Re: Humira--Need info and support.

[Guest guest]

Hi Liz,

I was on humira for two months only. It did an amazing job, but I developed drug

induced lupus on it. The DIL cleared up after I stopped the drug. And the short

dose of humira kept my symptoms in remission for three months with no meds. But

ultimately the arthritis came back. Now I'm on a half dose (25mg) of enbrel

every week. Which works for me for the most part. Wishing you good luck!

(Sent from my mobile)

On Apr 11, 2011, at 6:52 PM, Liz_K <juliette@...> wrote:

> Hello.

> As those of you who have been with me on this list for the past years know

> I have a primary Dx of Reiter's and Psoratic Arthritis. I later learned I

> also have sjogren's and Chronic fatigue syndrome.

>

> For the past 14 years or so I have been on methotrexate combined with

> various other drugs. For four years I was on Remicaid which did help alot

> and I did well with. Then it seemed like

> Glucosomine/Chondrotin was doing well for me with less risk than these

> crazy high power drugs. I was using that for about 4 years but then that

> seemed to lose effectiveness.

>

> I then began using plaquenil...then was a period I wasn't using that till

> the dr was sure my eyes weren't being affected. Every other month liver

> enzymes were checked. In January 2011 the results were higher than the dr

> liked so he readjusted my dosage from 20 mg once a week (always have had

> pill==no shots) to 16.

>

> In the next two months my right hand became affected in a negative way.

> The left hand esp the middle finger had become deformed before but the

> right was ok. Now the right middle finger is bent and the whole hand and

> wrist is twisted. Various other joints are affected too.

>

> The sjogrens is also worse. My eyes are very dry. About 2 months ago my

> dog scratched my cornea by accident and since then the eye dr has had

> opportunity to observe that part more closely. He just informed me that I

> need to start using eye drops or my eye dryness will lead to inflammation

> and infection.

>

> Bottom line: RE: the Reiters though.. The dr sat down and discussed with

> me in detail the options I have available. It has been so long since I was

> on the remi that the dr is afraid I will exhibit an allergic reaction to

> it...that would be very negative.... So based on all factors he wants to

> put me on Humira.

>

> I have already had the TB test and have to get chest xray. He has to put

> the paperwork through to get medicaid to pay for it. I have to learn to

> give the injections. ly I am very scared about this turn of events.

> Lymphoma is in my family genetics---and that is something I am very

> vulnerable to with Humira. Lung infections are a thing to watch out for

> too and I have the tendency for those. But what else can I do...

>

> Any info you have about your own experience or knowledge of Humira..I'd

> really appreciate your sharing.

>

> Thanks! I think of you all and hope all is going well for you.

>

> Liz Kilpatrick

> On the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River, Davenport,IA

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> (A)PERSON with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the

> facts! *H. Brown,Jr.**************************************

> LIFE isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning

> how to dance in the rain! *Vivian Greene*************************

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> EMAIL: juliette@... WEBSITE: http://members.tripod.com/~LizK

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

[Guest guest]

How has being on Enbrel been? Anyone else on Enbrel that could share their

experience?

It might be the next step for my boyfriend with reactive arthritis.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Re: Humira--Need info and support.

Hi Liz,

I was on humira for two months only. It did an amazing job, but I developed drug

induced lupus on it. The DIL cleared up after I stopped the drug. And the short

dose of humira kept my symptoms in remission for three months with no meds. But

ultimately the arthritis came back. Now I'm on a half dose (25mg) of enbrel

every week. Which works for me for the most part. Wishing you good luck!

(Sent from my mobile)

On Apr 11, 2011, at 6:52 PM, Liz_K <juliette@...> wrote:

> Hello.

> As those of you who have been with me on this list for the past years know

> I have a primary Dx of Reiter's and Psoratic Arthritis. I later learned I

> also have sjogren's and Chronic fatigue syndrome.

>

> For the past 14 years or so I have been on methotrexate combined with

> various other drugs. For four years I was on Remicaid which did help alot

> and I did well with. Then it seemed like

> Glucosomine/Chondrotin was doing well for me with less risk than these

> crazy high power drugs. I was using that for about 4 years but then that

> seemed to lose effectiveness.

>

> I then began using plaquenil...then was a period I wasn't using that till

> the dr was sure my eyes weren't being affected. Every other month liver

> enzymes were checked. In January 2011 the results were higher than the dr

> liked so he readjusted my dosage from 20 mg once a week (always have had

> pill==no shots) to 16.

>

> In the next two months my right hand became affected in a negative way.

> The left hand esp the middle finger had become deformed before but the

> right was ok. Now the right middle finger is bent and the whole hand and

> wrist is twisted. Various other joints are affected too.

>

> The sjogrens is also worse. My eyes are very dry. About 2 months ago my

> dog scratched my cornea by accident and since then the eye dr has had

> opportunity to observe that part more closely. He just informed me that I

> need to start using eye drops or my eye dryness will lead to inflammation

> and infection.

>

> Bottom line: RE: the Reiters though.. The dr sat down and discussed with

> me in detail the options I have available. It has been so long since I was

> on the remi that the dr is afraid I will exhibit an allergic reaction to

> it...that would be very negative.... So based on all factors he wants to

> put me on Humira.

>

> I have already had the TB test and have to get chest xray. He has to put

> the paperwork through to get medicaid to pay for it. I have to learn to

> give the injections. ly I am very scared about this turn of events.

> Lymphoma is in my family genetics---and that is something I am very

> vulnerable to with Humira. Lung infections are a thing to watch out for

> too and I have the tendency for those. But what else can I do...

>

> Any info you have about your own experience or knowledge of Humira..I'd

> really appreciate your sharing.

>

> Thanks! I think of you all and hope all is going well for you.

>

> Liz Kilpatrick

> On the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River, Davenport,IA

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> (A)PERSON with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the

> facts! *H. Brown,Jr.**************************************

> LIFE isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning

> how to dance in the rain! *Vivian Greene*************************

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> EMAIL: juliette@... WEBSITE: http://members.tripod.com/~LizK

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Liz

Your story is like mine, ie the Reiter's, the Sjogrens, severe dry eye,

chronic fatigue. Like you I have been on Methotrexate, and Plaquenil. I am

on the Restasis for the dry eye. I ignored the eye dryness problem until it

got worse, it is safer to take all the liquid tears or drugs that will help

relieve those dry eyes. The corneas suffer badly if you do not keep them

moist.

As for the Humira. Over the years they have tried everything on me from

Enbrel, Orencia, etc. Then last year they did the Humira on me. It does

weaken your immune system and make you more weak in terms of fighting off

upper respiratory problems. I had to quit it after about 6 months. It

makes it so difficult to fight off infections. I am back to just MTX and

Plaquenil. If you try the Humira just be very alert to infections and your

ability to fight them. My body now loves antibiotics, whenever I have a

cold or sinus infection I have to take the antibiotics and the rest of my

systems improve. I have even tried one shot of Simponi, but it did not seem

to work.

Read the info before you decide. If it makes you feel better when you try

it, then it may be worth it. Unfortunately it is all trial and error.

Hang in there.

God Bless

Priscilla