Re: Hi everyone, i'm also new here, in need of advice.

[Guest guest]

a, I highly recommend Enbrel. I've been on it for over two years,

and it works very well for me. Of course I still have some aches and

pains and can tell I have RA, but I'm in amazingly good shape for one

with RA. Why wait until you no longer can walk? Joint damage is

permanent, and Enbrel might just be the med that works miraculously for

you. Your doctor is right to attack the RA aggressively.

Sue

On Monday, February 27, 2006, at 07:33 PM, a wrote:

> Anyway...Dr wants me to go on

> enbrel...I think this is extreme, as i'm in pain alot but i'm not as

> bad as some are. I can still walk, altho not as far as I used to be

> able to, I can't open jars by myself anymore. I do still work...i'm an

> assembler at Caterpillar, my hands aren't like they used to be and I

> don't know how much longer I can do this sort of work. I do have a

> pretty easy job so i'm gonna work as long as I can...anyway lol do any

> of you think the jump to enbrel at this stage is to quick? any advice

> would be appreciated. Thanks, a ( yes, another a) lol

[Guest guest]

Welcome, a!

Sorry to hear that you are having a rough time and also about your mother.

Have you seen a rheumatologist yet?

Celebrex is not a disease-modifying agent, but Enbrel is. The current

thinking is that it is better to fight RA early and aggressively at the

onset rather than wait for damage to occur and for the inflammation to

spiral out of control.

Not an MD

I'll tell you where to go!

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

http://www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

s Hopkins Medicine

http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org

[ ] Hi everyone, i'm also new here, in need of advice.

> My GP has had me on Celebrex for almost a year now..it helped a great

> deal for awhile but recently it's not giving me the relief I need.

> I've only had 1 severe flare up which cost me a week of work. Now I

> just ache. Some days are worse then others. I sleep with an electric

> blanket which I just found over the weekend to give me GREAT relief.

> But its short lived as when I get out of bed for a few hours the aching

> is back. My GP at first told me I didn't have RA, but I knew i did. I

> kept going back until he did the blood tests I asked him to do, they

> came back and of course I have RA. My mom died of complications from

> RA. I will not be my mom who suffered for soooo long. But of course

> they didn't have the meds they do now. Anyway...Dr wants me to go on

> enbrel...I think this is extreme, as i'm in pain alot but i'm not as

> bad as some are. I can still walk, altho not as far as I used to be

> able to, I can't open jars by myself anymore. I do still work...i'm an

> assembler at Caterpillar, my hands aren't like they used to be and I

> don't know how much longer I can do this sort of work. I do have a

> pretty easy job so i'm gonna work as long as I can...anyway lol do any

> of you think the jump to enbrel at this stage is to quick? any advice

> would be appreciated. Thanks, a ( yes, another a) lol

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the replies and the welcomes! [:x]

I have not seen a rhuematoligist <sp> yet. My Dr has been in the family

for over 20 yrs. I trust him with my heart and soul. If I wanted to go

see one he'd send me in a heartbeat, but for now i'm comfortable letting

him treat me. I'm just scared about the enbrel..maybe its denial, I'm

not sure..my insurance will cover everything but I have a co-pay of $50

bucks. I had the enbrel ordered but called and canceled it..i'm a

chicken...what if it don't work...what if it makes me so sick i can't

work..sorry..i'm just scared...thanks for letting me ramble on... a

May you live as long as you want and

never want as long as you live

oOoOo.oOoOo

_|¯¯¯|.|¯¯¯|_

sesm(C|...|.|...|D)sesm

¯|___|.|___|¯

§§*****§§******§§§*****§§*****§§

[Guest guest]

Hi a. I've been on Enbrel since 1998 and it's been a lifesaver

for me.

I was scared too especially since it was newly approved and a brand

new class of medication.

I've had no side effects. Good luck with your decision.

a P

On Feb 27, 2006, at 10:29 PM, a wrote:

>

> Thanks for the replies and the welcomes! [:x]

>

> I have not seen a rhuematoligist <sp> yet. My Dr has been in the

> family

> for over 20 yrs. I trust him with my heart and soul. If I wanted to go

> see one he'd send me in a heartbeat, but for now i'm comfortable

> letting

> him treat me. I'm just scared about the enbrel..maybe its denial, I'm

> not sure..my insurance will cover everything but I have a co-pay of

> $50

> bucks. I had the enbrel ordered but called and canceled it..i'm a

> chicken...what if it don't work...what if it makes me so sick i can't

> work..sorry..i'm just scared...thanks for letting me ramble on...

> a

>

> May you live as long as you want and

> never want as long as you live

>

> oOoOo.oOoOo

> _|¯¯¯|.|¯¯¯|_

> sesm(C|...|.|...|D)sesm

> ¯|___|.|___|¯

> §§*****§§******§§§*****§§*****§§

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi a:

It's perfectly normal to be scared, this is a scary

disease and some of the meds are equally as scary as

far as side effects are concerned. First off, see a

rheumatologist, get the blood work done, x-rays, and

then start a treatment program as soon as possible.

There are other DMARDs (disease modifying drugs) out

there that you don't have to inject, and that cost

less. I understand that your regular doctor is great,

and you trust him, I too was treated by my family

practice doctor when first dx, but it is really good

to also get the imput of a specialist. I am now under

treatment with a rheumy, and she is great, and I feel

that she really is up on all the meds, etc. that are

available to treat my RA, OA, and my Fibro, even more

so than a family practice doctor who might not see

that much rheumatological/immune system diseases.

Best of luck -

Kathe in CA

--- a <aN829@...> wrote:

>

> Thanks for the replies and the welcomes! [:x]

>

> I have not seen a rhuematoligist <sp> yet. My Dr has

> been in the family

> for over 20 yrs. I trust him with my heart and soul.

> If I wanted to go

> see one he'd send me in a heartbeat, but for now i'm

> comfortable letting

> him treat me. I'm just scared about the

> enbrel..maybe its denial, I'm

> not sure..my insurance will cover everything but I

> have a co-pay of $50

> bucks. I had the enbrel ordered but called and

> canceled it..i'm a

> chicken...what if it don't work...what if it makes

> me so sick i can't

> work..sorry..i'm just scared...thanks for letting me

> ramble on... a

>

> May you live as long as you want and

> never want as long as you live

>

> oOoOo.oOoOo

> _|¯¯¯|.|¯¯¯|_

> sesm(C|...|.|...|D)sesm

> ¯|___|.|___|¯

> §§*****§§******§§§*****§§*****§§

>

>

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

Kathe

" To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. "

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

ONE INJECTION OF ENBREL and I was 80% my self. Within

a month I felt reborn. 3 years later I've reduced the

dosage have hardly any pain and the stiffness comes

and goes depending on the weather and how hard I've

been pushing myself. Why not be yourself again?

Edie (NJ)

--- a <aN829@...> wrote:

> My GP has had me on Celebrex for almost a year

> now..it helped a great

> deal for awhile but recently it's not giving me the

> relief I need.

> I've only had 1 severe flare up which cost me a week

> of work. Now I

> just ache. Some days are worse then others. I sleep

> with an electric

> blanket which I just found over the weekend to give

> me GREAT relief.

> But its short lived as when I get out of bed for a

> few hours the aching

> is back. My GP at first told me I didn't have RA,

> but I knew i did. I

> kept going back until he did the blood tests I asked

> him to do, they

> came back and of course I have RA. My mom died of

> complications from

> RA. I will not be my mom who suffered for soooo

> long. But of course

> they didn't have the meds they do now. Anyway...Dr

> wants me to go on

> enbrel...I think this is extreme, as i'm in pain

> alot but i'm not as

> bad as some are. I can still walk, altho not as far

> as I used to be

> able to, I can't open jars by myself anymore. I do

> still work...i'm an

> assembler at Caterpillar, my hands aren't like they

> used to be and I

> don't know how much longer I can do this sort of

> work. I do have a

> pretty easy job so i'm gonna work as long as I

> can...anyway lol do any

> of you think the jump to enbrel at this stage is to

> quick? any advice

> would be appreciated. Thanks, a ( yes, another

> a) lol

>

>

>

>

>

>

__________________________________________________