Hello everyone

Today I saw my new Rheumatologist on the NHS. I have been seeing a Consultant Rheumatologist privately (thank god for my work's private insurance scheme) since my diagnosis but everything he has prescribed for me has not worked. He said "time for the big guns and unfortunately I cannot help you with Anti-TNF's unless you have £17,000 per cycle handy " Suffice to say I asked him to refer me on the NHS. I was lucky to be seen today after only a three month wait.

My new Rhematologist is lovely and after much discussion and examination, he agrees that my health has deteriorated in the last twelve months and he says I am eligible for Anti-TNF's. I was then passed over to the Rheumatology Nurse who scored me and I passed with flying colours. Luckily today is a very bad day. She will score me again on 19th Feb and then, if I am the same or worse, they will apply for the funding.

What is confusing me, and which I am hoping some of you can help me with is, I have been given the option of two drugs to think about and go away and investigate. These are Etanercept (Enbrel) or Adalimumab (Humira). I have been advised to do some research on the internet and speak to people about these two drugs. When I go back in February I need to tell them which one I have decided to try. Seems a bit bizarre to me and I will be talking to my GP about this later this week, but I am hoping that I can get some advice from people who have actually used these drugs and experienced the side effects. I have also been given the option of injecting myself with either a needle or pen. Again any experiences and advice?

I am very relieved that finally I may be able to have something that will give me back some quality of life but obviously scared about the possible side effects of these drugs. However, I would appreciate anyone replying being upfront with me as forewarned is forearmed.

Love
Jackie

i'm bloggin about humira here at wordpress
wonderful drug
i chose it above others on offer because i also have some kind of immune gut/coeliac/chrohns type thing going on, and humira is helping, as promised, with that.

Dear Jackie,

I am so very pleased to see you have met your new rheumy and that they were kind and helpful.

You are in my prayers always,

Amanda

Hi Jackie,
So pleased for you that you are starting anti-tnfs.
I've been on humira for 7 months now and have had no side effects at all so far.
I started with the syringes and somehow got changed to pens. I actually preferred the syringe because I feel to have more control but the pens are fine.
It does sting but as Frankie says 3 minutes later and it's forgotten!
Good luck with it.

Doreen xx

Glad things are moving forward for you Jackie - despite being back on the NHS. I'm sure you will get some good advice.

Barbara - good luck to you with your appointment tomorrow - will be thinking of you.

Julie

Hi Jackie

I started with humira about 4 years ago, but it didn't help me much, so I went onto enbrel. This has really helped. I have had no side effects with either drug, not that I'm aware of anyway.

I'm sure there must be long-term side effects with most of the drugs that we have to take, but I feel quality of life is more important than quantity for me.

Lyn

Dear All

Thank you for all your advice and good luck messages. I went to see my GP today to discuss this further. As Kathleen advised my GP knew nothing about these drugs. Apparantly out of 10,600 patients in his practice, I am only the second to be treated for RA. He did look up the two drugs on his computer and told me how much they cost which was quite scary in itself. We decided after looking at the side effect information that I should go with Humira as this has the least side effects. I just need to keep my fingers crossed that I feel as ill as I normally do on my second scoring on 19th Feb and then wait for the o.k. on funding which I expect may take a while.

Hope you all have a good weekend.

Jackie
xx