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Enbrel update

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Posted 6/23/2008 12:57 AM (GMT 0)

I've been away for a while!  I was hardly able to work at one point recently in my life, and since I've been feeling well I've ended up with two jobs here recently!

Just wondering if anyone else is on Enbrel and what their experience has been like.  Mine has been like this:

I've been on Enbrel, once a week, 50 shot autoinjector, for nine months now. 

about every 5th or 6th autoinjector shot I give myself feels like a bee sting.  My doctor said her other patients that use the autoinjector say the same thing, and the people who use the syringe have less pain.  It actually makes me a bit apprehensive about each shot now and I have two or three false starts before I can make myself hit the button, but I simply remind myself that a bee sting is better than agonizing, incessant pain. 

I have been pretty much symptom-free ever since a few days after starting.  I have had no side effects to speak of.

I do not believe I have gotten any infections as a result of taking Enbrel (unlike with Prednisone, which caused a multitude of illnesses).  I have had to skip a few shots because I've had a respiratory infection or two (of note:  they were extremely mild illnesses). 

Recently I missed several weeks and a bit of inflamation came back, and once starting up again on Enbrel it actually did NOT seem as effective.  My doctor said this was not uncommon, and I'm not real happy about that.  But hey, at least I can sleep, walk up stairs, and pick up my kid - there was a time when I couldn't do any of that so I will take it!

Hope all is well with the regulars.  I will try to come back and visit more often!

Posted 6/23/2008 8:25 PM (GMT 0)

I'm also on Enbrel, however I use the sub q's and split my dose in half and inject twice weekly.  I tried the autoinjector at the doctors office and I didn't like it there, and then there was a mix up with my prescription and I just ended up with the sub q's.

The 50mg once  a week just wasn't lasting for me and I would end up in pain in the middle of the week, but now with a dose every few days, I feel great!  I missed two doses and I really felt it, by the end of the second week I could hardly get out of bed and the fatigue was mind numbing! However, once back on my shots, I felt great again.

I have been on the Enbrel for close to 4 months so it takes a bit for it to really start working, and it took me a bit to get used to the shots, and I don't think I would get used to the auto injector.  At least with the sub q's you can take your time and have some control over how fast you inject.

Posted 6/24/2008 11:01 PM (GMT 0)
hey there leeloo.. yup, the auto-injectors hurt me too.. I let them sit out, for about 20 minutes, til they get room temperature before I inject.. that seems to help a bit.. but I was on the 50 mg syringe before, and they never hurt.. and when I went to the 50 mg auto - injectors, I thought I had been given a bad batch! I am hoping to switch back to the 50 mg syringes this year (since my scripts are for a year).. where do you inject?
Posted 6/27/2008 2:58 PM (GMT 0)
My doctor suggested the once a week 50 for me because Enbrel has a half-life of 60 hours, and a once a week shot gives your immune system a chance to recover a bit before the next dose whereas a twice a week shot keeps the system more supressed.

I rotate the shot between 4 areas: each thigh and each side of my abdomen.  I leave it out for 30 minutes beforehand.

The stuff seems to work though.  For me, initially, Enbrel worked immediately, but after the lapse in medication recently I'm just not the same as before - a very little amount of pain in the knees and in my right foot.  A dim reminder of much worse times from the past!

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