looks like i am starting enbrel !

hi everyone, just came back from the rhuemmy - he couldnt belive i waited so long to let him know how bad i had gotten.  i guess when u cant wash your hair or curl it it is time to admit things are pretty bad. 

i was told about 3 choices  the remicade which i think is the infusion and not condusive to my work schedule.  the other one which i forgot already.........which is humira?  yeh, any way i thought that enbrel fit my needs and lifestyle and i must tell you after coming home and viewing the video i am so hopeful i could spit! no really to think i will do things again without the pain and limitations.  the mtx just never did it 100% but i was better for a short stint although my rhuemmy said he always documented that i culd benifit from a tnf inhibitor just didnt think i was ready for more meds.  i told him i am at the point of lay it on me and make me free and mobile again.  so anyway i should start within the week - he said i have enough documentation the insurance should provide.  i only hope tomorrow at work i dont hear my provider has been cut!

well i feel like a kid in a candy store i hope this works for me and i can enjoy summer!!!!!  heres to better days!  yalin

mtx too! gosh i hope i am not too positive if that is possible but like so many others i jsut want to be fixed and go on with life...... heres to hope!

Hey is this a crazy club. I am taking MTX and Enbrel. I started out with 20 mgs of MTX and the 50 of Enbrel we have cut the MTX to 15 my doc says they work much better together and not to expect to get off the MTX. He said I meght be able to go a little lower over time. I did notice the reduction in the MTX. I don't have 100% relief but I am better. I don't know I would be much worse without treatment. Yalinda thid is exciting for you I called Enbrel and did the Enliven program. They sent me a travel pack shaps container etc. They are also there to answer questions for you. Like when I froze my medication! The nurses are a litttle robotic and read you the party line in response to a question.

 Hi Yalinda, its the bear cross threading. Can you please tell me what enbrel is and what it is used for? RA?

Is it a propriatory brand or generic? I've never heard of it. I read all the drug neames ijn the variuos threads and we don;t seem to have them here or if we do they are called soemthing else. I spoke to my doctor about the meds that they take on the pd forum and asked why we don't hear of them in the UK and was told that they were considered outdated in the UK and that we use the morem recently developed drugs like mmy patch therapy.

Is this something to do with patents and drugs that are out of patent are cheaper to get hold of for those people who have to fund their own meds? There is so  much I don't know about your system, I've just responded to elcamino saying we don't know how lucky we are here in the UK.

Stay well yalinda and I'm really pleased you have had some good vibes.

Stay well

The Bear

no thanks duck i didnt see all the great responses from everyone thanks guys! el i knew u would be happy for me..... thanks harley! i am sooooooooo hopeful all my pain will vanish... i know i am putting a ot into one drug but the vieo they gave me to watch was so hopeful! i have the loot in my fridge and see the nurse on friday to learn how to take the injection. i plan on going back to work after the injection will i have any side effects that driving and seeing clients might not be a good idea? or will i feel like myself and not notice???

cant wait! i wanna be active this summer and swim so i hope this works!

Yalinda......I drive and see clients too...Sounds like human services. The only side effect I have had is a loss of apetite. I lost aliitle wieght when I first started. I never felt sick and no other side effects. I did have a respiratory infection but I think I was sick when I started the Enbrel. I do feel much better and I am able to do things I have not done for the last two years. I am not 100% but working on it.The nurse said it can take three months to get relief. I could tell the differance the second week. I pray that it is the one for you. I use the sureclick auto injector. I don't even notice the Enbrel at all now. I don't even have a red spot. A word to the wise let the enbrel warm up to room temp prior to use. Ask the nurse at Enliven. She told me the injection could stay out for several hours. I think if you are filling the injections yourself you would want the bulk of the meds in the frig but let the filled enjection get room temp. I can't even feel the medication going in when it is not cold. I also got to go off most of my other medications which was great.

hi everyone. thanks for all the support! yep i took the shot no problems on friday. didnt even feel it! just like u all said.....
yep harley i am in human services. this driving is costing me a bundle these days as we cover 8 counties so i can drive over 200 miles a day! at over 3 bucks a gallon it soon will be costing me more to work than my pay! lol
has anyone taken anything to boost ur immune system esp since i work with so many different peps- my clients? crazy question but i know i am trying to weaken the attack but i hope i dont get sick always either?
babyplace how r u doing?

Hi Yalinda,
Fingers crossed, second dose of mtx yesterday, and so far so good. A little queasy, burny stomach yesterday but nothing like last weekend at all!! Next week I'm supposed to double the dose, 2 in am and 2 in pm. I'm hoping that just becase I increase the meds it won't mean the effects are doubled?! Idon't know if this will help or not, but I asked my doc about taking something to strengthen my immune system and she said not to. She said -that RA is from an immune system that is already too acitve, and the meds are supposed to suppress it a bit. So, if I taking something to strenghten the immune system, it sorts of works against what she's trying to do. Anyway, not sure if I got it right, like I said before I have a lot to learn about all of this and I'm so confused!!
The doc told me to take a multi, calcium, and that fish oil would be good. Iused to take the pro-biotics that Ducky menitoned, forgot about them until I read her post, think I'll ge t some again. Also need to grab some more hand sanitizer, with the daycare kids here, someone is always passing something! Seems our house is nothing but diapers and dog hair most days. Hope you're feeling well, enjoying your weekend...seems so many use the enbrel, and do so well on it, makes me kind of hope the doc puts me on it soon.
Read your other post about the teeneager....bet your heart stopped!!! Our boys are older, but my heart still jumps when the phone rings late at night....so glad you had such a good outcome! Did I read that you are in upstate NY? You guys sure had a rough winter!! Kept reading all about the bad snowstorms....we are in Florida, not far from the Gulf. but moved here from Wisconsin...don't miss winter a bit, but get a bit nervous during hurricane season. Time to get going, family is a'callin.
Chat with you later, thanks for checking on me!