enbrel, humira or remicaide- dr visit

[Guest guest]

UG and ACK! I drove to my rheumy appt today, 2 hours each way. Got there and

sat 10 mins and then the desk person called me up and aid dr says to reschedule

you, you are 20 mins late. I said no, I am 20 mins early. She said no- late.

I said well nevermind then, I do not want to reschedule, I just drove 2 hours

and MY appt card says I am early. so Ileft.

stopped at a store to bday shop for my middle dtr. then hit the long road home.

I was in some very heavy traffic and my cell rang, 2.5 hours after my appt time.

It was my rheumy. he sounded sorta sheepish, but also sorta amused. apologized

sort of, asked how I am doing....asked how my stopping smoking is doing. Said I

can try my choice. Remicaide, enbrel or humira. but first I need a TB test.

so as soon as I get my TB test, I goback.

I am not sure which to try first. I asked what his experience says works best,

he said many people prefer remicaide cuz it is less often, but it is infusion.

I especially hate IVs so- I said maybe humira or enbrel.

He told me to research them and talk to others and see what I think.

[Guest guest]

Dreamer,

I'm new to this, but I can tell you what my daughter's rheumatologist said

about these three drugs.

He has been the Chief of Pediatric Rheumatology at the Hospital for Special

Surgery in NY City since 1986 and has been a practicing pediatric

rheumatologist for 35 years. I say that only so you know how many years he

has been treating patients.

He doesn't particularly like Remicade because it has a high frequency of

allergic reactions. So, although some people have great success with it, he

doesn't go to it as a first line drug. He says Humira and Enbrel work very

similarly. Enbrel is what he gives his youngest patients because pain is

usually an issue with the little ones and the Enbrel injections don't hurt

while the Humira injections really burn or sting going in.

However, with his older patients (and with my daughter), he prefers to start

with Humira because he feels it is a more potent or a stronger drug, but

there are people on this list who have had great results with Enbrel.

There have been recent studies which show that both Enbrel and Humira have

better results when combined with Methotrexate. You might be on that

already, I don't know.

If I were you, I think I might start with Humira, but ask the doctor to also

prescribe injectable Methotrexate at the same time and let you start with

both. If after a couple of months you aren't well, you might ask if you

could switch to either Enbrel or Remicade.

Anyway, that's my $.02, although I am new to this myself. My new hobby it

seems is drug research because of my daughter's RA.

Good luck to you.

Lori

_____

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of dreamer_plus

Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 8:00 PM

Subject: [ ] enbrel, humira or remicaide- dr visit

UG and ACK! I drove to my rheumy appt today, 2 hours each way. Got there

and sat 10 mins and then the desk person called me up and aid dr says to

reschedule you, you are 20 mins late. I said no, I am 20 mins early. She

said no- late. I said well nevermind then, I do not want to reschedule, I

just drove 2 hours and MY appt card says I am early. so Ileft.

stopped at a store to bday shop for my middle dtr. then hit the long road

home. I was in some very heavy traffic and my cell rang, 2.5 hours after my

appt time. It was my rheumy. he sounded sorta sheepish, but also sorta

amused. apologized sort of, asked how I am doing....asked how my stopping

smoking is doing. Said I can try my choice. Remicaide, enbrel or humira.

but first I need a TB test.

so as soon as I get my TB test, I goback.

I am not sure which to try first. I asked what his experience says works

best, he said many people prefer remicaide cuz it is less often, but it is

infusion. I especially hate IVs so- I said maybe humira or enbrel.

He told me to research them and talk to others and see what I think.

[Guest guest]

Thank you for your input. It helps. It all helps. I am a nurse and did direct

patient long term care. I had several MS patients over the years but never ever

had any RA patients. My husband and 2 of my 3 kids have chronic illnesses, and

TONS of meds...but neither do any o f them have RA.

I do currently take mtx orally. I have a friend whose child takes Remicaide for

Crohns.

I keep trying to reasearch especially the enbrel and humira but.....everything

looks so similar. Then I just get confused all over again. LOL

- In , " Lori Maynard " <lorimaynard@...> wrote:

>

> Dreamer,

>

>

>

> I'm new to this, but I can tell you what my daughter's rheumatologist said

> about these three drugs.

>

>

>

> He has been the Chief of Pediatric Rheumatology at the Hospital for Special

> Surgery in NY City since 1986 and has been a practicing pediatric

> rheumatologist for 35 years. I say that only so you know how many years he

> has been treating patients.

>

>

>

> He doesn't particularly like Remicade because it has a high frequency of

> allergic reactions. So, although some people have great success with it, he

> doesn't go to it as a first line drug. He says Humira and Enbrel work very

> similarly. Enbrel is what he gives his youngest patients because pain is

> usually an issue with the little ones and the Enbrel injections don't hurt

> while the Humira injections really burn or sting going in.

>

>

>

> However, with his older patients (and with my daughter), he prefers to start

> with Humira because he feels it is a more potent or a stronger drug, but

> there are people on this list who have had great results with Enbrel.

>

>

>

> There have been recent studies which show that both Enbrel and Humira have

> better results when combined with Methotrexate. You might be on that

> already, I don't know.

>

>

>

> If I were you, I think I might start with Humira, but ask the doctor to also

> prescribe injectable Methotrexate at the same time and let you start with

> both. If after a couple of months you aren't well, you might ask if you

> could switch to either Enbrel or Remicade.

>

>

>

> Anyway, that's my $.02, although I am new to this myself. My new hobby it

> seems is drug research because of my daughter's RA.

>

>

>

> Good luck to you.

>

>

>

> Lori

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> _____

>

> From: [mailto: ] On

> Behalf Of dreamer_plus

> Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 8:00 PM

>

> Subject: [ ] enbrel, humira or remicaide- dr visit

>

>

>

> UG and ACK! I drove to my rheumy appt today, 2 hours each way. Got there

> and sat 10 mins and then the desk person called me up and aid dr says to

> reschedule you, you are 20 mins late. I said no, I am 20 mins early. She

> said no- late. I said well nevermind then, I do not want to reschedule, I

> just drove 2 hours and MY appt card says I am early. so Ileft.

>

> stopped at a store to bday shop for my middle dtr. then hit the long road

> home. I was in some very heavy traffic and my cell rang, 2.5 hours after my

> appt time. It was my rheumy. he sounded sorta sheepish, but also sorta

> amused. apologized sort of, asked how I am doing....asked how my stopping

> smoking is doing. Said I can try my choice. Remicaide, enbrel or humira.

> but first I need a TB test.

> so as soon as I get my TB test, I goback.

> I am not sure which to try first. I asked what his experience says works

> best, he said many people prefer remicaide cuz it is less often, but it is

> infusion. I especially hate IVs so- I said maybe humira or enbrel.

> He told me to research them and talk to others and see what I think.

>

>

>

>

>

>