Side Effects

It's been a while! A few new things have been going on in my life. First off, I've been using a new medication called Enbrel. I've given myself an injection weekly for a month now. I don't see any improvement in my pain or stiffness, but somehow I feel more "normal".

There are a few hazards of taking " biologics" or "anti-TNF" medications. I was aware of them and have dealt with side effects of medications before. No big deal. Stick me with needles. Whatever it takes to not hurt! Well, these meds are a whole different category of scary compared to the usual prescriptions for things like depression or high blood pressure. A lot of people are allergic and have to stop them immediately. They've been found to cause a higher rate of lymphoma in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Of course there are about a bajillion other things that can happen...

...like this:

Pretty, right? This is my left thigh two days following my 4th injection. I always inject on Wednesdays, so Thursdays and Fridays I always get some sort of funky reaction on my thigh. It's gotten worse each time. It's a lot bigger than a quarter and it feels hot. Other than that, it's not a big deal and it's supposedly normal. I also get a migraine, extreme fatigue, and nausea for 2-3 days after each shot. It should get better, but we'll see. 

These medications are a pain because some people don't even respond to them. For some people it takes up to three months for them to start working. They don't usually lessen pain and stiffness by 100%, sometimes it's barely noticeable. I'll take what I can get for now...

I'm impatient.