Spondylitis Association of America Forums General Discussion Men Only Message Board enbreal is on its way.

i am excited to finally have my medicine on its way. but, i am also scared and nervous. i have heard some weird things about this med. like it burns when injected, you have to watch your blood sugar, watch for bruising and you can bleed alot easier. i am at the point now where my indomethicine is not working anymore. i am really nervous. i hate needles horribly.

I know a lot of people who take Enbrel. Some of them have told me that they were just as bervous as you are about the needles. I'm told that you get used to it.

Some people do get a burning sensation when they do the injection, but I think that effect can be lessened, if you, a) leave the needle out for about 20-30 minutes before giving yourself the injection, and b) use a little ice around the injection spot to numb the area before you inject yourself.

I take remicade by infusion every 5-6 weeks, so I'm simply relating what I have heard from others.

Good luck to you, I hope the Enbrel helps you as much as the remicade helps me.


Spenser23

i got a call from my insurance company today. it could be a week before i get it. my doctor messed up my script so i have to wait for them to fax a new one. i dont have any meds as of this morning and already i hurt like hell. i have noticed too that i cant bend over as far. this is really gonna be a rough week.

I just got my first shot of Enbrel. I was a little nervous and shaking, but the sure-click auto-injector made it quite easy. You don't see the needle at all. You just push the button like clicking a pen and watch the indicator turn purple.

There is a warm sensation as the injection takes place, but I'd hardly call it burning from my experience. I was only recently diagnosed, so this is the first med I've taken aside from Aleve.

I hope it works for both of us.

well i got the enbrel finally. i took my first injection a few minutes ago. it hurt like hell. i took a video for another forum. sorry about the language but i dont handle needls well.

I'm sorry to admit that your dialogue gave me a chuckle. I really hope it works out for you. I noticed reduced pain the night I took the first injection. I haven't been woken up by my back pains in the past five nights. I'm now having trouble getting used to the additional two hours of solid sleep.

Have you noticed any change yet?

Wow, how did you record that? Holding the camera in your mouth?

All joking aside, I thought you did very well. Give yourself some credit, it's not easy doing something like that, (especially while also simultaneously recording it), and yet you did it. Once the full benefits of the Enbrel kick in, I bet you'll find self-administering injections less and less something to dread.

Congrats on facing down your fears!

Spenser23

it has been 2 day and oh my god i feel alot better. i am getting awesome sleep. still only about 6-7 hours but i fall asleep wuicker and sleep harder. about 8 hours after i took it i noticed my hips stopped hurting. and today i was able to do some wood working in my shop. i still have back pain but my doctor said usually after the 2nd or 3rd injection it should feel 100% better.

Congrats!!




Spenser23

well that awesome feeling i had only lasted that one day. the past 2 days my right groin area has been killing me. it is the worst pain i have ever felt. my wife has been taking off of work because it hurt too much to get out of bed. wehn i walk to the bathroom or to see my son i can actually feel my bones in my hip grinding together. i hope this enbrel works. i am gonna wait until i have a box of enbrel which is 4 injection gone to see what happens. if it still hurts i am going to ask my rheumy for a pain killer.

That kind of acute pain is worrisome, in my opinion. Could it be something else, not AS related? Something mechanical perhaps, like a dislocated hip? If that's so, the Enbrel won't make much of a difference. If the intense pain persists, get back to the doctor, something else is going on that needs attention.

Spenser23

last night i had to sleep on the couch. i was up every 2 hours crying from the pain. i ended up taking 2 of my wife's darvocet to put me to sleep but they did nothing for the pain. monday morning i am gonna call my doctor to see if there is anything she can as far as a pain killer. i have a appt some time this month with my rheumy but i cant wait that long. it hurts way too much to walk, sit or even fall asleep. i end up waking out of a dead sleep because i move the wrong way and it hurts. it feels like i have a broken bone or like spenser said a dislocated hip.

Symptoms of hip dislocation include:

Severe pain in the hip, especially when attempting to move the leg

Leg on the affected side appears shorter than the other leg
Hip joint appears deformed

Pain or numbness along the sciatic nerve area (back of thighs) if injury presses on this nerve

http://www.aurorahealthcare.org/yourhealth/healthgate/getcontent.asp?URLhealthgate=%2211787.html%22

http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/TOPIC144.HTM

I hope it's not a dislocated hip, but the level of pain sure signals something is wrong. If the pain persists, forget waiting and go to the ER.


Spenser23

i took some of my wifes darvocet and they did nothing. i too 2 and they are i believe 350 mgs a piece. they just helped me fall asleep. i called my doctor and she is having me come in fridyfor x-rays.

i took enbrel for about 5 months, and then my co-pay doubled so i am off it right now. but the big thing i noticed for the first couple months was a lot of skin iritation, not just at the injection site, but all over my body. i would have a raised rash on my arm and a couple hours later it would be on my chest and then gone. eventually this went away.

jordan,
i am noticing that the day after i take my injection i have a raised bump that itches like hell. the first one i had still has not gone away. it has been there for 3 weeks. i am also noticing that i have insomnia, which i did not have before the enbrel. i am taking 3 of my wife's darvocet just to get a good nights sleep. my doctor is turning out to be horrible. she will NOT prescribe anything for the pain i am still having. she wont even look at these bumps, she wont see me if i have my son with me. which i always do i am a stay at home dad. and her nurses are just down right rude and nasty.

ok people, what are the side effects of taking enbrel? I'm starting the treatment soon and I'm getting some advice on what to expect. What am I in for?

Stu, this would get a much larger response if you were to post it to the mainboard rather than to the men only board. I personally havent any experience of enbrel so cant really comment. Try posting to the main board and I have full confidence you will get some informative answers. Good luck.

Oliver

EDIT: Good luck too with the enbrel. I hope it works quickly for you and you get to feeling better real soon.

well here is a much over due update.
the enbrel worked for about 3-4 month. then it stopped. my primary care doctor stopped my darvocet for pain and my rheumy is not calling me back about pain meds. within the last week i have only been able to get out of bed to go to the bathroom and sometims i cant even do that. it has really sucked. the enbrel is not working for me. my rheumy mentioned at my last visit about trying remacade. right now i just need something for the pain. it hurts so bad i am right back to waking up every half hour or so.

Last friday was my second shot of Enbrel. Since I have reduced feelings in my legs, the actual shot doesn't really bother me. Still don't sleep more than a few hours without waking from pain. I get very itchy 2 days after the shot though. This only last for 24 to 48 hours. Still waiting for any positive effects. Having suffered with AS for 30 years, I am ready for any pain relief I can get. Good luck to everyone.