Arthritis :: Enbrel 75mg Per Week? Optimal Dosage?
Jun 16, 2013
Is anyone else out there taking Enbrel 75mg per week?
For years, my doctor has had me on three 25mg injections per week. I know that the recommended dose is 50 mg per week, and I know that studies by Amgen showed most people got no added benefit from the larger dose. But I also know that for a very small group of us, the larger dose is what's needed (out of all my doctor's patients, he said only 4 responded to the higher dose, and responded well).
After years of paying, my insurance company now has a problem with this. Which puts me in a situation where I risk the stability of my RA or pay an enormous bill.
So, I'm just wondering how many others are like me, responders to the higher dose? And if anyone has found a cheaper source of Enbrel (besides the Enbrel Assistance program which is like a catch-22 -- they only help on insured Enbrel, not Enbrel outside what insurance covers.
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I'm hoping to start a clinical trial for Enbrel beginning in May (they need me on MTX for 3 months before I can start the trial) and am wondering if anyone that has used it or is on it currently can tell me how they're doing on it?
I woke up this morning with that heavy duty exhausted, malaise feeling that I felt for so many months before being diagnosed last summer. I had to work a mandatory training 40 hours last week, played catch up over the weekend and worked another 8 hours yesterday. I woke up to that heaviness in the chest; not a sick like heavy as in bronchitis or chest cold, but literally like someone was draining my insides out. I am emotional today and that's what happens when I get these episodes.
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After 8 months only on pain killers and a visit to yet another rheumy (who happens to be a head of the department and a boss of the last two that I saw... Sorry, semi vegan diet. Ha. Not funny... plus, he lost my medical records from the past visits...) I am switching to Enbrel as soon as it's approved. What side effects should I monitor except for the obvious ones? Does anyone apply ice before the injection as with Humira? (does it help?...)
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I started Enbrel 4 weeks ago. For the first two weeks I had no rash at all. After the 3rd injection, I got a rash of size of say 2cm over 5cm with swelling that disappears after 24h. The rash itself disappeared after 6 days. After the 4th injection (this Saturday) the rash appeared and is now about 3.5cm over 6 cm and is lasting 2 days with swelling. Itches, hot and bothering. I wonder if it is going to get worse or if the size of the rash and this semi allergy reaches a critical point and that's it... Saw some scary pictures on the net. Wonder if it really gets to the face and back, etc.
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I started the Enbrel injections yesterday and the only way to describe me today is a zombie - hardly keeping my eyes open. Sugar and coffee intake improved nothing. Taking ibuprofen yesterday eve (I thought that it might be a flu) made it worse. After a quick browsing, I found that some people experience such effects but I did not find if this is a temporary thing or is this a permanent side effect.
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I am on my second week of Enbrel injections and my second week of taking Celebrex, I have been on MTX for the past 3 months. So now that I am taking 3 different medications I seem to be having some new side effects. Mostly night sweats and I mean drenching night sweats and a moderate sore throat. Feels like half my throat is swollen and it just stays on the edge of moderately sore. Both of these symptoms started about 3 days after my first injection of Enbrel and my first dose of Celebrex.
My question is does anyone have any experience with these side effects and how long until they subsided on these medications?
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I am about to start Enbrel. I know it's been about for a while, but could anyone tell me what to look out for. What side effects have people had with it? Does it affect your hair? Do you need to watch what you eat and drink? I have had Psoriatic Arthritis for 7 years now and tried everything! Recently had bad flares with skin and joints, so consultant has suggested I try the biologics. Starting Enbrel next week.
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I've been taking the Enbrel injection for the past 4 weeks and this last week I have a red raised itchy rash where I inject myself. My nurse has told me that this is normal and usually around the size of a 50 pence piece but mine is a lot bigger than that! So I'm looking to see if anyone else has suffered from this and which creams can help? My nurse said an antihistamine cream will help but I want to make sure I get one that will work because it's so itchy!
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My Dr gave me a sample of Enbrel to try while waiting for my insurance to approve treatment (they didn't but that's another story).
The Rheumy nurse attempted to show me how to use the pen and pulled the pen out too quick and squirted most of the medication on the floor. My Rheumatologist gave me another pen and told me just to do it at home since I was comfortable doing it myself. That was two weeks ago. Today I have these huge red spots a small one where the nurse tried to inject and a huge one where I injected.
It's very sore and is getting more bruised looking as the day goes on.
I had been on a prednisone taper and have been off prednisone for 2 days now. Has anyone had a delayed reaction like this? Or maybe the prednisone was keeping this at bay? Your thoughts please?
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Pills for RA are not working for me so rheumatologist is suggesting self-injected Humira or Enbrel. I read the side effects and they are scary. Especially it can cause heart failure even if you don't have a bad heart. I'd like to hear from any of you who are on these drugs and your experience with them.
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After MRI my diagnosis was "Lots of mileage left, another 10 years, at least!" (I am 75)! Good to hear but still have to be careful going DOWN stairs! Not too bad going up! Some pain now and again. BUT I sometimes get a strange feeling on upper left thigh, (the worst knee), as if it is wet but when I touch the skin it is totally dry! Happens after I have been standing for a couple of hours.Also, sometimes the skin feels sore, but there is no evidence to show. Has anyone had similar feelings?.
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I've been on 75mg of dothiepin for 1 & a half weeks due to anxiety & mild depression. The intense anxiety (the sickness,feelings of going mad,inability to sleep,shaking) has gone with these tablets, but I'm feeling very spaced out and like I'm dreaming everything. Don't know whether it's the tablets or the anxiety causing it. I've seen a vast improvement in the last week, but I'm scared the tablets are making me feel like I've got someone else's brain & eyes in my head, very weird feeling! Anyone have the same feelings with it?
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I have been taking venlafaxine for 4 weeks now 2 weeks at 37.5 with 10mg of citalopram and the last 2 weeks at 75mg a day on its own the last 2 weeks I have been experiencing more anxiety and feel tense all the time I'm more snappy with my kids too will this pass as Iv changed on to this medication as citalopram wasn't helping me any with anxiety and low mood. I just want to be me again I keep having racing thoughts which had all stopped.
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Anybody take these medicines together? I was prescribed the Beta blockers today to help anxiety symptoms but don't see much difference! I have been taking the Venlafaxine 75mg now for three weeks alongside my Mirtazapine 30mg which I take at night! My depression has lifted a lot since starting the Venlafaxine it has took me out of the dark hole I was in! But now I'm feeling anxious and have headaches which feels like a lot of pressure in my head! I just feel so weird! And have butterflies in my stomach which kicks off the anxiety feeling in my chest! I'm going to see psychiatrist again tomorrow regarding this! I don't want to come off the Venlafaxine as it has helped my depression so much and has made me feel me again! I just want this anxiety and the weird feeling to go away! I'm wondering if an increase in dosage would help this and make the side effects disappear!
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recently just increased my effexor xr to 150mgs. On the 15th so about a week and a half.. I'm still really shaky with the anxiety.. does anyone know how long I should start to feel some relief.. been thru many ad s before this I'm praying this one works.. I'm also extra anxious bc of that time of the month too
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I've only been on lyrica for 6 days now. Im finding the 75mg dose to strong 1 a day is what i am taking.I was wondering if the capsule can be split in half so i take half of that per day .then was wondering how long does it take to wean off completely if i decide to come off completely off the lyrica. And is it safe to take half of the 75mg has i've noticed that dose is not listed on the patient sheet etc.
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I'm on my 9th week of sert (started on 25mg, then 50, now 75) and am just wondering whether to increase to 100mg or not. I'm finding it so hard to determine whether or not I'm better on them. I went to a concert at the weekend and my thoughts were all about anxiety, how I was feeling, etc thru the whole thing. It was a bday present for my husband so I forced myself to stay but eventually left with about 4 songs to go.
So I am kind of left thinking, how can any tablet stop me thinking about any particular subject ie. anxiety? I know it's about boosting serotonin but the overthinking can't be helped surely? I am going to counselling but that seems more focused on dealing with panic attacks, whereas in all honesty, I feel it was the sert that caused my first pa.
Sorry to go on, it's just that it was such a huge decision for me to even take sert in the first place and then an even harder call to stick with it thru all the side effects and now I'm feeling, "for what"? I'm so happy for those who say they feel amazing on it, truly I am, I just want that feeling too.
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I've been on Venlafaxine for the last few months now. I've just moved to a new city and I can't find my prescription anywhere, and trying to find a new doctor is rather difficult with a limited income. Can anyone tell me what adverse effects I will suffer without these? It's been 2 days since my last pill and I've started throwing up this morning. Is this from not being on them?
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Started on the above 10 days ago. First capsule i took i was asleep not long after, woke up feeling in a daze, doctor advised me to have one a day for few days. I have been taking two a day for 8 days. In this time, i have fell downstairs twice, developed a rash, past two days have had an intense pain above my right eye, not as bad as a migraine, but definitely more than a headache, im not due to see Dr until another two weeks.. Hopefully the side effects will go as time goes on. I am also taking sertaline with these, i must admit i feel more like a zombie than alive lol.
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I'm currently taking this combination for postnatal depression my baby is 10 weeks old! The Venlafaxine was started alongside the Mirtazapine three weeks ago and at first my anxiety came back slightly however for two weeks now I've been feeling great and back to myself and been very happy😃 but now all of a sudden since yesterday I've been having feelings of anxiety again, having hot flushes and have this horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach like a churning sensation! I have been rather upset today because I've been feeling so good because I was in such a dark place a few weeks ago! And now I'm feeling like this! What should I do? Will this pass?
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My mom has been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis for 10 years now and her new doctor prescribed Enbrel injections. I’m trying to help her out since she’ll need to inject herself and I’ve been reading up on guidelines how to use this medication, but I’m not sure what effect on will it have if it’s been kept on the room temperature before we realized it should be almost always refrigerated? It was outside only for two hours at most and I’m hoping this won’t make it completely ineffective since it has to get adjusted to the room temperature first before it can be injected safely? Or could using not refrigerated Enbrel cause some side effects? I’ve been trying to reach the pharmacist, but no luck so far.
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