Treatment
Hello, my name is Machelle and I am new here. I hope I’m doing this right.
I was diagnosed several years ago. I was started out on methotrexate but it was just too hard to remember to take it for me. They also gave me prednisone 5 mg
Then I changed to embrel and got copay assistance through my insurance. This is a BIG hassle. I have to call monthly about my prescription and be on the phone for an hr or more to find out I need a preauthorization. This is another phone call.
I hope I’m not giving the wrong impression of myself but it’s just a big hassle. Now they have taken me off the steroids and my hands and feet have inflammation.
Is there not a pill that I can just take daily?
I have a physically demanding job that is beginning to take its toll.
Hi Machelle. Welcome. Please know that many people here understand just how difficult and time consuming it can be managing RA treatment. Concerning the preauthorization, yes, it can be a time consuming nightmare. That said, you should speak to your doctor about this, since there is no reason you should be going through this monthly. Usually the preauthorization is good for a year.
There are treatments that work like the biologics, but are taken in pill form. They are called JAK inhibitors and this article from our editorial team provides additional information: https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/news/jak-inhibitors-treatment. They do require similar prescription and pre-authorization, so you would again need to speak to your doctor about getting it done for the longer period.
I'm sorry to hear you are having this additional inflammation as you are taken off the steroids. Your doctor should want to adjust your treatment to get the RA under better control to avoid any permanent damage.
Finally, I just want to say that people here understand and you are always welcome here. Hoping you get some answers and help from your medical team so that these issues can be resolved. Best, Richard (RheumatoidArthritis.net Team)
