As soon as I start coming down prednisone all my pain starts again. Is the Enbrel working?

I have been on Enbrel for about 5 months and I am still on 10 mg of prednisone.  My doctor told me that it takes a while for Enbrel to work completely.  I went down to 7 1/2 mg and I too was in pain.  I guess we will have to hang in there and hope for the best that the Enbrel will work after a few more months!  Good Luck. 

It is quite common for any medication to take a while to build up in the body and work to its maximum effect. You have only been on Enbrel for three months, so the medication is still building.

For some people, Enbrel (or another of the biologic medications) is enough to deal with the RA. However, there are a lot of us who need a boost from a small dose of another medication - for some people this is prednisone, for others methotrexate, etc. It's not that the biologic drug isn't working, but that in order to really kick into high gear and get you to a good place, it needs a little help.

When I switched to Humira a l0ittle over a year ago (I'd been on Enbrel for the previous two years), I somehow expected that it would work so well I wouldn't need any more pain medication. Depending on the level of damage in your joints, this is not the case. It took me awhile to notice, but once I started taking some painkillers, I felt much better. The good news is that because the drug is working, I usually don't have to take what I call "the big drugs" to control my pain. I don't know how much your joints are damaged, but this may be a factor for you, as well.

If you're still having trouble decreasing your prednisone dose in a month or two, make an appointment to see your rheumatologist. S/he is there to help you, so make sure you ask questions and discuss your concerns with your doctor.