dear Caprie,
congratulations on starting Humira! is this for RA? hey, i get my re-fill of Humira on the 18th...so i am awaiting my shipment too.
first of all, let me just be a good cheerleader right now and say, "YOU CAN DO IT!!!" and i truly feel you will be just fine.
i've been taking Humira since last august. was on Enbrel for almost 2 years but i did not do well on it. (made no progress).
umh...i would suggest injecting your Humira in the abdomen. i have found that to be the best place. Enbrel 50mg STUNG REALLY BAD! holey moley...i was injecting into the thighs and hip area. once i started Humira, i heard from a girlfriend of mine who has RA that Humira stings as well, but not as firey as the Enbrel 50's...she suggested the abdomen. so in all, the "Stick" itself does not hurt...you'll find that the actual medication as it goes in has a little bite to it. :) but it is TOTALLY doable. i would not lie to you for i was absolutely HORRIFIED to self inject (and i'm in nursing too!...so i've a lot of injections under my belt and still...ya do get the last minute jitters).
for the most part, frequent bloodwork and rheummy visits will keep all things in check regarding side effects of the systemic sort. just pay attention to your body and you'll be fine. you will have to be monitored for your white blood cell count, that's kinda the most important thing.
if anything is to happen, a little injection site redness or a little itchiness might occur. if you do not have any Latex allergies you should be OK. if it makes you feel any better, have someone in the house with you the first time you have your shot.
i did fine the 1st time with both Enbrel and Humira. if anything...i was super proud of the fact that i was able to do it myself! there comes a big boost of confidence afterwards!
i'm very happy for you. how is the arthritis you have? just diagnosed? or is it advanced?
let's see....i started to have benefits from the Humira just recently. so it took about 8 1/2 months for my case of RA to get to a point where it stopped getting worse. then again, the RA was way out of control due to not being treated. i take the Humira every 4 days now. started with every 2 weeks, then every 12 days, then 10 days, then weekly....so i'm at a point where i have the right combo of meds at the right dose.
everyone responds differently. some will get quicker results and notice big changes pretty fast...say within 2 months. some may take longer. but do be patient. waiting is the worst part i know.
what other medicines are you taking?
let this be cause for celebration! hoorah!
you take care & write back soon.
erin
Active, Severe RA. Crohns Disease. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. AS. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
I was on humira for 3 months, I've been on enbrel for 2.5 so far. Honestly, the injection was not a big deal to me at all. Erin is right--sometimes it does sting a bit going in. My rheumatologist told me it was the solution that the actual medicine is in that actually stings--enbrel does too. But I've found the faster and more adept I get at the injection, the easier it goes, and the less it actually stings. I've gotten lots of mild injection site reactions so far, but they're not a problem. The one side effect that I've been getting quite a bit, that some others are not, are lots of mild infections. That is somewhat of a common side effect, though, and I guess every patient and doctor needs to decide whether it's worth it or not. I've not gotten any serious infections, which is the real danger, and in my opinion, pretty rare.
I haven't received full benefit yet from the tnf-inhibitors, but as Erin has pointed out it took her 8.5 months, so I'm still hopeful. Best of luck to you!
Elcamino
Current dx: Rheumatoid Arthritis
Thank you both for your response. I feel more at ease about starting the Humira.
I have had RA for about 17 years and have used Methotrexate, Prednisone, Plaquenil, and quite a few NSAIDS through the years. Recently my RA has been bad and harder to get under control.. My right arm has been bent and doesn't want to straighten out and left wrist is swollen, knees killing me, etc..
I have done well enough in the past to stay active, but the last 5 months have been a struggle. Doc thinks i should try the Humira.
I would avoid it if i could, but you just get to the point where you will try anything to get relief!
I am just hoping it works.
You guys are great to share your experiences and in a positive way.
Thanks so much!
Caprie
Active, Severe RA. Crohns Disease. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. AS. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Thanks for being a great cheerleader! The major issue i have with the Humira is because it hasn't been around that long so that studies could be done to see if it has any negative effects long term.
But hey, you do what you got to do to stay well. Sounds as thought you have had a rough go of it in the past. I am glad you think you have the right mix of meds figured out. I wish you only the best.
Geez, you would think this all could be figured out by the researchers. Bacterial, viral, hormonal, stress, etc..
Since it seems to run mostly in women, i go with hormonal. If it were due to bacteria and viruses then more men would have it.
I guess we are just good multi-taskers - work, clean , cook, kids, oh yeah my RA too!!!!!
What a deal!
Well, thanks for your feedback. Stay well!
Caprie
hey, i hear ya!
if you think about it...the long term negative effects of RA aren't sweet either. LOL.
i made my decision to start dmards & TNFs because the RA had already affected my heart & lungs...so what the heck WORSE could possibly happen? could only go up from there!
i have no regrets & would never turn back. also, i have no intentions of ever going off of the Humira or TNF drugs either, as long as they continue to not deplete my bone marrow too much. rheummy says i'm in it for the duration anyway.
really, the most serious complication that could arise is the risk of lymphoma. then again...people with RA tend to run that risk regardless if they are on TNFs or not.
autoimmune diseases are really scarey and still in many areas a mystery. i mean, really...people get rid of cancers quicker!
in all, we've got to focus on what we do have. i'm grateful i can breathe on my own, i can think and talk and for the most part take care of myself and meet my own needs.
does your shipment of Humira come tomorrow????
how often do you go for bloodwork?
have a goodnight!
Active, Severe RA. Crohns Disease. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. AS. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
You really make a good point over the long term consequences of RA vs Humira. It drives the point home.
Yes, I should be receiving it today. Not sure if i will take it today or wait till the weekend. I haven't been given any instruction yet on how to shoot myself. I will call the docs office and get instruction. I am sure it will go ok.
Sometimes i think i could just get by on prednisone alone but i know it is not good for the bones. I am only on 5 mg a day even though 7.5 mg seems to be much better relief. I also inquired about trying antibiotics before Humira just in case this is a bacterial infection (RA) but my doctor didn't want to go that way.
As far as bloodwork, I have been getting it done monthly. So far, so good.
I hope the meds you are taking help you alot as it seems your RA is very severe. I feel guilty complaining after reading your posts. You do have a wonderful spirit and positive attitude that carries you through the tough times.
We can all learn alot from that.
I wish you many better days ahead!!!!
Caprie
RA sucks, not knowing what TNF inhibitors can do long term sucks as well. But I am so much happier now that I can be active again (Caprie, I had very similar RA affects as you, wrists, elbows and knees).
As far as affects on the body, with the current knowledge of Enbrel/Humaria and MTX, I would rather be off the MTX. As far as affects on the wallet, I would rather be off Enbrel. Oh well.
On shots, you guessed it, they suck too. I take shots of MTX and Enbrel. I consider myself one of the tougher guys around here (mostly because I am the only regular guy) and I hate the shots. I think about it far too often, and always have an adult beverage or 2 after each session. But 18 months ago I could hardly walk, now I can ride for hours with minor discomfort from the RA.
Sometimes life is a difficult choice between things that suck, I pick the ones that suck less.
BTW, don't feel guilty. This is a hard disease, for some, myself included, it is easily as much mental as physical. And it is difficult to get support, even from close friends and family. When you look normal and healthy, and feel so darn bad, it makes the situation even more difficult.
Stay tough and positive ... Craig
Craig...I love you man! You really are super & everyone here I think totally loves that "you're our only guy!" 
LOL.
THIS CALLS FOR A SHOOTIN' UP PARTY!!!!!!!!!!! Active, Severe RA. Crohns Disease. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. AS. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Erin, thanks for the"shooting up party"! I haven't done it yet. It is sitting in my fridge staring at me every time i open it.
I am waiting until next week to go to the doctors for the first time i inject. In the meantime, i have read your advice over and over so i feel ready. I appreciate you taking time to equip me with all the info that will help me.
Until next week..........
Caprie
now don't shoot down our compliments man! just blush & say "awe shucks" lol. Active, Severe RA. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Your the best!
I really don't know why I was given Enbrel rather than Humeria. My suspicion is Dr. experience and perhaps preference, and I would not be supprised if it had a little to do with how good the perks were from one drug rep. over another.
I started on MTX pills for a few months with no real benefit. Then MTX injectible, perhaps a little benefit, but nothing significant. It took a couple months on Enbrel before I noticed a big change.
BTW, the consensus that I've observed is that guys are bigger babies when it comes to giving themselves shots then gals. I've heard several stories from nurse types about big guys who could not even do it. And that could easily be the case with me ... if my (quality of) life did not depend on it.
getting in touch with my feminine side through RA ... Craig
Confirmed Diagnosis of - Psoriatic Arthritis/Spondylitis/Graves Disease/GERD/Scoliosis/Hiatal Hernia/Graves Disease of the Eyes/Chronic UTIs
mmmmm hmmmm! i second that motion. when i was on Enbrel 50's; i actually had small viles of diluent to make the 50mg's less firey for me. and new syringes. was running out of injection spots, everywhere was scar tissue and sore. so i had my honey learn how to give injections! (now mind you, he's been doing EEG's since the 70's and THAT's WHEN THE USEDTO STICK METAL OINS IN YOUR HEAD FOR THE TEST!)Active, Severe RA. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
Thanks
Hey Caprie, hey Curley:
Curley, where do you inject? In the abdomen? I find that's the best place ever. I wish I had been injecting there when I was on the Enbrel 50mg's because geez-louise those STUNG! Humira stings less than the Enbrel 50mg's; but then again perhaps if it goes in the abs it hurts less? I just find the tissue in itself of the abdomen makes for a much easier injection than the thighs & arms where they can be more "painful".
The ab injection? I don't even feel the stick; it's just the medication Caprie that kinda feels like a bit of heat. Totally doable though! You're gonna be GREAT!
Active, Severe RA. Crohns. AS. Chiari Malformation & Right Brain venous anomoly. Partial complex seizures. Emphysema. Rheumatic Lung & Heart. MVP and Tricuspid prolapse. Had Lymes disease for 10 years.
I had my first Humira shot yesterday. The Doc did it for me. I am going to practice on an orange and then go back in 2 weeks and do it myself at the doctors office.
I have to say, i didn't feel a thing. I guess he is good with injections. Put it in my thigh. No reaction site effects either.
So now i just wait and hope it helps me. Please oh please!!!!!
Curley, i was so happy to read that the Humira has been a wonder drug for you for 3 years now. My doc said it has been a remarkable drug for about 90 percent of his patients. I take it is still working for you which gives me alot of hope that it can last for some time.
Erin and Craig, thanks for your support too. Craig, i was given the choice between embrel, remicade or humira so i don't thing the pharmaceutical perk thing came into play with my doctor but i am sure it does in many situtations. After he explained each one, i chose Humira only because it was every other week instead of every week. Silly way to choose, but i figured it was more doable for me.
I don't know how long it will take to feel a difference or if I ever will, but i hope to be able to report back good things.
Go Taylor Hicks. Elliot was my man (always for the underdog) but Taylor is certainly entertaining.
Hoping fo a sign of relief!
Caprie
Caprie, best of luck to you with Humira. My doctor gave me the choice of humira, enbrel, or remicade too (back in December). I chose humira for much the same reasons as you. It's not silly at all. I have decided to save the IV transfusion drugs (remicade and a couple of other new ones that are out) for a very last resort. Kinaret, which is the last injectable drug my rheumy wants me to try is every single day!!!!!! Enbrel is only once a week, twice a week if my doc ups my dose. Still doable, but humira is even more doable. Humira didn't work for my joints, but calmed my GI system down pretty quickly. It has worked for everyone else I've met who has taken it, though.
Elcamino
Current dx: Rheumatoid Arthritis