Re: Enbrel and pain

[Guest guest]

,

I can't answer your question directly, but I will tell you this. My

daughter took Humira injections for a month every week and it really wasn't

helping with the pain too well. Like you and Enbrel, it helped with the

fatigue some, but she was still having a lot of pain in her hands and feet.

Three weeks ago her rheumy added injectable MTX every week along with the

Humira. She is practically pain free now (accept for the pain from an

appendectomy on Monday - ouch).

I know rheumatologists often pair MTX with Enbrel as well as Humira.

Perhaps you could ask your doctor about this.

Hope you're pain free very soon.

Lori

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From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of

Sent: Friday, May 19, 2006 3:35 PM

Subject: [ ] Enbrel and pain

Question for y'all...

I just took my seventh shot of Enbrel (no side effects, by the way,

except for site rashes which seem to have been cured by putting a Band

Aid on right after the shot and leaving it there for a couple of days.)

It's obviously working, fatigue-wise. I definitely have more energy,

although that's relative, I have 6 " okay " hours a day instead of

3 lousy ones But still, it's a lot better than it was...

The thing is, it doesn't *touch* the pain, fingers especially. Has

anyone else experienced that? And are there other options? I'm going to

see my rh in a week so maybe some of you have some advice first.

Also, I've been taking a lot of Hydrocodone, which helps my herniated

disk and the general pain and the inflammation but it doesn't touch

the joint pain either.

Any ideas?

Thx,

[Guest guest]

Hi :

Sorry to be so late in getting back to you, had a bad

weekend, and the week is not getting much better lol.

Anyway, I take meds for RA, and meds for fibro, and

still have pain. Granted it's no doubt (at least I

hope so for the amount of money it takes to keep me

stocked in drugs lol) better than without medication,

but there is still pain to some degree on a daily

basis. Sad, but true. I am on Ultram, nothing near

Hydrocodone, but still a pretty good pain med on its

own and the best one I have been on yet.

As far as the finger pain goes, do you have a job

where you use your hands a lot, or do things around

the house that might be causing a bit of overuse in

your hands? If the stiffness is better in your

fingers, then the inflammation is under better control

at least. I am glad to hear that Enbrel on the whole

is working for you, and more energy is what we all

need. Sometimes I just think that there will always

be some pain, that is something that I have learned to

cope with and live with, and that is simply the nature

of RA and fibro. I know that it does not exactly make

your day to hear this, but at least that is the way

things are with me.

Take care -

Kathe in CA

Kathe

" To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. "

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