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Rheumatoid Arthritis
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Posted 6/3/2012 5:14 PM (GMT 0)
Hi I have been using methirtrexate and been taking humira injections for the past 6 years.  After having a chat with my DR he has told me that seems like the injections are not working for well at the moment and this is why I am getting a lot of flare ups and it is about time that I looked into changing medications.

My doctor and I have discussed things and apparently cause of something in my blood test results (forgotten the name) I am limited to the sort of anti tnf I can go on so he is talking about putting me on the anti tnf drug that you use a once a week.

My question is has any one gone from taking Humira injections to a different tnf treatment and how did this work out for them?

thanks a lot

Posted 6/3/2012 10:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi thanks for your reply

I have actually not had a flare up thanks to the Humira injectioins for six years now, but recently my knee has started flaring up again so this is the main reason why I need to change my meds.

I also hope that if I change injections this will stop any more flare ups, especially cause it seems due to my blood test results I am limited to the type of medication I can take.

I am only taking 2.5 mg of Prednisolone at the mo but my doctor does not really want me taking any more than this cause they really want me to come off the steriods at one point. 

unfortunately for me I am having to rest a lot at the mo, but since my husband left me 1.5 years ago I do have to start working at one point sooner rather later.

I did think at one point that stress might of been a reason why my RA has started to flare but according to the doctors it is more a case of the meds just are not working for me as well as they were at one point

I must admit that I have been farely lucky in terms of my RA.  I only have three damaged joints and I don't have any problems regarding energy levels or anything like that.  It is just a very big pain having to go through all this crap of changing medications but

thanks for your support and advice, much appreicated

Post Edited (sponge_33) : 6/3/2012 4:48:47 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/4/2012 11:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hello, and welcome! Sorry you have RA, but this is a good forum for sharing and encouragement. I have seronegative RA and I have been taking MTX and Humira for nine months now. I still have flares, but my doc hasn't said anything about changing my meds. I have determined that not getting enough rest is a big trigger for me. Humira has reduced my fatigue by half, but I am still tired every day. I work full time and have to use the weekends to recoup. Still, I am lucky to still be working. It took a long time for me to get a diagnosis, so I do have damaged knees, hands, wrists and shoulders. I finally found a good RD. Thank you Lord!

I'm sorry to hear your husband left you. A lot of men just cannot handle a "sick" spouse. If that is what happened to you, I am sorry. That is just so wrong.

Maybe your RD wants you to try Embrel...??? My doc started me out on Humira. I have never taken another biologic. I have read that biologics work for five years on average, and then you have to change. My doc gave me a choice of Humira or Simponi, and I chose Humira.

Best wishes to you. Hope you get some relief soon!

V
Posted 6/4/2012 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone thanks for the support

well as I said above I have no flare ups or nothing when I first started on the Humira injectioins sx years ago. I do hope that when I change TNF drugs that I will continue to be able to live a fairly normal life again.

In terms of the steriod I have had no probs being on the steroids but I don't like being on a higher dose cause as I am sure most people know that steriod medications can cause serious side effects.

before my knee started flaring up I had started to lower my steriod but at the mo I am just continue to take 2.5 mg per day.

vannie I think you might be right and I may changing onto the Enbrel drugs.

sorry to hear you are still going through some flare ups. I don't know if you take methotrexate with your Humira but I would certainly try and talk to your dr about this option cause I know that being on a combo of the two drugs has def helped me out

I am sure that the main reason why I get no fatigue with my RA is cause I don't eat meat, I am vegan and I juice a lot and try to live a very life style and I am sure that since I stopped eating meat this has been another reason why I have been reasonably healthy.

My ex never left of the RA it was far more complicated than that but if anything I think that I might be more of a forced dumper but the ex leaving or whatever happened with us is in the past now and I guess that is just where the whole situation has to remain.

thanks again for the support and yes I shall let you know how I get on with the new drugs
Posted 6/5/2012 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Kate

I can't tell you much as I am no expert with the whole healthy eating thing but all I can tell you is that personally since I have stopped eating dairy products, meat, fish or anything like that and have gone onto a vegan diet and when I say vegan I have really noticed a great difference in my energy levels. I don't eat that many cooked meals either. I mainly eat a lot of salads, nuts and raw food and I also drink smoothies and do some juicing.

I don't think that me being on a good diet has helped calmed down my RA or anything like that but with my RA my main problem is my knee joint. I have also had some minor problems with my writst and ankles but I also think that I just have a lot of damage in those areas and at one point when my meds, fingers crossed are sorted out I will start looking at strengthening my weak joints again.
Posted 6/10/2012 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
so I had a steriod injection and the fluid was taken off my flared knee a week and a half ago but now the bleeping thing seems of started flaring up again.

I know it is gonna be  a good few months before I can change my medicatioin.

but I am worried that my knee seems to of gotten worse, even when I was gettng knee flares six years ago it never flared up this often.

May be I should talk to my DR about upping my steriod dose and methotrexate dose.

I am resting at the moment as much as I possibly can but my knee is still flaring up.

also If my DR asks me if I want to have another steroid injectioin in my knee should I go for it or is it possible that to many steroid injections can cause some serious side effects/

If anyone has any advice for me I would love to hear it

thanks for the help

Posted 6/11/2012 7:26 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear you're having such a hassle. You can have two steroid injections in a joint without damage, I've often needed two to settle down stubborn spot fires, as my rheumy calls them. But you can't keep doing it, it can make the joint unstable. The best result is when you have the shot, put your knee up as much as possible and stayoff it for two days or so. That gives it the best chance of working, also ice can help too.

Good luck, I have swopped from humira to remicade then orencia and then humira again. For me humira works best, having a break from it after it stopped working seemed to do the trick. I was off it for about a year and now it works again for me. I think changing meds was really hard because you have to wait months for the new one to take affect but once it does I felt good.

I hope the trial goes well.

Best wishes, golitho

Posted 6/11/2012 12:43 PM (GMT 0)
thanks golitho for your reply. I am starting my new anti tnf treatment this Wednesday. I am pretty sure that my DR has told me that I can't use the remicade drug as it won't work for me and I have a feeling that I am gonna be put onto the Enebral drug.

thanks for telling me that you eventually changed back to Humira that is def a piece of information that is worth while knowing, espeically cause up until now the Humira drug has most certainly changed my life and I have had no flares at all thanks to the drug.

I do hope that even though changing meds is a worth while thing to do and yes I agree it is a long/hard process but fingers crossed it will be worth it, espeically cause at the mo I might end up going insaine if I don't get out of my house a bit more than I am doing. I am most certainly suffering from boredom.

thanks for the best wishes and I am pleased to hear that going back onto the Humira drug as worked for you.

fingers crossed changing my meds will work for me but then who knows how things might play out. Just gotta try and be patient.

take care
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