Anyone on enbrel? | Arthritis Information

 

 Hi,

I just had my first shot of enbrel. I was wondering if anyone can let me know how it has worked for them.

For me it really works. It may take a few weeks to tell the difference. Hi,

Have been on Enbrel since Oct 2001.  It has been working great for me. Hello!  Embrel has been a lifesaver for me for about four years now!  My knees began deflating in less than a week. thanks, hopefully it will work for me. my dr says 2 weeks to 3 months and I should see some improvement.

Enbril worked in  a matter of days for me!! It has continued to do well for me for almost 2 years. The more I move (exercise) the better it works for me.

Good Luck!

Hi KK...I've been on Enbrel since the spring after MTX alone didn't do the trick.  I know it may not be typical, but for me, I was practically normal again the day after my first dose.  And that's going from several months where I could hardly, and sometimes not at all, even pick myself upout of a chair and walk across the room.Hi, I've been on Enbrel for 4 months.  I was using the needle, and my Rhumie switched me to the pen.  It is so much easier, and there isn't too much pain, just the burning from the medication.  They did a blood test and my sed rate went from 59 to 40.  The Enbrel seems to be working.  I'm not pain free, but it is a little more manageable.  I hope that it works for you.  Do try the pen if you're not already on it.  If you need to talk, you can reach me here on the message board.  Take care, and good luck.  God Bless.  Dotti51

However, the downer is that my insurance hasn't approved the drug yet.  My Rheumy is giving my 3 shots for free

When I told my hubby how much it might cost, he went through the roof.  Instead of saying, "That's great that you feel so much better already", he said " There is no way in hell I'm going to pay that much a month for some damn drug."  I know, real insensitive huh.

I said of course we can't afford that but maybe if the insurance covers it and our copay is like 0/month that should be okay, right.

He says I'll have to think about it since that could pay for other things. I am a bit upset.  I know it is a lot of money, but doesn't he care that I feel better.  I can walk and function and all he cares about is money.  We can afford the 0/month if we Both cut down on our optional spending.  I'm upset that he cares more about his disposable income than about me.

So I guess I will have to see what the insurance company says.  If I can't have it I will truly miss it.  I wish I hadn't had a taste of the forbidden fruit if one bite is all I get.

 

Suzy...I'm sure that that was just an initial reaction to sticker shock.  Your husband can't really mean that.Yes he does.  He said again today that I had better pray to the powers that be that this "wonder drug" be under 0 a month or I'll have to find a job to pay for it.I have just purchased a book online from the Arthritis Today people called, Beyond Chaos, One Man's Journey Alongside His Chronically Ill Wife. I hope this helps him.Hello,

I will be taking my 3rd injection tomorrow. I didn't want to "jinx" myself and say anything, but it is WORKING.  Everyone has noticed that I am feeling better and have more energy.

I was so worried about going back to a full time teaching schedule this week.  Last fall was so horrible.  I was in so much pain and so "out of it" that I knew I couldn't go through it again. No problem this week!

I still have moderate stiffness and joint pain, but not the all over joint pain that I have been used to.  I feel like cooking and shopping again.  The fatigue is bearable.  The fogginess is receding.  I am so thankful!  I can only hope it lasts.  I have only had to take ONE pain pill this week. 

Suzy, my doctor gave me a starter kit for embrel.  There was a card with it that paid my co-pay for a certain time.  It is called Enbrel Quick assist.  Here is a link http://www.enlivenservices.com/ra
hi, i just had my first enbrel shot. i was so nervous but it didnt hurt at all in the stomach. even the liquid going in didnt hurt. but i do have a lot of fat on my belly (lol) i had a fasting blood test thismorning also and the blood nurse was so cocky thinking she could get my blood. well she tried 4 times before calling the one who gets it every time. so i was so upset by the time they finished jabbing me,that the enbrel shot was easy.heres hoping now that it works.I've been on Enbrel since 1997 as part of the research program.  So it has been supplied of no cost to me .  I was ready for the wheel chair as no other medication was working .  Enbrel has sure been a god send for me. I still have pain in some joints (wrists and feet); but I have learned to live with it.  It's maintained a fair standard of living for me.  You just want to be careful around virial infections.  Your sores will take alot longer to heal. I take my shots in my upper thighs. They seem not to itch or inflame as much. Hang in there Suzy. Suzy-
Hopefully your husband will come around. I'd like to think that maybe he, too, would benefit from having a wife who feels less pain and less fatigue.

Perhaps if you feel well enough it might be a great idea to get a job. It would be a way to pay for the Enbrel as well as a fulfilling part of your new life with less pain. I know I would do anything to keep my Enbrel.thanks for all responses. It' good to know that I am not alone. My doc got me involved with the drug rep for a new program with enbrel. It's called the enbrel quick assist. I have the sureclick injection and it was ok just burning when the medicine went in. No injection site reaction for the first one. I will cross my fingers and hope I have the same response as some of you.
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