2020-06-29T23:00:00Z
After having difficulties with adalimumab causing headaches, I have now switched to a weekly injection of etanercept.
I have had far fewer side effects and all has looked good. But I seemed to be suffering a bit just the day or so before each injection. Has anyone else experienced this? I took my last injection on Monday and I had a swollen hand on Sunday, the swelling spreading across the fingers even now.
Perhaps it will stop working for me but up to now it has been good apart from sometimes that last day before the next injection.
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I found when I first started taking it that it worked VERY quickly after the first dose, but that you would feel it wearing off by the seventh day, but as you keep taking it it seems to build up in your system and that stops happening so much. I should add I’m on a biosimilar (benpali).
Over time I’ve found that there’s no weekly dip. But at the beginning I definitely found that it wasn’t lasting a whole week.
Thanks for your reply. Like you I am also on Benepali so perhaps I need to give it more time
Thanks for your comments. I have been on it over 3 months so I thought it would have settled down by now. I have stopped steroids and as I didn’t tolerate MTX or sulfasalazine it may not be potent enough on its own.
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Possibly. I need Hydroxychloroquine to top it up. But was told you don’t get full strength of benepali for up to six months.
Oh I hope the Enbrel works for you. When I started, the doctor had me take two injections per week for the first 3 months. That worked really well. I do notice now, after almost 6 years of it, that it seems to not work as well, but I’m not ready to give up on it.
Good luck!
It can be RXd twice a week as can Humira, but generally that has to come from the Dermie unless your rheumie is willing to do the paperwork for uncontrolled P