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...
so i took my 10th dose of enbrel wednesday and then yesterday the injection site got itchy. it's a little red (normal for me) and not raised but it's itchy! last week i had nothing. the week before that i discovered that the bandaids i was using to cover the injection site after injecting were causing a reaction o_o so apparently i'm sensitive to the adhesive they use on band aids now. super.
i also had a HORRIFYING headache yesterday afternoon. felt like pressure in my head, not like a sinus headache though. i took a couple of advil and i think it helped. this morning i feel a little pressurized again. living on long island, the pressure changes moment to moment. i'm thinking that something - either the rd or the enbrel or the mtx - is making me more sensitive to that pressure. sounds good, right?
my next rheumy appointment is in 2.5 weeks and she's talking about taking me off the enbrel. part of me is like, yes it's not helping and i want to take a break from all my medications and get my tattoo finished up (it's only a little, nothing like last time lol). but then part of me is like, is 13 weeks long enough? everything i've read says most people who experience relief with enbrel experience at least SOME relief within 2 - 12 weeks. things still hurt. i don't think any sites have less swelling or less pain; some sites have *more* swelling and *more* pain.
has anyone had to wait more than 3 months to see any improvement?
i also had a HORRIFYING headache yesterday afternoon. felt like pressure in my head, not like a sinus headache though. i took a couple of advil and i think it helped. this morning i feel a little pressurized again. living on long island, the pressure changes moment to moment. i'm thinking that something - either the rd or the enbrel or the mtx - is making me more sensitive to that pressure. sounds good, right?
my next rheumy appointment is in 2.5 weeks and she's talking about taking me off the enbrel. part of me is like, yes it's not helping and i want to take a break from all my medications and get my tattoo finished up (it's only a little, nothing like last time lol). but then part of me is like, is 13 weeks long enough? everything i've read says most people who experience relief with enbrel experience at least SOME relief within 2 - 12 weeks. things still hurt. i don't think any sites have less swelling or less pain; some sites have *more* swelling and *more* pain.
has anyone had to wait more than 3 months to see any improvement?
Enbrel has made a difference for me, I didn't think it was that much of an improvement until I went off of it for 2 weeks (after being on it for 8 months) and wow, I realized it was helping more than I thought.
After a little more than a year, I still will get a reaction every once in a while. Not sure why some weeks I get all red and swollen and some weeks I don't.
You have to love the unpredictability of our meds and condition.
I hope you find something that will help you.
Kim
I do know Enbrel can cause headaches, sinus. Also respiratory congestion/infections.
Had whopper headaches. Pharmacy said to take sinus med with Motrin.
I chose Mucinex D based on my past experience. I always ask the pharmacist when it comes to side effects from meds.
It did not occur with every injection but enough for me to keep something on hand. Better over time.
Took it right after or before the injection for the first month, then waited to see if it would trigger a headache. Took the injection early in the day as seemed worse morning after if I took it at night. That's just my experience but the headaches were whoppers.
Good luck,
Sammy
I definitely notice an improvement with the Enbrel because I am weaning off of prednisone and my joints are not swollen and painful. I tried weaning off prednisone 6 weeks ago when I was not on Enbrel and it was horrible. Very bad pain and swelling.
I hope that you can get some answers and some pain relief soon. It is so frustrating trying to find something that works.