My Rhumy wanted to put me on Embrel but my lovely NHS has not approved the funding, Instead they have said they will fund Cimzia instead as it works out cheaper because they get the first 3 months treatment free.
Has anyone used Cimzia or are you on it?
I had no option really I could of appealed the decision but if I lost they would not give me anything else, or I accepted it and if it does not work we can go back and say it didnt work, and they may allow me to have Embrel.
I am annoyed they put a price on my healthcare despite having to wait over 2 years for a proper diagnosis by which time a lot of damage was done and why i am suffering so much now.
Otezla is the specific treatment for PsA. I've been put on that.
Hi! I was on Enbrel for 12 years plus but alas inflammation started up again in my jaw so the enbrel was deemed no longer effective so in due course I started Cimzia.
We're all different in how we react to these biological therapies but I found this drug to be more effective for me at least. The interval is an injection fortnightly and the drug companay has really thought about people with dodgy hands injecting themselves. No more skinny slippery enbrel syringes! Yeay!
The trial period of up to 3 months is difficult...all that waiting for something to happen. For me the drug became effective quite abruptly it seemed at the 8/9 week mark and off I went. No jaw/neck/tooth pain, walking well. I would not hesitate to say go- ahead...no reason not to. There is some scuttlebutt about putting on weight in various places but this side effect is not medically verified. I have lost weight but I need too! And have been very careful not to overeat.
Such therapies cost around £9,500 a year so the 3 months free is a considerable benefit to the NHS.
Hope that puts your mind at rest. No side effects either!
Hi Okapis
Thank you for the feed back, as you said we all react different to different meds, hopefully I react to it well. Good to hear positive feed back all te same.
Best wishes
Rob
As far as I know Lucy Cimzia is called Certolizumab Pegol well thats what is says on the info pack I have
Yes but it's not the first line treatment for psoriatic arthritis.
Your right Lucy, I am already on Sulfasalazine 4 per day, Methatrexate 20mg a week as well as 3 ibruphen a day, 2 x tramadol per day 2 x Co codomol per day and 1 x folic acid, shake me and I rattle lol.
My Rhumy is keeping me on all above until Cimzia starts to work then he will see what we can reduce as we go along assuming it works for me. So fingers crossed.
I'm off everything except mtx and folic acid now I'm on otezla.
I forgot to say that apparently the best results for Cimzia are its use in conjunction with MTX. I declined the use if MTX as I had had problems with LFT's in the past and been taken off MTX rather hastily after a blood test.
So expect the MTX to remain if youre tolerating it ok.
Will depend on what country you live in!
So I have had my first double injection a fortnight ago and having my second double dose tomorrow, So far so good. The day after my first injection i had no pain in my joints for the first time in 3 years, Since then I have had very little pain to speak of. I am really happy to be pain free at last. Fingers crossed it continues without any side effects.
Long may it continue as your body accepts the drug! Good to have such a quick reaction to it! Yeay - success!