Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Woo Hoo Biologics approved. what to expect???

Got the call from the rheumy today to say the government approval for Enbrel. I pick up the script tomorrow and the chemist should have it in for me by the end of the week or early next week.

I know this is not a cure but I have high hopes of getting at least some benefit from it even if only via a plascebo (sp) effect.

I was just wondering if any of you can give me a heads up on what to expect from my first injection (side effects) etc..?

Thanks

ensure you are infection free!!!!

Yeaaaa, you got it! That's great news! I injected with Humira and had no side effects. Mine came in a pen so it was very easy. I had the nurse do it the first time. Just try not to stress or after you inject you might feel it is the injection and not just your adrenaline going crazy from the stress of it. Let us know how it goes.

Ice the injection site before giving yourself the shot. It will sting when the med goes in, but it is only for a minute. The best part is that soon after, you will have less fatigue and pain. It can sneak up on you so that one day you will be doing something and realize that you are feeling better. What a happy day that will be. Just be sure to give it time. We all react differently.

Excellent! It probably seems like ages to you, but it seems really quite quick to me that the approval has come through. I do hope you get good results and fast!

Hi There!!!

Great news. Hope you get some relief soon. I get my first injection of Enbrel on the 17th of this month. Was on Remicade and now realize how good it was until it stopped working.

Congratulations and good luck. I know you have been through a lot and have waited along time.

Thanks everyone. The nurse will be coming over on Monday afternoon to guide me through the first injection.

Starting to stress now though. Sometimes I wish I wasn't the way I am in that I like to research everything in detail. I was so excited to be starting the enbrel but then read some pretty terrible reports on patient blogs. Trying not to stress about the possible side effects.

Will let you all know how I go.

congratulations. I start my remicade next week as well. Hopefully we will both start to feel better soon

I used to get a rash at the injection site that lasted a week, which was a little itchy, red and bumpy. If you put some Sarna lotion on after the injection, that really helps the itching. Also, it is best to inject into fat. I found it was less painful and easier to inject into my stomach. My legs are very bony. When I first started taking it, it kicked in within the first month.

I had a huge decrease in pain and extra energy while on Enbrel and didn't have any major side effects for years except for insomnia. After a few years being on it, I was getting recurrent hives all over my body and recurrent infections so I had to stop it. Now, I have antibiotic resistance. Looking back, I really had a better quality of life while being on it before the hives and infections started to happen.

My only advice is to live it up while you can on the Enbrel.

Shari