i started Humira a year ago and I finally felt like I was getting my life back. I was sleeping better I was moving better I had energy again. The winter has been a struggle the colder it got the worse I felt. I pulled my hamstring on my “good knee” back in February and just now I am able to walk again. I seem to have constant SI joint pain and stiffness I feel more needs to be done . my CRP is still elevated. I take naproxen daily as well as gabapentin. I’m on .5ml of MTX. Weekly injection and Humira 1 every 2 weeks I feel overall the Humira sill works but I find I’m more tired the week before my injection then the week after I’m wondering if upping the frequency of shots would make a difference or is is to to move to something else?
Also what are some good ways to mange the fatigue? I feel exhausted all the time and finding the motivation to do basic chores hard.
Omg, Dakotasun, are you a clone of me or I of you??? I had such good luck when I started Enbrel last July-for two months I felt perfectly healthy! But then the back troubles started, and the head and chest colds--then SI pain and now foot pain. I think the cold winter is hard on people like us--and I think, too, fighting off viruses all winter had an effect on how Enbrel was working for me. Did you "catch" anything?
I don't take anything but occasional ibuprofen and a Tylenol pm. But, I'm on the verge of taking something stronger! And the fatigue--it's coming back too--this whole past week I've been unusually tired. What's going on? :-(
It sounds like you need to bring this all up with your rheumy. I know that one of the big questions that my rheumy has is about morning stiffness, and how long it lasts. As long as it is fairly minimal, then the meds are working. I’ve been on Enbrel for over a year now. It’s working, but. . . . I think I need to wrap my mind around good enough. I was diagnosed almost eight years ago, and my overall picture is okay. Not great, just okay. Fatigue is an ongoing problem, I have joint pain and swelling most of the time. It’s nothing like what it was before meds, but it’s still there.
Some people will have a great response and have remission, but they are typically not part of a support group like this.
I agree with everything Stoney says, my treatment response with Simponi is very similar.
It's very hard to accept that even though a treatment is working, especially a biologic, it doesn't necessarily return us to our pre-PsA level of health, that our disease activity will still wax and wane and we'll have to live with some symptoms and pain. We each have to find and accept our own 'good enough'.
I was where you are about 18 months ago--Humira was working but I wondered if it could work better. I talked to my rheumy (I think in November of 2013) and have been injecting Humira every 10 days since then. I found my magic number! Am I like I was pre-PsA diagnosis?
No, but I'm better than I was with Humira every 2 weeks and MTX every week. I still limp, still have difficulties in both shoulders (this weekend was particularly rough with lefty). I just don't feel well some days. I had some very long days, some travel and two days of banging out a brief this past week so I spent yesterday curled up under my blanket, reading and sleeping. I have to say, even with that, I still feel better than I did.
My bloodwork looks better than it ever did on MTX other than a really high CRP and SED rate this last time, I think because of some hip/knee difficulties. I'm anxious to see what happens with my next round next month.
I was on Humira for a little over a year and my rheumy increased my injections to weekly. That helped me but also increased side effects (hair was falling out). After some time it worked less and less and I then switched 2x since then. Hope you find what works for you.