Anne

Welcome to the online community, though I'm sorry your daughter has the disease!  We have been on oral MTX for years (my daughter with poly JRA is now 8, diagnosed before age of 2) but lately it isn't doing anything.  Switched to injectible MTX for four weeks with no improvement, now about to start Embrel.  Our rheumy says the CURRENT theory is to start new patients on the Biologics SOON after diagnosis to shut the disease down.  It's the standard of practice with adult RA patients -- after a month of traditional meds, start the biologics if no improvement.  So a lot of docs are starting biologics fairly quickly.  Our rheumy says she's had at least 80% of her juvenile patients improve on the biologics, with only two really bad reactions, but those were kids with multiple health problems.  All that said, I'm still not excited to go to Embrel, either.  I spoke with the nurse at my daughter's school, and he said that kids do better with Embrel (fewer side effects) than adults, from what he's read.  Good luck making the decision:  I'll be making mine this Friday.  Welcome, again, and keep in touch.

Barb

My son was diagnosed in April of this year at age 5...he started on naproxen in March and MTX injections the first week of May.  We are adding Enbrel...we were supposed to start the 27th, but had insurance and pharmacy issues...and then my 8 year old daughter got strep.  Hopefully Alex will start Enbrel this Friday...he shows not sign of strep and my daughter has been on antibiotics since Sunday morning.  As scary as Enbrel is, especially with the new FDA warning...we feel we really have no choice.  The MTX is not helping him enough.  So we will start on the Enbrel and pray, a lot!!!

All the best,

Karen and Alex, 6, poly (04/09) plus a bunch of other 'stuff'