How perfect is this prompt of Biologics and how I feel about them since I started my first injection this Monday? When I read about biologics and TNF I was like whoa! Much like the gif you see above!
I was on methotrexate and when I got a new Rheumatologist, he immediately took me off of methotrexate and the daily dose of Naproxen. He said I’d been on it way too long! I wasn’t getting any benefit from it but, I thought heck, I “guess” it’s working in comparison when I first was diagnosed. So we moved on to Arava. It worked very well. I didn’t have morning stiffness but, it still took me forever to get it together in the mornings and in my Prince voice, rest his soul, “Forever is a mighty long time.”-Go Crazy.
This year, I began to have numbness and tingling in my hands, arms, legs so severe it would wake me up in pain. After, many tests, I have a bad case of carpel tunnel and I have some nerve damage in my legs. My RA doc took me off Arava saying it might be the cause. The Neurologists bumped up my Gabbapentin. The RA doc said we have tried everything let’s move to an injection. My heart dropped.
I don’t want to stick myself was my first thought. Secondly, I don’t know about fake things hooking up with my real things in my body. I understand that the pills I swallow are man made, but eh…biologics is an even greater gamble of infections and I am already at risk for infections. There is no proof it works any better but, I have seen raving reviews of Embrel and I have seen blank stares as if, it didn’t do much.
I gave myself my first injection Monday. I haven’t had any immediate side effects. I have not had any immediate relief as I am in a flare of two days now. So, I don’t know how I feel about Biologics. Sometimes, with RA and Fibro…I just get tired of feeling, thinking, and worrying so much.
~Nikki
Nikki's Confetti Life 
Nikki: I have generally heard that biologics will take between 4 and 8 weeks to really feel a major change. I used Remiciade as my first Biologic and had great results. I have not used Embrel but generally, that is what I found over time (16 years) and with 7 different ones, it takes about that time to start to feel better. I hope you are doing well since you wrote this!!
I am sorry I did not see your entries during RAblog week. Thanks for joining us.
rick
Hi Phillip. 4-8 weeks…wow. I remember when I first started plaquenil I thought it would work instantly, but I found out it takes 90 days. It’s okay I started the blog late because I didn’t know anything about it. I happen to see it on someone else’s page. I am glad I know about it and look forward to it again next time.
Remember you can respond to any of the prompts until the end of the month. I left the link page up for linking. Here is what you do, go on the prompt page, click on the hot link in each prompt and that takes you to the link page. Then fill out your info and presto your link and blog name is stored forever. I linked the two I found last evening so if you do any others feel free to link them so we can all read your content.
rick