I have been reading all the posts concerning embrel and that it may be covered by patient assist programs. I have never taken it, but was thinking if I could get help with it, maybe it would be worth a try.
Those of you who take it can you tell me if it helps...give me pros and cons of your experience.
As I said before, I have no health insuracne and no rheumy, only a GP so your input, help and advice is so needed..I count on your posts and info to keep me informed! I love this site!!
Can my GP prescribe Embrel or just a rheumy?
Thanks again!
Delena
In my case, the Enbrel definitely helped however with no insurance it is VERY expensive (about ,000 per year!). If I were you I'd try other less-expensive drugs first. I'v been on Enbrel for almost nine years. It has made a huge difference in my quality of life. While not in a total remission, I have very little pain and stiffness. I can honestly say that Enbrel gave me my life back.
Sarah
Sarah
I started Enbril in Jan of 06 and it changed my life. The MTX and Pred were killing me..I was a balloon. I am on Enbril and Imuran.
If you have insurance..I think biologics with an immune suppressant seem to be benchmark these days.
Be aware of the side effects. It is terrible when I get sick...just cant recover and you cant take your enbril if you have any infections.
Good Luck
I keep wondering if I would be OK with just MTX. I am going to talk to my doctor about it in July. Reason is I dont really know whats helping me because I always took both. I took MTX for almost four years before I started Enbrel. The difference with Enbrel was truly amazing.Enbrel was absoultely wonderful. I had tons of energy and zero pain. Unfortunately it just simply stopped working after about 5 months.
While it worked it was the best of all the biologics for me, and it started working with the first injection. Those 4 months I completely pruned all my bushes (lilacs. honeysuckle etc) removed brush, cleaned out 18 years worth of crap from my attic, repained a couple rooms..
I took it every week with MTX..man I wish remicade worked as well.
I've been on Enbrel (along with MTX) for about nine months now. Before that, I was on MTX alone for a little over a year. I noticed significant improvement with the MTX alone. But my RD convinced me to add Enbrel--I still had visible swelling, so he said damage was still occuring. I'm glad I let him convince me! On Enbrel now, I'm even better--not 100% but pretty darn close. After being on Enbrel for about two months, I was able to take my wedding ring off of my finger for the first time in over a year and a half. Swelling in my other trouble spots (ankles, wrists, knees) is down quite a bit as well.
Delena:
Go to the Enbrel website WWW.Enbrel.com and look for the ENcourage Foundation managed by Amgen and Wyeth. This is where you'll find the info for their pharmaceutical assistance program. Or, call 888-4Enbrel.
I don't know within what guidelines you must for for assistance but all your questions will be answered with the above info.
Good luck, Danielle
Call 1-800-4enbrel. That number will get you through to the Encourage Foundation. I was getting Enbrel for free for a year and when I had to re-qualify, I made a serious blunder on my application without realizing it and I was denied. There was no way to remedy the mistake I made. They just would have thought I was lying to them. I had been off Enbrel for 4 months by that time and was dying from my pain. I always complained that Enbrel didn't do a thing for me but when I was off it for so long, I noticed a HUGE difference from when I WAS on it. So now I was up the creek without a paddle. NO ENBREL!! I'm on SS disability and don't work so I have no insurance. I don't get Medicare until December and could not fathom being in this or possibly worse pain by the time my insurance come through. So I did the next best thing. Without even consulting with my rheumy, I got an application from the manufacturer of Humira which I had never even tried and was approved within 4 days and got my shipment a week after that. I also get Humira for free. From what I can see, it's easier to get Humira and maintain your prescription without interruption. With Enbrel, you have to apply again after the first 4 months or you don't get any more shipments. It's just another form that your doctor has to fill out but it's a hassle. Then you have to reapply 8 months after that again but after that 8 months you have to reapply as if you never got it from them, start from scratch. With Humira, you don't have to fill forms out again after the first 4 months, at least not that I know of. You do however, have to start the process all over again after a year, just like Enbrel. I'll have insurance by then so I will just be getting it through normal channels. I may even go back to Enbrel, time will tell. I just have to tell you that if you have any form of insurance, I'm not sure that the Encourage Foundation is the place for you. They will probably send you to another foundation that just helps you with your co-pay. I think that's ok too, as long as you have a high co-pay and a very low income to offset the cost of the co-pay. That was part of my problem with them. I was on Medicaid but my Medicaid was being cut off as of 5/31/07. My Medicaid was merely catastrophic insurance. I had to meet a 0 deductible each and every month (not each year) before I could take advantage of the Medicaid so I had them cut it off so I could get my Enbrel. That's what screwed me up with the Encourage Foundation. The only letter from Medicaid that I was able to get was that it was at my request that I am cutting off my Medicaid. I needed one that wasn't so specific and they wouldn't comply. Anyway, good luck with getting Enbrel. I'm not sure if my email address shows up on this thing but if you want to email me to update me on the Enbrel, feel free to email LegalGal01@aol.com. Good luck to you.
Ok i took enbrel for about 7 months ish. No complaints except tat for me it didnt do a whole lot. No side effects though except occasional injection site reactions..I took Enbrel for a total of 5 months, first by itself, then with mtx, then with Arava. Unfortunately, it never really did anything. I didn't really have side effects, just some minor injection site reactions that didn't bother me. I did find that as time went on, the injections were burning more than they used to, so I wonder if I was starting to develop an allergy. I'm not on any biologics right now, but my RA is still not under control.
Anyway, Enbrel has helped so many people, you should definitely contact their patient assistance line and try it out if you can.
I was hit with RA in Nov 07. tried sulfazine, got sick.(alergic to sulfa) On imuran, didn't work. Enbrel 8 weeks now. Pain almost gone. I even walk without a limp sometimes. I take 50 mg imuran 50 mg enbrel. A pain killer is still barely needed at work now. (auto dealer parts dept)I do have insurance and have seen the true cost of enbrel. I have a 30.00 co-pay and am thankful for that! At this point I have not experienced any side effects from enbrel other than mild headaches when injected without eating. I've found that injecting 1/2 hour after eating I don't get a headache. I use the Sureclick Autoinjector.