Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I received my official diagnosis in February but my Rheumy back dated it as active since 2011.
I started RA treatment about a year ago. Since then, I have been on Meloxicam, Plaquenil, Methotrexate, Humira & Arava. I am now being taken off of Humira because it's not working well enough and the Rheumy is putting me on Enbrel.
I'm just wondering how many more options are out there if the Enbrel doesn't work either?
And if it doesn't, how do I continue being active and working full time without pain relief? I do have some good days, but I am on 3 different RA drugs now and you would think I would have some sense of "normalcy" back... But no!
I'm just freaking out about the future, not knowing what's going to happen.
I started RA treatment about a year ago. Since then, I have been on Meloxicam, Plaquenil, Methotrexate, Humira & Arava. I am now being taken off of Humira because it's not working well enough and the Rheumy is putting me on Enbrel.
I'm just wondering how many more options are out there if the Enbrel doesn't work either?
And if it doesn't, how do I continue being active and working full time without pain relief? I do have some good days, but I am on 3 different RA drugs now and you would think I would have some sense of "normalcy" back... But no!
I'm just freaking out about the future, not knowing what's going to happen.
everyone plows through the dmards. and the two anti tnf sisters get scripted one after another the twin humira and enbrel.
the docs like that synergistic effect thing with the dmard and the biologic and arava is used after mtx often
there are about what 15 common prescribed nsaids, so you have just started with the meloxicam kicker to the biologic and dmard.
we have this to death so it's a lifetime of management with no crystal ball. carpe diem. if there is something you want to do now , do it :)
i worry most about my lungs and how i subject them to this treatment. but then I remember the power of rumination to make a sunny day crappy and i shut my brain off.
hugs
depot
I officially began metho December, 2013. I've since switched to arava (horrid headaches constantly on metho), then added Plaquenil because I still had flares on arava alone. Still in pain but no more flares, yea but no yea I suppose. Added enbrel. I lost a #%*! load of hair and am almost half bald..... Told to drop arava, and I did that. Still going bald durn it....told to drop it all and try to not look as shiny as a bowling ball.
So it would seem you, as I know me, have an aggressive doc not willing to allow us to suffer a yr before finding a new med. It's driven by insurance #1. #2 with an aggressive doc, it's obvious the med will help or is doing squat within a few months (other than the long race orencia which takes a good 6 months to become effective).
Most of these meds show some spark, however minutely, fairly soon.
If you feel you aren't given adequate time on a med, well the next visit request additional time to see improvements stating "I feel better than before, but would like more time to see if I am improving to my fullest."
And to clarify.
Dmards are mainly first methotrexate, then arava or sulfasanizide or whatever you call it, then the mildest Plaquenil as a partner to the stronger.
Then adding a biologic, the insurance normally forces a choice of enbrel or Humira. I chose enbrel. If I try another it probably has to be Humira. Then I most likely get a choice. The prior 2 are tnf a inhibitors. There are t cell inhibitors like orencia, b cells inhibitors like remicade, interleulin 6 inhibitors like actemra...as well as many others. The point I'm making is many biologics target many other parts of the immune system. So yes there's hope in going through the motions and eventually switching meds. You may find your silver bullet in the journey!
I have had RA for almost five years and have been on the meds roller coaster since diagnosis. I have had rare side effects or allergic reaction to most oral meds so had to stop. I am now on my third biologic and, fingers crossed, am hoping this may be my "magic med cocktail" with Methotrexate.
My Rheumatologist assures me that there are more options yet if Actemra infusions don't work and still more drugs being trialled.
It can be a very long process to feel "normal" again. .It may never happen but you learn to accept your "new normal" as it is.
However, Enbrel works really well for many people so I hope it works for you.
It may be worthwhile to see a Pain Management specialist for pain meds and/or ideas for pain management. There are lots of folk here who do and have had help.
May you have more good days,
Gentle hugs