Enbrel stopped working
Help! I had been on Enbrel for 8 years and one day it just stopped working. I have been on Humira for 6 months. It doesn’t give me even close to the relief I had on Enbrel. I take it every two weeks and by the end of week one I cannot even sleep and my hands are so swollen, I am in constant pain. Has anyone found another drug that works as well as Enbrel does? Has anyone gone back to Enbrel successfully after trying another biologic?
Hello
I totally feel your frustration! I seem to be needing to switch biologics every year or two because they stop working. In my experience, I have the best luck trying a different biologic that is in the same "family." And it is what my doctor tends to recommend as well. So I can understand why your doctor would have suggested that you try Humira after having Enbrel work so well for you- they are both considered TNF blockers and in the same family.
That being said, there are other options to try in the same family as well in case you weren't happy with the results from Humira- so there is reason to hope. Not to mention quite a few other families of biologics to try as well. Have you had a conversation with your doctor about how long you would give the medication to see results? Unfortunately as I'm sure you doctor mentioned, it can take a while to know if a biologic is a hit or a miss. And sometimes it can take a few different tries to find another winner. I don't have particular experience with Enbrel, but I'm sure others who have will chime in with their experiences shortly. Also, do you pair it with methotrexate or another medication to help it work "better?" Sometimes that can make a difference as well. In the meantime, your doctor might want to consider a round of prednisone to help to the swelling down a notch...? Just my two cents 😀 Gentle hugs and take care of yourself,Leanne (Team Member)
Sounds like you're about to hop on the same merry-go-round of biologics that a lot of us have had to endure. My experience was that once Enbrel failed, Humira just didn't work at all. I was put on IL-17 inhibitors, Taltz and Cosentyx, for awhile until they no longer worked. Now I'm on Skyrizi, an IL-23 inhibitor, and after one year I'm still not sure how well it is working at times. Your body is capable of developing antibodies to the biologic medications (ADA's, or anti drug antibodies). This is called immunogenicity, and it is an unfortunate fact of life for many of us. Many rheumatologists will, as Leanne mentioned, pair a biologic with a traditional DMARD like Methotrexate because it is believed that this will help delay immunogenicity. Prednisone for tamping down the flares is always an option, but then you greatly increase the risk developing osteoporosis. And just having PsA is already a risk factor for it. As for me, if I fail Skyrizi, then my next stop will likely be a JAK inhibitor.
