Scared Enbrel has stopped working already?

General
1

After 9 months of significantly impaired physical and emotional function with MTX, plaquenil, and steroids, I had a somewhat miraculous response to Enbrel (I was not in a flare at the time, so functional but uncomfortable on maximum long term doses of MTX, plaquenil, and steroids - about 10mg of steroids).

I had been taking Enbrel for 6 weeks and found it highly effective, and had reduced to 3mg steroids on it. I chose to stop Enbrel for a couple of weeks when travelling to remote africa due to increased infection risk.

It was a good thesis, as I had a number of mild infections (which coukd have been a lot worse) that also precipitated in a large flare.

When I returned and took my first Enbrel after travel, it had nowhere near the impact of the first injection.

Can anyone provide any advice or give me any ideas? Is it not working because I am in a flare? Is there a big change after you go off Embrel and try to go back on? I am 37 and considering how long I can take steroids for until my hips deteriorate (had a bowne scan 8 months after onset that wasn’t great), so I’d really like to get the best out of each biologic, and any advice is appreciated.

2

Travel induces flares for a lot of people. You probably need to give your body 2-3 months to bounce back from the post travel flare and allow the Enbrel to build back up in your system. Plus, reducing steroids has left you more vulnerable to flares. Hang in there and let the Enbrel work.

When the Enbrel stopped working for me, after 3 yrs, it was a gradual downward slide with more bad days, then more flares, then more sustained flares. All that over about a year.

3

Thanks very much Marietta, I really appreciate the info. Perhaps I need to consider whether a job in which I go to Africa every 2 months is a good idea…