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...

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Frazzled 01/24/2018

So I will tell you this...I am not a patient person when it comes to beauracracy. I hate it to no end and my job is actually built aruound elimitaing things that don't add value.

My pre-authorization is now in the hands of my insurance company. I called them today to make sure they had it. They said it will take 7-10 business days to reivew. I was kind to the customer service agent and let that go.

So let me get this straight...my insurance company has up to 2 calendar weeks to figure out if they will approve my biologic therapy while I have been home all week with yet another flare and back on Prednisone?

Generally speaking, I am a nice man who is wiling to work things out. I am about to light these people up so they understand the need for this med. I was told by my wife to stay hoeme today, and my compqnt is telling me to WDH the remainder of the week and work whatever hours I want.

Don't these people get our pain? If not, I plan to make it an issue shortly...and not in a nice way.

Insurance comanpies are about as evil as anyone I have ever met.

Frazzled 01/26/2018

So from various sources (including on this site) the auto-injector was sort of ruled out. I am comfortable giving myself the shots. I think my wife will faint, but she doesn't have to watch.

Yes, I should have mentioned the icing part (makes me think of cake, but that's the Prednisone talking now). I will definitely be icing the area selected for injection for 2-3 minutes with a cloth between the ice and my belly and then proceeding with the plan outlined above.

Mike

lambruning 01/29/2018

I am about to start Humira and I am scared to death. I have had lots of stomach issues with MTX and am worried this will only make it worse. Any words of hope?

Frazzled 01/29/2018

I am getting my meds tomorrow, and then starting on Thursday - same day as MTX - so it doesn't get mixed up.

I wish I could tell you more...when will you get your first shot? If I do mine this Thursday and that is before you give yourself yours, I can let you know how my experience was. I am actually thrilled. It is time for some relief.

nonightshades2 01/31/2018

lambruning, are you taking MTX pills? If so then get it switched to injections and you should suffer less in the tummy. Try leaving the caffeine, processed sugars alone the day of and two days after injections. A little bit (little being the operative) ginger will ease the stomach discomfort. I have no more stomach issues when taking the biologic. Anxiety, that a totally different story......MTX makes me anxious and add the biologic and for two days the sky is falling.

Frazzled 01/31/2018

So I contacted my Humira Ambassador and she is coming out tomorrow to give me info, show me materials on how to dispose of syringes, etc. I am fully taking them up on their offer to help. One nice thing is the nurse will come to watch me give myself my first injection and provide guidance. That is actually pretty cool, but also shows why the drug is so darn expensive.

Anyway, it will be good to have the info, and her in my house to give support while I do this so two weeks from now is no big deal. Only issue is the Mrs. is down with some stomach thing (which I hope does not turn into the flu - I hear that is a common starting point with this round), even though flu is primarily a respiratory disorder. So we put off today;s meeting to tomorrow in the hopes my wife has recovered. Otherwise we may be into next week. Frustrating, but no need to nuke my immune system on a day when I could get the flu (even with the flu shot).

Kimhurts 02/01/2018

My shots came with a red sharps container to put my needles in. Where I live, sharps are collected by our local fire rescue stations for free, so I just drop them off when I am in the neighborhood. My parents live in Alabama, so I travel with shots, but leave a sharps container in Alabama. It was full Christmas, so my dad started looking for a place to take it. No place would take it. I was told I needed to mail them back to the dispensing compay. I just brought them back to Florida, the point being, this could be easy or hard. The good news, finally Florida does something SMART!

I hope the flu is not going around your house. Still wishing you luck with this new med.

Frazzled 02/01/2018

It's funny...the Ambassador likes their Sharps container better than the Specialty Pharmacy's one because it has a mail-back program. Maybe you can get a Sharps container from Humira for your folks' place, and use the specialty pharmacy's one for when you are home. Just an option I guess.

Was up again in the middle of the night this morning, and my fingers feel (and look) like sausages. Have a call into Mayo. Might end up back on Prednisone. My wife and I both noticed today that my index fingers are rotating from the middle joint inward - so my joints are starting to show some of the damage. This does not sit well with me...because it shows how aggressive this disease has become for me.

Humira here we come, and I'll start a new thread with the info on that process. Thanks for all the replies in this one...it has been great communication.

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