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Has Enbrel Ever Failed For You?

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 2/20/2009 1:58 PM (GMT 0)

Hi, i'm 20 years old and have been diagnosed with sero-negative arthritis since i was 13-14. it had attacked various joints including my right knee, right ankle, ring finger on my right hand and right elbow, and most recently my left ankle/calf. i have been on various meds including sulphasalozine (spelt completely wrong!) which gave me a full body rash, methotrexate on the highest dosage which made me physically sick for 3 days afterwards, and i have now been on enbrel injections for 3 and a half years. i started on 2x25mg dosages a week, now im down to 1x25mg once a week and it worked wonders. however 3 days ago i had a major flare up of my left ankle and i went to A&E who gave me crutches and anti-inflamatorys, and i went to my doctors to get a prescription for my NSAID Arcoxia, which was the wonder pill for me growing up. everyday is now getting better and i have managed to get an emergency appointment with my specialist on monday morning, however i was just wondering if this has ever happened to anyone else?? can enbrel stop working suddenly? if it has, what was the next step?? i was told i would grow out of it but after 7 years, it's now becoming a pain. i'm due to start a teacher training course in September and i'm worried i won't pass the medical and don't seem fit enough to teach confused

Posted 2/20/2009 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Shell

Welcome to this wonderful forum full of lots of advice and encouragement tongue

It is good you got so much out of Enbrel. Maybe what you are experiencing will just go away as fast as it came. Are you experiencing a cold or something? This  could be the reason for the  flare. Or have  you eaten something or done  something different, maybe you over did it?

Don't be in too much of a hurry to think it is all over with Embrel. May be you need to go back on the higher dose for a while or boost it up with pregnosone. 

You are getting better with Arcoxia, that must be a relief!!!

I can't say if Embrel would suddenly stop working- I had to stop it after 4 injections because of site rashes/celulitus.

If you find that the Embrel has given up, there are plenty more drugs out there to help you along. Reading  the posts you will see that others are swopping and changing as they try to manage their disease

Hang in there !!!

We with RA "climb mountains" that no one else sees and so can smile to ourselves

Best wishes

 

Posted 2/20/2009 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
hello
no no cold or anything like that, i've been going to the gym but since october so i've not done anything new recently, it is definately just a random flare up! i'm going for blood tests on monday for them to check my levels so i shall have to see what my specialist suggests! i still have a lot of pain though, i can put more weight on it than previous days, but my ankle and up my calf is still red hot and inflamed, strange for my calf to as it has always just been the joint before! iv got a bandage support on as i find i can walk better with one on, and have been using a crutch when outside, i'm just trying to keep it moving as my foot is leaning to one side and have been told it can begin to stay like like if it isn't moved, my finger is now disfigured after it attacked that joint so don't want the same happening to my foot!
Posted 2/20/2009 11:46 PM (GMT 0)
 

Hi Shell

It's good that the bandage is helping. You say that your calf is involved. I find when I have trouble with my knees, as I am at the moment I find that the area above becomes large, so I wonder if this is what is happening with your ankle.

Another thought - Do you think you may have twisted your ankle, it is easily done?

The hot and inflames gets me though. Have you got red lines on the surface of the swollen area suggesting cellulitus?

Or if your left knee has broken a bakers cyst, this could drain down you leg and affect your ankle as discribed.

In any case rest up and have your left leg supported on a foot rest.

 

Watch that those crutches don't cause other problems by wearing out your good side and underarms turn

Your rhemy will come to the rescue on Monday.

Best wishes

Posted 2/24/2009 12:29 AM (GMT 0)

I was just diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis and I am in fear. I am a 52, soon 53, year old man who has been healthy. It started in my toes on one foot, then the other, then my wrists, then achey in the joints.I am waiting for my rheumotologist appointment in two weeks, but in the mean time my internist prescribed an anti inflammatory drug called  nabumetone 500 mg 2x/day.

I also have seen an acupuncurist and am tkaing the enzym wobenzym N.

Can anyone share their story of having PA.

Thanks

Posted 2/24/2009 12:04 PM (GMT 0)
 

Hi Evensdad

It's awlful that you are suffering............... I am so sorry.

The Nabumetone is a non-steroidal that is an anti-inflammatory that is a good stand-by. 

Once you get to your rheumy, he may direct you onto other medication.

So all the best with that. wink  

To get the best of this site though, I suggest you find a post that is discussing psoriatic arthritis, or click on "new" and begin a new post.

Calling your new post "suffering Psoriatic arthritis, please help", will attract the help you need. I do not have psoriatic arthritis and so I can't advise you.

Take your time and navigate around this wonderful site with lots of beautiful, helpful people.

Take care

Posted 2/24/2009 3:53 PM (GMT 0)
i went to my specialist and it turned out it is kind of good news as it wasn't my arthritis coming back which means the enbrel is still working!! however it is sort of bad news as i have vein phlebitis which he believes is caused by my contraceptive pill, and it affects 1 in 20,000 people a year, what are the odds! so i have been advised to stop taking it and rest up until it is gone, it's been a week now and the pain is still there, i am at university and resting really isn't an option, especially as a finalist but thankyou kangaroo for your help :)
Posted 2/25/2009 12:37 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Shell

I'm glad that your problem has been pin pointed.

Looking back at my list -ouch - I did get kind of carried away. smilewinkgrin

Phlebitis as you say isn't the best of news and the treatment is simple- you've gotta rest when you've gotta rest. Sometimes our health gets in the way and ignoring what needs to be done can compound the problem. Resting for a few days may prevent the problem lasting for weeks and leading to something more serious. Sorry to hound on this point of resting, but you don't want to develop deep vein thromboses(DVT):)

Hope is goes away real quick 

Posted 2/27/2009 6:26 PM (GMT 0)
Because Methotrexate has failed me in the past after having worked for so long, I was worried that Enbrel (aka My Wonderful Magic RA Cure) might stop working at some point. My doctor told me that yes, it could stop working one day. A detail of interest: she noted that taking it regularly is very important. In the past I had been very quick to skip a shot if I had a cold or even the slightest hint of an illness. She said if you go off Enbrel it may not be as effective when you re-start.
Posted 2/28/2009 5:21 AM (GMT 0)

Hi leeloo

You said that you are  worried that Embrel might stop working cry

Hey your rheumy still has lots of magic potions for you to try. yeah yeah

And they may  even be better than you can imagine turn turn turn

So enjoy the ride on the enbrel, and if you come to a hill where it just hasn't got what it takes any more,get  a new model

Posted 9/13/2009 1:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hello All, I am new here.  I saw a post from Shell2906 and I am hoping she is still on this forum.  The diagnosis of sero-negative arthritis caught my eye because that is what I was finally diagnosed with about 11 years ago.  I HAVE NOT HEARD OF OR KNOWN ANYONE GIVEN THIS DIAGNOSES BEFORE.  My title is sero-negative inflammatory arthritis.  It is very difficult to talk to anyone about, as the only thing remotely similar is RA.  I do not have the Rheumatoid factor in my blood and my swelling isn't mirrored (I mean that my right knee can be swollen but not my left, in RA both sides of the body mirror each other and swelling occurs at the same time in the same joints).  I used to get bad swelling in my fingers and hands but for the past few years it has ravaged my knees, ankles and feet. So I am really curious to talk to Shell2906 and compare our stories.

 

I am on Enbrel, it worked fantastic for about 5 months.  I noticed it's effectiveness within an hour of taking it.  However, I have been on it since May 2008 and I am really not sure what it is doing for me now.  I don't have times where my swelling is ever gone, sometimes it's so bad I can't walk. I take a lot of Advil.  Methotrexate and Plaquinel never worked for me, although my Rhuematologist wants me to take methotrexate with the Enbrel.  If the Enbrel doesn't work for me and the methotrexate never did work... how are the 2 going to give me relief?  Sounds like a poisonious mix to me, for no results.  Because I don't have RA or any other "normal textbook case" of arthritis, I sometimes wonder if I following the right course of treatment.

 

So shell2906, if you're still out there I'd love to hear from you.  I would love to talk to others with issues of chronic inflammation and how it affects their lives. 

Thanks!

Posted 9/29/2009 4:53 AM (GMT 0)
 Hi there ___Mom

It's not shell responding here, I wonder where she is ?

In any case mom, all RA's are not pretty, and many here will be able to relate with the pain, the swelling and the stiffness. And because our legs to support all of our weight in mobility, these joints give the worst problems.

My rheumy has given me a script for methotrexate. She knows it doesn't work for me andm told me not to take methotrexate. She just issues the script because it is government policy" All who are on mabthera, must be on methotrexatel"

I think it is probably the same for you. If the methotrexate doesn't agree with you, don't take it, and no-one will be the wiser.

I think all these drugs loose their magic over time, and it varies with each individual. It sounds like it is time for you to move on to the next ammunition that your rheumy has up his sleeve. There is a promise, the medication at the end of the list is the best, so do the drug walk .............

All the best and take care

Debbie

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