How do you tell if your biologic is working? I am about to take my 9th dose of enbrel (I have completed 8 weeks of tx) and I am not sure how well it’s working. I have heard that some people feel so much better that it’s like night and day and all of the sudden they are a new person. That is not me. It has done a tremendous job clearing up my skin but I cannot say yet about my joints. I still have joints that hurt here and there and it changes. During the treatment I have had joint pain in new areas. I suppose i feel a little bit better and can get out of bed a little faster, etc but I am having a hard time deciding if this is the drug for me. My doc said to give it 10 weeks but since I get a monthly shipment of enbrel I will do the full 12 weeks and then asses. Any thoughts?
Melissa
It definitely can take a while, and ideally you give it up to six months.
Hi Melissa
I've been on Humira coming up to 7 months. It is only in the last couple of weeks or so that it has definitely started to improve my various forms of psoriasis. I felt joint improvement very early on but then it seemed to all go a bit pear shaped over the summer and I couldn't work out what was happening. Like you I had new areas of pain and discomfort albeit still improvement in others. About 8 weeks ago I added back in SSZ, which I had previously been taking and just this last week I seem to be feeling somewhat better. Certainly not 100% but enough to put a spring back in my step and much less crushing fatigue. I have also been forcing myself to go to my local pool 2-3 times a week where I make an exhibition of myself doing all the exercises I've been taught at hydrotherapy. I think this too has really helped. So I guess my message is: it can take 6 months plus to get improvements from the biologics, sometimes they need the boost from a DMARD and some form of gentle movement can have positive effects as well. Good luck, you have every reason to remain hopeful this early on.