Can biologics work VERY quickly?: Hi all Apologies for... - NRAS

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Can biologics work VERY quickly?

Smelliott profile image
37 Replies

Hi all

Apologies for another post. Just wondering how quickly people have found biologics take to start working? I ask because - as you probably have seen - I only injected Adalimumab for the very first time just over 48 hours ago, and today I am feeling massively better, to a quite ridiculous degree. Surely this is too fast for it to be the biologics? Placebo effect, maybe? Steroids starting to work again despite having been reducing the dose? Or CAN they work that quickly?! The leaflet reckoned two weeks was possible, but two days..?

Either way, it certainly was a nice surprise to find myself trotting downstairs like a 38 rather than a 98 year old this morning!

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Smelliott
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37 Replies
Barrister profile image
Barrister

When I started Humira (Adalimumab) I felt better within a week. Unfortunately I had to come off of that and now I’m on Benepali and that took nearly a year to work and only then with methotrexate added in. Good luck with Adalimumab.

Clemmie

Smelliott profile image
Smelliott in reply to Barrister

Thanks! I'm already on methotrexate (amongst other things), so at least I've got that going for me!

Barrister profile image
Barrister in reply to Smelliott

That’s good. I wasn’t on MTX when I was on Humira and that’s probably why it failed.

Clemmie

helixhelix profile image
helixhelix

My rheumy told me they can work in 24 hours. (For me it took longer).

Smelliott profile image
Smelliott in reply to helixhelix

Ah, so it's not outrageous then that I might be getting a benefit already...

Neonkittie17 profile image
Neonkittie17 in reply to Smelliott

Some can be really fast acting. So good to hear you are feeling much improvement.

Neonkittie17 profile image
Neonkittie17 in reply to helixhelix

Enbrel took two hours to work for me. Sadly stopped working after five weeks but shows how they can be very quick.

Mine worked within days by a few weeks I was doing great . I have heard people say it worked almost straight away then others said it worked quickly but didn’t last and others were slow burners slowly slowly improved then a few months later they were flying. We are all different.. boy am I happy for you 🤞it continues

MoniqueB profile image
MoniqueB

When I was on Adalimumab, I was in the 'slow burner' category. However, I had to laugh when I read your post as, similarly to you, one day, I found myself running up the stairs, something that I hadn't done in years! As others have noted, apparently for some people, the drug can work in an incredibly short period of time. All the best for continued good effects!

Joannarosa profile image
Joannarosa

Oh wow, you have given me hope!!! Thank you for sharing your experience. Don't look a gift improvement in the mouth 😁 I hope when I start Adalimumab next week I have the same good luck.

HanaleiBa profile image
HanaleiBa

When I injected Enbrel for the first time, I started feeling relief that first night. It was a tremendous feeling. I know others don’t, but I really did. I was only upset I waited so long to start on it!

Neonkittie17 profile image
Neonkittie17 in reply to HanaleiBa

I did two two hours after Enbrel! Then sadly it stopped working after five weeks but it shows how fast acting it can be.

HanaleiBa profile image
HanaleiBa in reply to Neonkittie17

I hope you found something else! Enbrel Yeah, got me out of a total tailspin, but it was RoActemra my current med that did the trick about 9 months later :).

Neonkittie17 profile image
Neonkittie17 in reply to HanaleiBa

That’s Tocilizumab? Thank you. I’m doing well on Rituximab infusions. Glad you are on your med. I know very little other about yours other than it works great for so many and gives them their life back after several failed meds. It was a consideration for a little while for me but my rheumy said I had to go for Rituximab in early 2014 and that worked really well after 6 weeks. Some take longer and patience is needed.

Brushwork profile image
Brushwork

Yes, some do work really quickly. Fabulous that you are feeling so much better. Win winEnjoy the relief

stbernhard profile image
stbernhard

Very happy for you. Enjoy it, but don't go silly and do too much in one go.

CagneysMum profile image
CagneysMum

I started Adalimumab around 9 months ago and felt improvement within 24 hours but it didn’t last through to the next injection 2 weeks later. It took about 4 injections (8weeks) for the improvement to last .... but haven’t looked back since. It’s worked brilliantly for me so far 👍🤞🤞

Salamanca21 profile image
Salamanca21

Don't knock it, might be a blip, but very good sign! I had to be very patient..

Boxerlady profile image
Boxerlady

Such good news! 👏💃🎉

Wobbies profile image
Wobbies

When I started Imraldi, it worked within a day. Could not believe it, but it was great. So, just enjpy.

Flipper12345yellow profile image
Flipper12345yellow in reply to Wobbies

And has this well being continued for you? Hope so

Wobbies profile image
Wobbies in reply to Flipper12345yellow

Unfortunately, no, it failed after 3 months. However, am now on another biologic and MTX and doing OK. Failure of the first one may have been linked to the fact that I had to leave it off for several doses because of a persistent infection requiring antibiotics. Rheumy told me that they know that a percentage of people who have to leave their biologic off for a period of time, e.g. pregnant women, no longer respond to the biologic when it is reinstated. So, drink plenty to avoid any UTI's. Good luck. 🙂

Maggsie profile image
Maggsie

Enbrel worked within 24 hours for me and worked well for 15 years until I swapped to benepali

Paula-C profile image
Paula-C in reply to Maggsie

That's terrible, I'm in remission thanks to enbrel and I refused to switch, typed up notes detailing why and thankfully was able to stay on enbrel. I've been in remission since early 2013.

Mmrr profile image
Mmrr

In a word...yes...although unusual

Great result for you 😊

Orangutans profile image
Orangutans

Three days. That was all it took for me to remove hand and wrist splints. It seemed like a miracle to me. Enjoy the freedom from pain.

Green230461 profile image
Green230461

I felt better with humira after three weeks I was on the jab for many years but had to come off it as just as it started it stopped just as quickly. But whilst it lasts fantastic 🌺

Green230461 profile image
Green230461

Best of luck to you any relief is a bonus x

Paula-C profile image
Paula-C

I'm on enbrel and I can honestly say I felt it work the next day, twelve weeks later was told I was in remission and still am, that was early 2013. No pain relief required and no side effects. Good luck.

Flipper12345yellow profile image
Flipper12345yellow in reply to Paula-C

Wow, good for you. How severe was the disease activity? Did you treat it early on?

Paula-C profile image
Paula-C in reply to Flipper12345yellow

I was diagnosed in May 2008, I do think looking back I had had RA probably since the 90's. I'd had two bad flares in my shoulders and it was suggested to me in an out of hours doctors appointment that I could have RA, the pain I was in was horrendous. Once it had settled down I just got on with life and had the odd pain and stiffness here and there but put it down to getting older.

In March 2008 things started to kick off bad. My GP was useless and I ended up going private. Once diagnosed I was put on slz, then two years later I had mtx added. In the summer of 2012 I was really, bad. Had an emergency appointment at the hospital, my das score that day was 7.2 which is very high disease activity, (5.1 or above is a high score), I was given a steroid injection that day which is not the norm when your being assessed for anti tnfs. At my second assessment even with having a steroid injection five weeks earlier my Das score was 5.9, I had qualified for anti tnfs.

I didn't start enbrel until November 2012, by this time I was the worse I'd ever been, heaven knows what my das score would of been. Like I said in my previous post enbrel started working it's magic the day after my first injection and in feb 2013 was told I was in remission, that quick! I call enbrel my magic potion.

Flipper12345yellow profile image
Flipper12345yellow in reply to Paula-C

And you've been in remission since then, I'm so pleased for you 😊😊😊

Durrell profile image
Durrell

This is great news for you, when I started Cimzia I was just like you it took affect very quickly, I reduced my MTX to 4 tablets & no other steroids or paracetamol was needed, it just all worked for me it was the 1st biologic I went on & had a good run on it for about 5 yrs. I hope you continue to have positive results, I genuinely wouldn’t of known I had RA at that time. Good luck & long may it continue..

Dave74 profile image
Dave74

I took 3 days to start improving when I started on enbrel 10 years ago!

Leics profile image
Leics

Yes it can work quickly I’ve not actually had a biologic but when I first had a Jak inhibitor (baricitinib) I felt the inflammation reducing in my knees within a few days. So sad it had to be stopped and didn’t really get the chance of putting me in remission as I had to keep coming off it due to infections. Was great improvement for a while though. Good luck and I doubt it’s a placebo effect but as others have said take it easy and don’t overdo it to start with because it will bite you if you do. Easy to say hard to do.

Smelliott profile image
Smelliott

Wow, thanks for all the replies! You lot are the best.

Yes. My joint pain eased very quickly, in a week. Then 2-3 weeks and my skin completely cleared and I had patches of inflamed psoriasis on all joints, skin folds which was horrifically painful and upsetting.

Been on imraldi 2 years and had no joint pain or psoriasis in that time.

Yes- like previous poster, I was astounded to find myself running up the stairs!

Sadly my joint pain is returning in my hands and it may be losing its effectiveness for me, but I've tended to just get 2-3 years with treatments.

Overall imraldi really helped me and I've had a life for the past two years - despite pandemic/lockdown which feels bizarre but there you go. Health is everything. Imraldi has been great. All the best.

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