Does Humira Work After Enbrel?

I was diagnosed with RA 2003. Started out with methotrexate until my liver showed signs. Then went on Enbrel for 10 yrs. Other than inj. site issues it was great! No flares. You'd never know I had RA. Istarted having RA symtoms (you never forget them). My next dr appointment I was met bya dr I didn't know and she said my Enbrel was no longer working for me and swtched me to Humira. I did my first IV n the drs office w/o a problem. Second (2 wks) the first site puffed up. This was odd. No other problem so the 3rd inj. I rotated leg/stomach/leg.

I have yet to feel more than a 4 day relief after 3 months. I watch my diet for inflammatory foods, stopped alot of food supplements and still not any better. Is Enbrel a stronger med than Humira? Can't seem to get much help from my RA dr since yet a different one calls me after a message I left 3 days before (during the week). My hands, my shoulders, my jaw! This is getting old! After 10 yrs on Enbrel! W/o these issues. Is this what I should expect putting myself at such a high risk yet still be in such pain?

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Hi corneybean,

Sorry to hear about your experience with Humira not working so well. From what I could gather, both meds are known to cause pain, swelling, and redness at the inj. site. But I too find it odd that it only happened once and not the third time around.

As far as one being more effective than the other, it is possible depending on what manufacturer you get it from, since they both probably use different fillers (inactive ingredients) - which have been reported to alter a medication's efficacy in some cases. Both medications are otherwise listed in the same drug class and have the same mechanism of action according to the US National Library of Medicine.

I wonder if you also could've eventually just built up a tolerance to medications of the same drug class after being on the same dosage for so long?

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After not getting support from my dr. I changed drs. After being on Humira 3 months without any improvement, my new drchanged me back to what was working, Enbrel. Now, w2 months in on Enbrel I notice a tremendous improvement. I still wonder why my dr took me off Enbrel in the first place.
I do know Humira is made of synthetics as Enbrel is more biologic. Maybe that had something to do with it.

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