Biologics...Weighing the Risks

[Guest guest]

I would like as many opinions as I can get on this, Im sorry it's a bit long.

I was on Humira for almost 2yrs. Lived pain free, in a remission type state for

most of the time. It was wonderful.

Last year I took a job at an elementary school. I was sick non stop the entire

fall/winter. REALLY sick. Every little cold turned into a major illness. My

blood counts became so bad that I was sent to a blood specialist/oncologist.

They thought I might have had a leukemia or felty syndrome. Was terrifying. My

family dr. blamed the Humira for wiping my system out too much and warned me to

never take it again. That I was that 1% they warn about on the commercials.

After stopping the Humira and doing long coarse of meds I recovered to normal

and havnen't been sick since. Did have to quit the job though.

My reumatologist however disagrees slightly. She thinks it'd be fine to take it,

or another bilogic again. That it was probably a combo of the jobs enviornment

and the Humira, and coincidence. Maybe to just take it at a lower / less

frequent rate. She'd like me to go back on one soon because my disease has been

out of control since last year...and I'm showing new erosion on my xrays. She

mentioned taking HUmira once monthy instead of twice, or using a monthly iv

drug, or something that is done by iv once every 7mo or so. The thig is, Im

scared to death of these meds now. I haven't been sick one single time since

stopping the Humira and letting my body recover. I'm afraid it will happen again

but my disease is really driving me nuts.

What do I do? Take the drugs and risk terrible side effects that can kill me. Or

just let myself suffer and cripple?

Thanks