thank you seenie! My doctor told me I need to take b 6 to negate side effects, that is why I wondered.
Hmmmm…most of us taking methotrexate also take folic acid (B9)as it helps with side effects. But I ccan’t say I’ve heard of taking B6 with a biologic because of side effects.
Why not make a new discussion thread and ask? it will be interesting to see what people say.
I talked with the Enbrel support line and I think if you have private insurance which doesn't pay all of your medical costs, the Enbrel support will help. I was amazed. We have a high deductible plan but I'm not too concerned about the cost now that I talked with them! They told me to call back once the prescription has been acknowledged by the insurance company.
Humira has a similar patient support and will cover what insurance doesn’t. Not sure it’s the same in the uk, but I don’t see why not.
Had to jump in on this conversation... I am on my third biologic now, and so far so good. I am taking Stelara and it has improved the psoriasis by about 95%. I think I'm on my way to 100% clear skin for the first time in a very long time! I am having less joint pain, though still take some ibuprofen for it as needed. This is a huge improvement for me... I will have to see how I do when it gets cold and crummy outside here in the Seattle winter, but for now I am very pleased. Stelara has a patient assistance card available to help with cost... I pay $10 for my injections. The doctor has me on 45mg every 45 days (as opposed to the 12 week cycle)..
Now for my experience... I tried Enbrel which did nothing for me past one week, and then went on Humira which seemed top work for a few months but then I experienced very bad side effects from it.. It caused my psoriasis to go crazy. I had flare ups all over my arms, legs, thighs, abdomen, and my entire back. It was awful, and I was in so much pain...Not to mention I looked like a freak. Of course I stopped it, and had to wait for it to clear my system. Once it cleared from my system they started me on the Stelara, and fingers crossed, it is the magic bullet my body needed. Additionally, I had an anaphylactic reaction from Methotrexate, and Leuflinamide nearly killed me as well. I lost ten pounds, and was falling asleep in the middle of the day at work, it made me so weak. (My hair fell out following both of these medications...in a big way.)
Good luck with the biologics... I think they are the miracle we need to live a normal life, even if it does take some experimenting to find the right one...
It took about a year and half to clear my psoriasis completely, besides my inverse. I am the 90 mg every three months. Seems to give about month (sometimes two) of partial relief and goes back hurting again.
My doctor put me on the 45mg on a 45 day schedule instead of the 90mg every 12 weeks because she thinks the Stelara at 90 peaks too soon and then no relief for about a month or more. It seems to be helping so far. Still waiting for my shins and calves to clear but they seem to be getting better… Compared to how bad it was it is really pretty miraculous. I am sorry the meds are not giving you relief for half the time… I hope that changes and you feel better soon.
mataribot said:
It took about a year and half to clear my psoriasis completely, besides my inverse. I am the 90 mg every three months. Seems to give about month (sometimes two) of partial relief and goes back hurting again.
Hello Dini,
I took Humira with a medium dose of MTX and it never did anything for me but it did not have side effects either . Now I am injecting Enbrel and taking a low dose of MTX and it is working good. I am not totally pain free and I still need painkillers but the inflammation is less and the joints flare ups seem to subside faster. Not helping with the fatigue aspect though, still there :(
Hello Dini,
I took Humira with a medium dose of MTX and it never did anything for me but it did not have side effects either . Now I am injecting Enbrel and taking a low dose of MTX and it is working good. I am not totally pain free and I still need painkillers but the inflammation is less and the joints flare ups seem to subside faster. Not helping with the fatigue aspect though, still there :(