Enbrel to Cimzia switch

[pjplant]

hi, I have just been changed from Enbrel to cimzia as my rheumatologist thought it might work better, I was doing ok on the Enbrel though I thought, I done my first 2 injections 8 days ago and since then I have been flaring up and just getting worse, I was wondering if anyone else has changed from Enbrel to cimzia and had a similar experience and if it is just a blip before the drug starts to work or not,

I have had rheumatoid for 36 years now and I have not felt this bad for a good few years,

I am seriously wishing they hade not changed me from Enbrel at the moment or am I jumping the gun big style?

any information would be greatly appreciated.

pete

[Metal-legs]

Hi Pete How long did you take enbrel for?I was on enbrel for 8 years, it was a fantastic drug for me but I was on&off it so much with surgeries, it lost its effectiveness.I was then switched to cimzia and like yourself my joints flared really badly until the drug started to kick in.You may need to ask for some steroid to help you through the next few weeks. Cimzia started to work for me around the 6-8 week mark. Hope you get some benefit from it, all the best

[pjplant in reply to Metal-legs]

hi there metal-legs

thanks for your reply, I had been on Enbrel for about 7 years and my rheumatoid consultant thought cimzia would be more effective, I have been to see my gp this evening and he has prescribed a blast of steroids to keep me going, he has put me on 40mg a day, I don't really like taking that much but I am in a bit of a state, fortunately my gp is fantastic and i trust him implicitly, unfortunately I have had arthritis for 36 years and I am still only 47 (i feel a very old 47 at the moment) also I have it in pretty much every joint in my body even my jaw,

thank you for the reply as a bit of info from someone who has been through it goes a very long way, may I ask if you found cimzia any better than Enbrel,

I hope you stay as fit and healthy as you can.

your reply is very much appreciated

pete

[Metal-legs in reply to pjplant]

hi pete

Pleased you have a trustworthy GP, that counts for a lot. Hope the steroids calm the inflammation and the cimzia kicks in for you soon. I thought the cimzia worked nearly as well as the enbrel but after 9 months it stopped working. I tried adding mtx to the mix but that didn't work. Now on abatacept and mtx which is working better. It's such a risk changing drugs, I really feel for you suffering this disease for 36 years, fingers crossed cimzia works out well for you. best of luck

[Hobbits]

Hello, I have been reading a few posts on the forum of late of Doctors changing medication treatments for unknown reasons often leaving the patient worse off.

I wish doctors could explain things better and tell us what exactly their plan is.

You mentioned that your Rheumy thought you would do better, I wonder even if you felt ok on Embrell maybe your bloods or your bone scans are showing progressed activity?

I'm of the thought, if it ain't broke then do t fix it, and I'm sure most doctors would not change a treatment that is working.

Did your Rhrumy mention why they thought you would do better on Cumzia then Embrell?

It sounds like you were doing ok, now not so good with the medication change.

I'm sorry to hear your emolument is giving you hassles, this is not acceptable but unfortunately I have heard lots of stories about it as emoyers really don't understand RD ( which is no excuse) and mostly concerned about their bottom line.

Heck most people who don't have RD don't understand it, and it's nature can change daily.

I do wish you good luck with the CimZia. Sorry I can't comment as I have not tried that, but I hope it works soon and gives you some relief.

My doc took me off MTX and I was quite upset at it worked very good for my out of control RD, but even tho I felt better my bloods and side effects were not acceptable to my doctor. I'm on Humira now, not long enough to know if it works.

[Hobbits in reply to Hobbits]

*employers

*employment

[cathie]

I found enbrel didn't work well, so went to cimzia. Not a lot better to be honest and I agree with you that it's not great changing without good reason. Cimzia did something for me, but not enough. I've just had second go at ritiximab and am hoping

[pjplant]

hi hobbits and Cathie,

my wife also thought I could be better as she said I was unable to do more and more over the past year, as with a lot of people with ra you don't always see it yourself, my gp explained the transition period much more concise compared to my consultant as he said it would be a fairly straightforward switch! maybe he wouldn't think so if he was the one switching, my rheumatology nurse did say that cimzia worked and are a similar drug but the cimzia cells are individually coated so they are not discarded as quick as the Enbrel cells, unfortunately my arthritis has also attacked my prostate and caused prostatitis which is enough to send anyone crackers, my consultant has said Enbrel and cimzia will work for that as well,

I have not been on rituximab so I cannot really comment on that, my first try at anti-tnf was humira but it didn't really work for me, I was told after that it was not the best for myself as I have rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis and osteoporosis, also my arthritis started as juvenile polyarthritis but unfortunately didn't go into remission before adulthood,

we are all different so these drugs work for some and not others, and they all take time to get into your system which can be a very long and tough time,

I wish you both all the luck that the humira and rituximab work for you and you stay as fit and healthy as you can,

pete