After 3 shots I can no longer take feeling like I've been run over by a semi for 2 days afterwards. I can deal with the pain & swelling for now. But for now I've got to find something else. I can't work, take care of a 7 yr old, a house & a husband feeling like I do on Enbrel. I had to pay for a 3 month supple from my pharmacy. I hate to let it just sit in the fridge going to waste. Anybody have any ideas what to do with it? you can email me if you'd like; ■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■
Hi. Sorry you are feeling so bad. I know how expensive Enbrel can be. Did your doctor tell you it could be slow acting and it could actually take up to four to five months to see the full benefits? I assume you are taking it once a week. Maybe you could talk to your doctor and see if you can take it every four days instead to see if that helps. I have been on weekly injections for three months and am seeing steady improvement. Also maybe your doctor needs to prescribe something else with the Enbrel to help you out. Hope this helps.
I would place them in the container provided and ship them back.
You could also contact the manufacturer, they may have an alternative method.
By the second month the “hangover” (that’s what I call the few days after) finally disappeared, I would still take it for a few more weeks and give it a chance.
Have you discussed this IN DETAIL with you doctor and come up with an alternative plan??? If you have then don't bother with the following.
That's not an unusual affect for the first few weeks and is usually the result of "inflammation breaking down" (for a VERY over simplified explanation) because of the effect you are easily dehydrated, get B deficient extremely quickly. There are things he can do to help.
There is no such thing as dealing with the pain and inflammation for now. if you have it, you have active disease which is progressive and is causing irreversible damage which also leads to permanent pain and loss of mobility. (makes it really hard to take care of kids home and work.)
This is a progressive chronic disease that causes permanent joint damage while destroying internal organs and even your eye site. It can not be fixed with a sponge Bob bandaid.
Talk to your doc in detail.
FYI for anyone with leftover meds: please do NOT flush them or put them in the trash. The medication ends up in our water supply. Pharmacies often will take back unused meds to dispose of, some cities / towns will have a "drug roundup" where you can drop off unused medication for safe disposal. My city has a heavy duty locked drop-box at city hall for disposing of unused medication (sort of like a city mailbox...things can go in but can't get out easily)..
I donated mine to a clinic in town. I switched from Enbrel to Remicade and received a full shipment of Enbrel a few days later. We have a free clinic in town. As it was obviously not opened the took it.
Good idea about the clinic, I would also offer them to my Rheumatologist, if he were able to accept them.
michael in vermont said:
I donated mine to a clinic in town. I switched from Enbrel to Remicade and received a full of Enbrel a few days later. We have a free clinic in town. As it was obviously not opened the took it.
If you are unable to donate your unused meds, you can purchase a pouch that has a chemical in it that will neutralize the drug. You can then just throw the pouch in our normal trash and put the sharps in your container.
Tntlamb & shuttbug, I have thought about what you've said and you are right. I do need to give it more time. And today after skipping last weeks injection, the pain has come back & swelling is taking over again. I'm going to try and make it til my Sept. appt with the Rheumy. I think the exhaustion & fear of infection took it's tole on me.
My Rheumatologist, also a Univ Professor, said that in some cases even the six weeks is just not enough time to know if the drug is effective! He continuously tells me that I have had this a LONG TIME! I went from the 50 mg auto shot to the mix it, build it, 25 mg twice a week to fight the 'drag' I was suffering. So they want you to give it enough time, before they make the evaluation that it is not helping you, at which time they move you on to the next biologic.
Thats the attitude! The minute you take control things start to get better.
ddashby said:
Tntlamb & shuttbug, I have thought about what you've said and you are right. I do need to give it more time. And today after skipping last weeks injection, the pain has come back & swelling is taking over again. I'm going to try and make it til my Sept. appt with the Rheumy. I think the exhaustion & fear of infection took it's tole on me.
Most cities have what is called Household Hazardous Waste disposal which includes old medication, batteries, household cleaners, paint solvents etc.... I suppose some call it something different.
Most pharmacies have a disposal take back for unused meds as well.
Do not flush or put it in the garbage. Either way, it will find it's way into the ground water and into the water supply ( which is your tap ).
If neither disposal options seems to be available, call your doctor and ask them.
I'm currently on 50 mg prefilled injections (not the pen) twice a week of Enbrel with 17 1/2mg (7 pills/2.5 mg each) of Methotrexate once a week. I've been on this for 10 months. I'm still in the midst of the worst flare of my life. Obviously, I was concerned that the meds simply weren't working this time around. Right up until I ran out of the Methotrexate and couldn't get more (its a long, complicated explanation). I continued the Enbrel w/o MTX for 2 months until I was able to get more and those were, quite literally, the WORST 2 months of my life. I thought the flare I was in with both meds was bad? HAH.
Anyway...if you do decide to discontinue the Enbrel, talk to your doctor. My Rheumy's office provides free Enbrel or Humira for patients who are waiting for their first shipment from the patient assistance program so they can start immediately, and often run out of the free samples they get. I was the lucky beneficiary of this exchange program at one time. So they encourage their patients to donate any unopened, unused boxes to help another patient. Usually this happens when patients switch from one med to another (for example Humira to Enbrel or vice versa, or one of those to Remicaide).
Not sure if you want more advice, but mine is to continue taking the Enbrel and give it at least 6 months to start making changes. Remicaide worked much better (for me) and much more quickly, but even then I had breakthrough breakouts of odd patches of psoriasis, and the swelling in my joints, while much better, never went away. Now, of course, the psoriasis has pretty much taken over again, and the swelling in my left knee is at an all time...uh...high? Or would that be low? (shrug) Good luck!