How long was it when you started taking enbrel before it "kicked in" and started working? I thought mine was finally working when I had 2 good weeks after being on it for 3 1/2 months with no results. My RD is skeptical because 1) it took so long; 2) I don't have complete relief from pain; and 3) my sed rate is still high -- 45. What do others think? Thanks. LindaI don't think it's working. The high sed rate and no relief are dead give aways. I kept telling the doctor for months that it wasn't working for me. The clincher was the high sed rate. That's when he took me off it.
Deanna, What did he switch you to?
He didn't. Although I think they do usually try you on something else like Humira or Remicade if you haven't tried those. They try Orencia or Rituxan if you've failed the other biologics. But he said it is too strong a medication to be taking if it's not working for you.
The reason that they did not switch me is that (new Rheumy seems to be on same track as old Rheumy) my immune system is now destroyed and I cannot take any of the biologics any more. And, I'm off MTX as well. That leaves Prednisone and Plaquenil.
However, good news, my RA (by blood work) seems to be under control. What was concerning was my sed rate was 37, my RA and Sjogren's blood work was normal and I was still anemic. That's a big problem.
This is the time when you want to ask pointed questions and insist that your doctor is very clear on what needs to be done next. Most people do just switch to another biologic with better success. Do ask if you are anemic though. New rheumy sat down and went over all my blood work with me in detail. We fought about options, which I didn't have any.
Hopefully someone will give you a better experience than mine. I do seem to get the odd stuff.
Also, my former doc left me on Enbrel for over a year without it doing anything for me. I wonder if that had anything to do with the new one deciding that now my immune system is destroyed.
Can these guys get any more dramatic? Just makes one sick, doesn't it?
I was on enbrel for about 3 months, it didn't seem to be working well. I was also on placquenil and prednisone. I stayed on the prednisone and plaquenil and took a month off the biologicals than went to weekly humira injections. I noticed some improvement right away but not enough. After 6 weeks I agreed to add in mtx injections. the addition of the mtx has really helped.
My blood work shows my ra to be in complete remission although I still have lots of swelling and pain but the rheumy says it from neuropathy and not ra.
If you have to ask if it is working after 3-1/2 months I would say it probably isn't.I was taken off of it after 3 months because it wasn't working and switched to Remicade, which is working...sorta.
I started enbrel with very high hopes.....but it is not working for me.....we are in the process of trying to get humeria approved
I switched to Humira which also worked quickly, though not as well as Enbrel had, and then it too just quit.
I've been on remicade for a little over a year now, and it is working well. Its not as flashy as Enbrel but I have steady good days, and more function. I don't have the great feeling of well being from it like from Enbrel, but it works and I'll take that.