I’ve been using Enbrel to manage my JRA for several years now. Throughout the years I’ve tried other therapies but nothing has worked as well as my trusty Enbrel. It’s a weekly injection I administer myself which is much better than going into the office for a shot every week which is what I did with the very first medication I was prescribed. It was called a Gold shot which is a DMARD and known for inflammation-blocking qualities. Enbrel is a biologic that’s used to treat autoimmune diseases by interfering with tumor necrosis factor, which plays a role in inflammation. Now I’m ready to see if Xeljanz works better than Enbrel. I wanted to see if my body reacted to the different way the medication works in my body. After two weeks of fighting with insurance, I started the daily tablet. It works by blocking the action of Janus kinase enzymes, which are involved in the inflammation that causes the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. It can take a couple of weeks to work but after a few weeks there should be noticeable relief. I hope it’s an improvement but I do feel good knowing that Enbrel will still be a satisfactory option if it doesn’t. What I found amusing was that I got a packet in the mail before I even got my prescription. I was actually miffed that I got a RA diary that I won’t use and a water bottle that I didn’t need…or so I thought. That water bottle was designed for arthritic fingers and is fantastic! So, at least one good thing came out of this adventure. Hopefully more, of course!
