Guest guest Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 How many of you have taken any of the research protocols? My insurance will not cover the biologicals, and even with help, there are a lot of expenses to cover. I was on Remicade for about four months. It never occurred to me that it might take six months! Same story with Rituxin. Right now, I am on a new injectable, not on the market. It makes me feel that although I don't respond readily, I may help in the development of something new. So Nsaids and MTX are my basics and I hope to see some changes. This is how I cope with being a non responder to many of the current meds. How about the rest of you? Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2009 Report Share Posted June 9, 2009 I’m doing quite well on Methotrexate and Remicade and these are really the only ones I tried. Many drug manufacturers have assistance programs to work with your insurance company to see why they are not covered and may offer help with payments if you cannot afford the medication. It costs nothing to look them up and ask. Often insurance will not cover a biologic until the patient has demonstrated that one or more less expensive medications will not work. I was on Methotrexate for about 3 months with only slight success before my insurance company would cover Remicade. It took several months before the Remicade started to show real help but since then I have been able to reduce the dose and keep good results. It is often hard to first gain control of the disease and then it may get easier to keep it controlled. I don’t know how many things you have tried but if you don’t have success with other RA treatments you might consider antibiotic therapy using tetracycline derivatives such as Minocycline. This is a drug commonly used for Acne so much is known about its behavior, and it is relatively inexpensive. However, since it is generic there is no incentive for drug companies to spend the large amounts needed for extensive clinical trials. There have been quite a few small clinical trials and all that I have been able to locate show results comparable to other RA treatments. You can read more about in at the link below and I can give other information if you are interested. God bless. Antibiotic Therapy - Road Back Foundation http://www.roadback.org From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of hlflatau Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 6:11 PM Rheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Research Subjects How many of you have taken any of the research protocols? My insurance will not cover the biologicals, and even with help, there are a lot of expenses to cover. I was on Remicade for about four months. It never occurred to me that it might take six months! Same story with Rituxin. Right now, I am on a new injectable, not on the market. It makes me feel that although I don't respond readily, I may help in the development of something new. So Nsaids and MTX are my basics and I hope to see some changes. This is how I cope with being a non responder to many of the current meds. How about the rest of you? Peace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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