enbrel or remicade

I’ve been taking Enbrel for the past 15 years or so with HUGE success! I have since Retired from work last month and now have a limited income. I signed up to Medicare/AARP for my post retirement healthcare requirement. During employment my Co-Pay was 25 dollars for a month supply. Now, Medicare and AARP collective insurance leaves me with 1,000 dollars for a month supply. Retail? $4600-$5500 for a 4 doses (month supply) Is there ANYTHING else that works as well as this?

I have severe psoriatic arthritis (it's like RA, just not quite as deforming) and used Enbrel for four years 3X a week plus one injection of metho. For me it was a miracle drug! I felt like a spring chicken again! I could go up and down stairs, I could squat, I could get in and out of chairs or off the toilet without help.............I felt normal for the first time in years. I stopped taking it last August, almost a year ago, and it's been a nightmare.

Hi - has anyone who has ever been on Enbrel noticed a rust-colored staining on the hands? I'm not sure if it is directly related to enbrel, but I thought I would ask. My daughter was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis several months ago, and has tried Remicade unsuccessfully. Now, she has had 2 injections of Enbrel, and just today has noticed the staining on her hands. I don't know what to think, so I'd appreciate hearing from any of you.

Also, I forgot to ask this at her last rheumy appt, but how is Remicade any better than Enbrel or Humira? (SHe hasn't been on them, but I just wondered why he chose Remicade.) Any info you can provide would be most appreciated! My daughter is at the end of her rope.

I am on one shot of Enbrel a week and the doctor I just fired was talking about putting me on Humira or Remicade. Remicade is an infusion medication and Humira is an injectable like the Enbrel. You may want to speak to your rheumy about perhaps trying one of those two. I was in between jobs and had no insurance and had to stop the Enbrel for 3 weeks, within 2 weeks the pain and stiffness was back worse than ever. The price of Enbrel is $1500.

Wonder if anyone familiar with Remicade as this appears to be the "follow-up" drug? Like many, I have started to develop arthritic symptons -- or let's say they have seemed to accelerate -- post treatment. Cause and effect in my case is unclear although the treatment drugs are known to bring autoimmune conditions out of the woodwork. ---------------- F.D.A.

Hi there! I've had RA since age 5 and am now 50. I'm not on Remicade, but I am on methotrexate and one of Remicade's "cousins", Enbrel. Trust me, I know how scary it is to read all the possible side effects that come with these medications. However, keep in mind that even if they test a drug on a million people and one person has an issue that may or may be due to that particular drug, they have to report it as a possibility.

Hi there, when I was first dx with AS 4 years ago I was put on MTX and Folic Acid, was told you cannot take MTX w/o the folic. Long story short I had to stop the MTX as it made me severely depressed to the point I was having suicidal thoughts. My doc at the time acted like I was crazy but 2 rheumy's one from the Mayo Clinic said it can be a side effect for some people. After I stopped it I was back to my old self, and just an fyi while I was on it, it did nothing to help me.

I thought I had the flu about 5 years ago.. turned out to be PMR and my joints were very painful.. could hardly walk.. it was in my feet and ankles, knees, and wrists.. anyway I took celery seed and Ibuprophen.. and it went into remission.. yeah! celery seed.. worked as well as the sterioids that others have been on.. and though I have had a flair up .. so has another person I know with it, who is still on the steriods.. so you might want to at least look into the symptoms..

One difficulty is that many of the newer medications such as remicade and enbrel are most effective for patients who are younger and recently diagnosed. This is because it can only prevent further damage frmo happening and if it's already happened, it can't heal that.

Can you tell me a little more about the Remicade study? This is an RA drug like the one I'm on, Enbrel which I thought was going to be counterindicative when I started tx.

I am seeing a new dr.next month and may be changing to Humira or Remicade. The Enbrel has helped my lower back and hip pain, but my hands are still swollen and painful. The one other thing that has a HUGE impact on how I feel is Stress and Lack of Rest/Sleep. This past week was very very stressful and today when I woke up I felt like the Tin Man and my hands are still swollen and painful and it's 11 pm.

As one person put it, we all have different situations and our bodies react differently to the same meds. Have you talked to your Doctor about Humira or Remicade or Arava or Rituxan? I have Psoriatic Arthritis and and losing faith that anything will help every symptom but if you have a doctor you feel comfortable with and you trust, I think as long as you persist together the two of you can find something to at least manage some symptoms. Best of luck, I wish a pain free life for you.

I have been on the Enbrel for 5 weeks and so far it has not helped me at all, rheumy said we will try Remicade or Humeria next. Not sure if any of this helps you at all, but I truly do know how you feel. I wish you all the best.

I did try Enbrel, It did nothing for me, The remicade was given to me over the course of a couple of hours by infusion once every 4 - 6 weeks. I felt so much better on the remicade and my rash cleared up over my entire body, I have a psoriatic rash over more then 1/2 my body, unfortunately I ended up with muscular dystonia (sp) where all my muscles froze up and I couldnt move my arms, hands, left knee and neck.

Pain meds do not control the pain, either over the counter or prescribed and the stiffness in hips and knees and feet is affecting my balance. I asked if continues joint destruction would occur if I stopped the anti-inflammatory meds and he replied "no". I am under the impression that it is the inflammatory process that causes the destruction of the joint. Who is correct ? Thanks !

Rituximab (aka Rituxan) is sometimes used when Remicade, Enbrel or Humira do not work out. I have not taken this medication but am hopeful someone in the forum will have had experience with this medication. You can read more about it here on Medhelp at http://www.medhelp.org/drugs/Rituxan/show/3173 If you don't mind sharing, what side effects did you experience with Remicade? Has the diagnosis of MS changed your treatment plan for the psoriactic arthritis?

s are interesting to say the least, I had only been on the Enbrel 4 weeks when he said he wanted to take me off of it and try Remicade or Humira. I work in the medical field and researched the heck out of the Enbrel before I started taking it, risk outweighing the benefits etc, it also said it could take up to 3 months to work so I insisted he allow me to give it the full amount of time to work. When you have the time I would love to know the exercises you do.

I have had two shots of Humira, I constantly have sinus issues, pain pressure, teeth hurt and hedaches. I got them on enbrel and after 9 years it quit working, so tired remicade but after 4 infusions I had such a bad insus probelm I quit it also raised my blood pressrue a lot. I don't seem to be able to handle hard core antibidoics so I can take zpack, and it helps, but I always seem to be back on it alteast every two months.

2 years ago i was diagnosed with RA since then I have tried just about every NSAID (and now have acid reflex due to it), Methotrexate, enbril, Humara and now remicade and none of them have appeared to be helping at all. the closest was enbril which only delt with some of the problems. I am beginning to think i was misdiagnosed. I only had a slight elevation level of rhumetoid factor yet i have severe RA. What else could I have?

I have been on enbrel and humira so far. I'm very needle phobic so we havent gone through IV yet....lol...I'm even worse about IV's...when the numbness started, the doctors pulled me off a lot of my meds, mostly the ones for psoriatic arthritis.

is unsure if it is the remicade or something else is going on. Cant rule out remicade, but the reactions unually subside within a few days and mine have continued. I am not sure what to do to feel better and am not getting any direction, other than ride it out. Any input or suggestions would be so helpful and I would appreciate it.

Enbrel or remicade

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