how do you become eliigble to get on anti-TNF therapy.

[irenie]

[Hidden]

Hey there,

The NRAS homepage has a useful article on biologics and eligibility:

nras.org.uk/about_rheumatoi...

It's also worth checking out the NICE guidelines!

Christine xx

[helixhelix]

Hi there

It depends where you are. If you're in England then there are some fairly tight rules about who can get them because they are so expensive. Read the links SwissMiss gave you but basically you need to have tried at least 2 of the traditional drugs like MTX for at least 6 months, and them not to have worked. And then you have to have active RA that is affecting you quite badly (they do the DAS test twice, 6 weeks apart and you have to score 5.3). I think in other countries the rules are looser, although no doubt things will get more difficult elsewhere too. May be one day the price will come down and we can all have them if we want! Polly

[jeanabelle in reply to helixhelix]

That's about the way it happened for me. Methatrxate attacked my liver and my Das was through the roof. I was told I would be put on humira in August 2011. I live in the north of Ireland and it takes nine months before you can actually get it as it costs so much, i. Suppose they wait to see if a miricle happens!! So in April 2012 i was started on humira .......what happened after that is another story!

[angel-delight]

I have had RA for over 20 years, I started on sulfasalazine, then methotrexate and finally, Hydroxychloride, all in tablet form. Which gave me very bad side effects. I had two assessments before they said I could try anti-tnf injections. They monitor you very closely, I have been using Enbrel injections for about 6 months. The injections have changed my life and I am almost pain free.

[delicoops]

You have to jump through hoops! And hope everything is 'bad' at the same time so that you get the right score. I failed several tests as either my bloods looked ok - although I felt terrible! Or I felt and looked ok and my bloods were poor! A miracle when I actually got to the hospital and everything was bad at the same time! The tests look at how inflamed your joints are- although they don't include feet- even if your feet are painful and swollen. I was on humira for around 5 years, but now have to try something else as it stopped working