Embrel has been the best medication ever!!!! Let me say this, I was diagnosed in 2003 with RA and in 2007 my RA had progressed to the point of me having severe chronic pain, joint deterioration with loss of range of motion in my elbows, wrist and knees. I was already on methotrexate and was taking 8 pills weekly. My doctor suggested Enbrel and told me that we have to control the deteriorations. I prayed and went for it. I was subscribed the Enbrel 50mg SureClick injections with injection once a week. Let me tell you....... in 2 weeks I felt like a new woman!!!!!! I could not believe it.. For the first time I felt normal. I have been essential in remission for the last 15 years. Over the course of 15 years, we have tried taking me completely off of Embrel 10 times with no success. When I would go a full year of no pain we would wean down to an injection every two weeks for 3 months and then no Embrel. I would say that the longest I was able to go without Enbrel was about 3 months. With that being said, the happy medium for me is an inject every 2-3 weeks. I no longer live in chronic pain. Every now and then I will have a flare up if I have experienced a tremendous amount of stress or have accidentally overworked a joint. I will get a dose of steroids to knock it out and I'm good. I have learned to do this with caution not to cause a flare up, but for the most part I am good. I realize immediately when I have overworked a joint and then I take naproxen for 3-4 days to control the inflammation. The good this about Embrel is that they offer a Co-Pay program if you have a commercial insurance. So after my insurance pay their portion, the Embrel Co Pay program picks up the remainder. I pay nothing out of pocket for my medication! So as of now the only meds/vitamins I take are Methotrexate 8 - 2.5mgs pills per week, self injection of Embrel 50mg SureClick and Folic Acid every day. I take naproxen as needed. In fact, there have been times I do not take a Naproxen in 6-12 months. Oh, one important thing, I complete blood work faithfully every 3 months!!!!!

Why do you take methotrexate if you take Enbrel. If enbrel helps why do you need extra medication.