I too have just been diagnosed with RA it is horrible I couldnt dress myself or go to the washroom by myself ,I am a fairly active person and within 2 months I was almost bed ridden. I started Humira 2 weeks ago and athough I still have pain and stiffness it has taken the edge off, the first day I noticed a small changed but thought that it was in my head because I wanted relief so bad. I get my second injection on wed and am very hopeful that I will feel a bit better again. my pharmacist said it can take up to 6 months to feel the full effect . I could not have survived that long in the agony I was in . I too was depressed and still am a bit . But I think it will get better. hang in there. If no one has it they really dont know how much PAIN you are in...

Thanks for sharing.  My husband never responded to Humira, but his doctor put him on Embrel and he has been mostly pain free for the last 7 weeks.  And believe me, I understand the pain you are in; I may not have experienced it first hand (thank goodness), but I've seen my active, hard-working husband become debilitated by the pain.  Even getting to the bathroom was a major ordeal for him during the worst of it.

I hope everything works out for you, and please remember you are not alone.

Thank you. I guess you sometimes get angry at the world when your whole life is litteraly taken from you. I hope I wasn't sounding mean I sure did not want to. I am glad that I found this site because you feel like no one else knows but I know there are other people out there worse than me. I am only 41 years old and thats the kicker!

You didn't sound mean at all.  Believe me, I know how alone you can feel.  I mean, I don't even have the disease, its my husband, but he doesn't type (nothing to do with his RA, he just can't type..).  So I go on once in awhile and find out stuff for him, and the greatest thing is that you learn you are not alone.

And 41 is young (my husband is 49), but you won't believe how many people on this site are in their 20's! Can you imagine????

Take Care.

I turned 30 last March and was diagnosed the previous October. So I was only 29. I am male and my wife has had to watch all my painful symptoms as well. Just getting up from the chair to go to the restroom could be quite an ordeal. I have been on plaquenil and prednisone, now off the prednisone and my doctor just prescribed Humira.  I had my first injection this past Saturday, and whether or not it is in my head, I believe it helped take some of the edge off the pain and stiffness.  I have my fingers crossed for the next injection that it continues.  RA has been a very painful disease and stairs were the first thing to go for me.  I may not be able to ever conquer the stairs again, but walking normally will always satisfy me. Imagine how they look at you when you can walk into the BMV and get a handicap placard at age 30; people assume you are a faker.  In reality, some days I can not walk very far at all.  I understand all the pain your husband's must have, I too live it. 

I am so happy to find this site! I was diagnosed with RA about a year ago but had been having symptons about a year prior to that. I had been tested for RA but came up negative. It was so bad living with pain and no meds besides ibuprofren to help the pain. They since have put me on Celebrex, Methotrexate, Predinisone, and now Humira. Yesterday was my first injection and it hurt a little more than I anticipated! Any suggestions on how to ease the sting? Shots don't bother me but may it was just because I did it myself. It's nice to hear that i'm not alone with RA. The pain, depression, and frustrations. There were mornings when I didn't think I could turn the door knob or start my car to take my son to school. And not being able to sleep because of the pain I think has been the hardest for me so far. I'm only 32 and it was so embarising for me in public when I could barley get up from a table or walking extremely slow because the bottoms of my feet hurt. I was like I would wake up and a different part of my body was hurting. It was crazy how the RA jumped around like it did. I'm finally coming out of my depression, able to sleep through the night, and can get around with very little pain. I feel like I have my life back again!

take the humeria out of the fridge and leave it out for 25-30 minutes before you inject.  I dont know why but it takes the sting out when you let it warm up a  little bit.  Also Ive found that injecting in my stomach is easier then when I use to inject in the leg.

I leave the Humira pen out for 30 minutes before I give myself the shot.  Make sure you clean the site properly with an alcohol wipe and cover the area with a bandaid.  I inject my stomach area away from the belly button.  It does hurt a little, but nothing like the pain from the RA.  My first two shots gave me a nasty rash which took a couple of weeks to clear up.  Since then I seem to be fine.  I once injected my thigh when  I was on Enbrel, but it hurt really badly.  So, I am going to stay with my stomach.  Lots of luck to you and I hope the treatment works.

Fran

I know I am a little late responding, but just found this website.  I let the shot warm up for about 45 minutes so it is room temp.  Then before I give the shot I slap the leg a few times.  This really made a difference for me.

I am 47 year old female and I was diagnosed back in year 2000 but never got treatment because I just dealth with the pain but this year and half I have become somewhat incapcitated. I walk with a limp, stairs kill me. Opening a bottle or a jar is excruitiating.  I started with metrotrexate pills but became ill with vomiting and bleeding through my nose. The next step was avara. I had terrible side effects, my nervous systems went crazy, blurred vision, swollen eyes, loss control of my nerves. Then I started metrotrexate injections .5mg weekly did not help, .8mg slight relief but my levels are still high. I started my first Humira injection this Saturday and I was totally surprised by the kick it had.  I am used to the burning sensation from the metrotrexate,  I too am desperate for it to work because I can't sleep for every bone in my body wreaks of pain. So you can't sleep so you are so tired and the depression and anxiety kicks in.  I pray for all of us to find some help and relief.  It saddens me that unfortunately it takes so much trial and error to find a medication that works for us.

I have been on Humira for 3 weeks now and it has been a miracle for me!!  My neck, shoulder and hip were unbearable.  Now I am feeling like a million bucks!!  I too had relief after my first dose.  Hard to believe but it is wonderful.  Good luck!!

I am only 35 and am a mum of 3.  Been battling this debilitating RA for 4 years now.  Its in a nut shell destroyed the person I used to be.  You sound like such a supportive wife, bless you for that because it makes all the difference when you have people who have the abitlity to express empathy for another person.  You don't have to HAVE RA to understand what it can do to a persons life, if you look and listen hard enough its plain to see it can completely alter a once fit and active person, and it can reduce them to a weak, depressed, helpless person.  Not someone I certainly ever envisioned for myself.  I love my husband completely and honor him for staying with me, but it hasn't been easy.  I used to be the 'do it all mum', and now I can barely tie up my girls hair in the mornings.  I am being treated with Methotrexate, Arava and now in the beginnings of Humira, hoping for a miracle.  haven't had a break from a very agressive flare since DEC 09, and becomming very weary.  Pain killers don't work for me?  Prednisone gives some relief but doesn't tackle the fatigue.  And Its put 40 kilos of weight onto a small frame of 5'3.  Its not the weight gain that gets me so much, its more of how the steroids make me look, I feel deformed almost.  Puffy face, hump back, I just look unatural if you know what I mean... Sorry rambling on but I am so tired of it all.  Just wanted you to know, that it takes a strong and smart person to step up for another person when they need you the most.  It will make all the difference in his overall recovery, and I hope he gets some real soon, as I do for myself too.  I wish my husband could accept my condition as well as you have, but everyone is different, he is a man and he feels helpless and has trouble dealing with it all.  People need to realise that the carers suffer too.. Sincerely Tina xxxxxx

Hi Tina, Yes, you're so right.  It is very hard on the carer.  My husband has been great!  He was struck by lightning 3 years ago; the day before my neck & back reconstruction.  I recuuperated & then got R.A. and now Fibromyalgia.  In so much pain!  Started with Orencia then after a year switched to Embrel & now my 3rd year, Humira.  Each med becomes ineffective after a year.  Hopefully Hurmira will be the one to put me in remission.  I watch what I eat, but with lack of activity & med's, I can't loose weight!  I'm trying to see how long the Hurira takes to work. The first dose didn't cause any improvement.  Am so stiff, swollen, and sore.  The Enbrel worked right away!  Best of luck to everyone! This is a terrible disease that causes one to loose hope.  That's something I've never had to confront before.  I usually am very positive.  God bless us and keep us healthier then today!!!

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A GOOD RHEUMOTOGLIST (SP?). THAT IS SO IMPORTANT.

I was diagnosed with RA at age 30, I am now 53.  I am thankful to have started on Humira this past weekend.  I hope it works, currently my legs are locking up after I sit or am still, I am toe problems, was a bartendar for 20 years.  When i was diagnosed I could hardly move.  Back then I was given prednisone and another med that sent me into remission.  I am angry that I cannot think of the name of it.  It could damage your eyes so you needed to get eye checks, it was a pill but 20 years ago.  I was put in enough remission to go on and have my son at age 34, I have dealt with aches and pains but nothing as sever as when I first got the disease.  Back then I couldn't even get out of a bath tub myself.  I am thankful to have made it 23 years and am still able to move.  Hang in there!

Hi start the Humira next week....my knee's are inflammed so bad that I can barely walk....I took metrothrexate(sp) and it made my hair fall out and my immune system go down...then I just planned was to scared to go back to the doctor, and tried naturalpath wish was a mistake, it did not work...I went to a female Rhumatologist and she was very informative and told me not to be scared of the humira...there is so much side effects in anything over the counter...like Aleve, Iburoprofin etc....she said the side effects in the Humira are very rare, but they have to list them no matter what...so I am sucking it up and starting next week...I hope you can get back to me on how you are doing on it..I have trips coming up this summer and want to get well...I can barely walk and half the time I am in a wheel chair which sucks..I have always been active, and want to be back to that...take care and I hope you are doing well/ my email is :

charm1inauburn@aol.com

I was diagnosed with RA and BOOP (Bronchial Obliterans Organizing Pneumonia) over six years ago and four surgeries later I still am suffering.  I have been on Remicade with Methotrexate and after about 18 months it stopped working.  I was then put on Enbrel for three months with no relief of the pain and am now on Humira.  I have had five shots and am still suffering.  You are so right, unless a person has the pain associated with RA, it's impossible to describe it.  I have been on and off Prednisone for over six years and am now on it again, albeit a low dose of 10 mg a day.  Even that's not working yet.  I try hard not to get depressed but do sometimes cry with pain when I try to get dressed or go to the bathroom.  I have a left-knee replacement and still have pain, surgery to transpose the ulner nerve in my right arm, reconstructive surgery on my left hand and lung surgery which was the first one which diagnosed my two diseases.  I have been online looking for some answers but all I have found so far is that there are others worse off than I am.  I actually was in tears yesterday after reading about the problems so many people have.  I don't believe there will ever be a cure since the drug companies make a fortune from the drugs we have to take.  Why on earth would they find a cure and lose billions of dollars.  So, it's people like us who pay the price.  I pray for either a cure or at the least a drug which will take away the pain and the damage and won't have the horrible side-effects that these drugs have now.  Good luck to you.

I've been on Enbrel for Psoriatic Arthritis for almost 1.5 years.   Worked...okay with occasional flare ups.   Decided to go on Humira.....its awful.   Can hardly walk and the pain is exhausting.   Please think twice before going on Humira.   Perhaps my situation is the exception but I'm reverting FAST to "pre-enbrel".   I've got several auto immune issues so again, I may be the exception.    I'm beginning to think...why bother.

Enbrel, for me, was the best.   Methotrexate cocktail with the Enbrel had to many side effects.   

Auto immunity is awful but they are working on solutions.....not fast enough.