your advice, experience, and opinions needed. I will be starting a new med soon and I am leaning towards the Rituxun. HELP!So the Humira didn't help, Crunchy? Are you not considering the Remicade at all? Whatever you decide, good luck - keep us posted.
Well the question is if Enbrel and Humira didnt work and Remicade is the same kind of drug, what are the chances of it working. But I havent eliminated the possibility of trying it yet. Orencia doesnt sound too promising, and Rituxin has some really scarey possible side effects. hey Crunchy... Long time no talk (since RAConnections board). I, too, failed Enbrel and it was decided that the other Anti-TNF drugs (Remicade and Humira) would not be effective as well. So, I tried Kineret and have had wonderful results. In the first month my labs improved 7 fold!!! Kineret differs from the Anti-TNF drugs which limit the Tumor Necrosis Factor produced during inflammation by limiting the Interleukin-1 protein produced during inflammation. My C-Reactive Protein level (a marker for inflammation just like your Sed Rate) was the lab that improved so. Kineret needs to piggyback some other form of DMARD. I take both Imuran and a maintenance dose of Prednisone. I also take Celebrex. All these combined is what has helped me so. Look into it. It may just help! Take care, Joe Hey Joe! Yes I have heard a bit about Kineret....I am going to do a little more homework and then call the doctor. He has never offered that one, it is prob. the only one he hasnt suggested. Fifi-I dint know that you couldnt go back to the biologics...I dont think that would be true, at least not after a certain "wash out" period of the Rituxin. I wonder too about the remicade. I dont know. I am starting to think bad thoughts....in the sense of just stopping all meds to see what happens. I know it maybe the wrong thing.....but my brain is about to explode with the worry of what to take, will it work, will if give me some horrible side effects....I am just curious...anyone just "quit" before? (and I know Lindy is one that will probably fuss at me about this one) To Crunchy I have thought of quitting all the RA drugs but now I have no choice. I had tryed Enbrel, Kineret and Remicaid. I was waiting on the Humira for my last resort when I had no other choices. I am on Plaquenil and then I was on Methotrexate also. In June I wound up in the Hospital with pnemonia (spelling?) and a sepsis infection. The Doctors had a really hard time getting my Blood Preasure to go up it was really low they gave me pain meds once but then could not do it again until they could get my BP up and stablized they were afraid I was going to flat line with my BP, they told me I was lucky to still be alive. I came out of that to find out my immune system crashed which is why I was so sick. I also found out because of it I can no longer take Methotrexate or any med that is an immune suppressent ever again or unless as my RA Doctor put it we are backed into a corner with no other choices, but she never will unless it is a choice of last resort. So Rituxun and Orencia or any immune suppressant is out of the question for me.
Ginlyn I think about quitting all the drugs sometimes. I'm tired of spending the money, the hope and the time. I get tired of trying to eval myself, ("well, I think I'm a little better, but I can't be sure...yesterday was bad but that could just because....") and I'm tired of lab tests...hell, I'm just tired of it all. But then I think about my hands and how much I'll miss them when they're "gone" and I can't hold a grandchild someday or plant flowers or play on the computer. So, I take the effing drugs and keep hoping. [QUOTE=crunchy]Nancy, I do the same eval all the time and your right-I do get so tired of it. Right now I am starting to think I want to wait and use Rituxin as a last resort...but still....it really is frustrating having to make all of the choices....trying to figure out which will be the lesser of two evils.[/QUOTE] I hear ya, girl. I'm suffering right now too and drive myself crazy trying to figure out when to call the doc, when to chalk it up to just being part of the gig, when to tell the doc I've had enough....blech. It's a hard ride sometimes, isn't it? I think saving Rituxin is really a smart move. You can't go back once you've gone to the Rituxin...and it's still so new we don't know too much about side effects or long term effects yet. I hope you get some relief soon. Kineret is a daily inj isn’t it? What a nuisance. I’m still thinking of trying it because I have not done ‘fabulously’ on 2 of the TNF drugs. My doc says it is not used much nor does it work as well as the TNFs but I’m thinking there is a group of us that it is just right for… I seem to be a therapeutic escape artist. Everything that does not make me sick as a dog seems to work for a while say 6 months then I’m back to hurting all the time.
Pink Flower---Your post could have been my very own words. I am at exactly the same place you are. I was told by my RD and the infusion nurse that all of the fatal reactions occured in Cancer patients, no RA patients. But still, I am leaning toward Remicade anyways. It is so hard to decide. Some times I think about just holding them all. I have been off of everything for 2 full weeks today, and I feel okay.
Crunchy, the side effects threw me - also the probability that once you take Orencia or Rituxan, you can't go back to the biologics. I hate to close doors.
You can change the frequency of treatments and the dosage. Basically,
the dr. can try to tailor the treatment to you specifically. Careful with
Rituxen...my dr. says it is often considered the med of last resort. Don't
know why. Orencia is next on my list but I am putting it off as long as
possible. My biggest fear is to go through all these big drugs and have
nothing left to turn to.
BeckyHi Joe,
I'm with Fiona here....I would like to know more about the Kineret. As Fiona knows..I have had my own share of med problems. I would like to know more about this drug. Looks like the Enbrel isn't working for me ,also. My bone scan after 2 yrs with another RD ,has showed I'm one Big "Hot Spot". Went to a new Rd 2 weeks ago , the office called me yesterday and not only have they gotten my report, he wants the actual films. So I would like to know more...
Hope all have a "Good Day"! huugs
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