologist about your symptoms are key to success in managing your nr-axSpA.
Meet Beth
Beth enjoyed dancing since childhood. But she had to put her active lifestyle on hold due to her painful nr-axSpA symptoms. Struggling to get answers about her condition, Beth learned how to advocate for herself and to never give up. Watch as Beth gets help for her symptoms and regains the momentum of her life with help from CIMZIA.
Individual results may vary.
BETH
[00:00:17]
Hey, I'm Beth and I take CIMZIA® to help manage my symptoms with nr-axSpA. I was a dancer all through grade school, all through high school, all through college. It was very cool.
[00:00:30]
And it quickly became who I was. Like, I was a dancer. That was my purpose. And I actually started teaching and that quickly became where I felt most complete. I had had lower back pain for so long and lower back pain makes sense for a dancer. I started having pain that was unfamiliar. It was completely new.
[00:01:00]
I was so exhausted from dealing with the pain. I had gone to the urgent care already two times over the last month and got seen by a PA. I was sent to a rheumatologist from the PA. That's when I realized what I knew to be my future what I knew to be who I was. My body was not going to allow that to happen.
[00:01:25]
It just really showed me that this was a turning point that I needed to be able to take control of instead of continuing down this path. While trying to find out just what was going on with me, there was this recurring theme of not getting enough information. I was even fired by one of my doctors for asking too many questions. But I know my body and I knew this pain was different than anything I'd known before.
[00:01:51]
So I kept pushing. My back pain was cause for concern for about 10 years before I figured out this is something that can be named and managed. After trying to find answers for so long I was finally diagnosed with nr-axSpA and prescribed CIMZIA. In time, the medication started working on my symptoms and I was able to pick back up the momentum for my life.
[00:02:24]
I'm still present in my life and that's something I'm managing versus me being in pain and seeking to be present with my family and the rest of my life. My advice to others with nr-axSpA would be to trust your gut and be your own advocate.
[00:02:48]
Just continue to stay firm in your own sense of self and truth and navigate as far as you have to until someone will meet you there versus letting doctors say or letting any kind of practitioner say, “Oh it's probably just.” Let's get to an answer and have the questions that you have answered.
With CIMZIA, I don’t have to deal as much with the waves and chaos of pain.
- Beth, CIMZIA patient
Individual results may vary.