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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / July 2009

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Kelly - 03 Jul 2009 06:04 GMT
Harvey,
How are you doing?  Do you think the med is kicking in?  I think it has been
a few weeks hasn't it?

Thinking of you.

Kelly
Harvey R. Stone - 03 Jul 2009 13:34 GMT
> Harvey,
> How are you doing?  Do you think the med is kicking in?  I think it has
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>
> Kelly

Ohhh, I keep getting into so much trouble with the program but I do feel
better.  A person is not suppose to change anything or take any new medicine
or change the amounts of medicine a person takes.   They want to know what
there medicine is doing with my body and nothing else.

  Ok,,,,ok,,, I understand that but I have this catch 22 that I deal
with,,,,, prednisone.  A person can not take 10 mg or more and be in the
program.   At the very start I was living on pred. and Naprosyn while I
lived through 30 days of getting Enbril out of my system.  I was taking 10
mg at the very start....only my RD kept me in.   Then,,,, when I was feeling
better,,, I lowered the pred to 7.5 because the more pred I take the worse
my shingles are.   The lady got soooo mad at me that I was nearly washed out
again  because I changed an amount of anything I take.  I can take being
chewed out as well as the next guy but she went on and on and on.   I
finally put my hand up and said,,,, I fully understand your point and
nothing I could say would change the fact that I changed the amount of
something I take,,,, can we move on now?
    The shots I take are a pretty big shot,,,,,two of them.   It seemed to
me that she gave them to me a little fast which hurts like hell.   I asked
her when I was going to be able to give myself my shots or shot.  Her
eyebrows went up and I thought she was going to start in on me again....LOL
I just smiled at her  and she said,,,, soon.
  I know that they are building up the medicine in my system but what I
have not told them,,,,,,,, is that I have started to itch in my lower back
like I did with Remicade.   I think it will be OK when I cut back to one
shot every two weeks.   So it goes.
Harv
Peter - 03 Jul 2009 14:02 GMT
> > Harvey,
> > How are you doing?  Do you think the med is kicking in?  I think it has
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> shot every two weeks.   So it goes.
> Harv

Harv.

I wish you all the best with your new medication.
Don't let the medical terrorists get to you. Some of them seem to
delight in running other people's lives.

Peter
Harvey R. Stone - 03 Jul 2009 14:49 GMT
Harv.

I wish you all the best with your new medication.
Don't let the medical terrorists get to you. Some of them seem to
delight in running other people's lives.

Peter

Wellllll,  I know what you mean but I do not think so in this case.  My RD
has already told them that I only take enough medicine to control what I
have and we can not act that way when dealing with a drug test program.
Most people take exactly what they are told to take and thats it.
  I would too if we were trying to cure something.  I am sorry to say that
they are not going to cure a dam thing.    Not when Enbrel just passed 1.3
billion this year.
  I will say that I did not get the kick of well being with Enbrel.  That
may not be fair to say that but it is the way I feel.   Maybe getting chewed
out really well was all the kick I am going to get.
LOLOL
Harv
Gloria - 03 Jul 2009 16:55 GMT
From one who knows drug trials very well, Harve.  In a trial, you are
volunteering your body to test their drug, and the FDA is watching their
every move.  It HAS to be a controlled trial so certain protocols are set
up.  If participants don't follow the protocol, to the letter, the results
of the trial will be invalidated.  That can be disastrous to all involved in
the trial and to all the patients waiting for a new drug for their disease.
Drug companies spend billions of dollars investigating new drugs and they
have to trust he results of any clinical trials they run.  You are not in
this trial for yourself, as much as I understand your own personal reason
for being in the trial, your body belongs to the drug company and their
trial.  Harve, think about what the outcome can be if you don't follow the
protocol.  They can and will bump you out if you continue to violate the
rules of the trial, then where will you be?  Just be good, dear friend,  and
play fair with them and something will be learned from this trial, perhaps
something very good that will help you and many, many others.

Because I care,
Gloria

> Harv.
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> LOLOL
> Harv
Kelly - 03 Jul 2009 17:26 GMT
I was just going to say the same thing.  Also that side effect needs to be
told about.  For all you know others might be having the same thing, or it
might be a sign of toxicity or something.  You need to tell them even if you
can ride it out it may be others cannot safely ride it out.

Just because the itching appears doesn't mean that it won't go away.  Look
at Kineret - everyone got the rash at a certain point and it does go away.
They do need to know that though.

By you not following the protocol they risk the FDA pulling the test trial
results.  Just think where our meds we have would be if test trial results
were pulled and the meds didn't get approved.

Harv for your sake and theirs you need to be honest, ask about med changes
before you do it and follow their protocol.  If you think you can't do it
then please go back to your rd and find other options.

When Gloria volunteered for Enbrel and I volunteered for my drug trials the
results were closely watched.  Gloria helped with enbrel and without her
trials perhaps it would never have gotten off the ground.  Mine worked so
well but between the economic expenses of the trial and the fact that so
many others were in the same ballpark the study was dropped.  Then I was in
a partially paid trial for rituxan.  This is over now but again helped to
make the province I am in agree to pay in part for the med.  This is huge!

It isn't just for their sake but for yours.  They need to know that the
shingles was getting worse with the extra prednisone and that the rash has
continued.  Please don't hold back information.

I do care as well.  I am glad to hear though that you think it is working a
little.  The results I have seen from other sources says it is one of the
promising ones. We still need some promising ones.  There are still people
that the meds we have now don't work on or stop working for them.  What you
are doing is very important to them but also hopefully important to your
choices.  More important though I worry that a change from the protocol or a
hidden side effect (that doesn't necessarily kick you off the program - they
just need to monitor) could be dangerous to you,

Kelly
> From one who knows drug trials very well, Harve.  In a trial, you are
> volunteering your body to test their drug, and the FDA is watching their
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
>> LOLOL
>> Harv
Harvey R. Stone - 03 Jul 2009 19:09 GMT
>I was just going to say the same thing.  Also that side effect needs to be
>told about.  For all you know others might be having the same thing, or it
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
>
> Kelly

Thank you for your wise words.
Harv
Harvey R. Stone - 03 Jul 2009 19:05 GMT
> From one who knows drug trials very well, Harve.  In a trial, you are
> volunteering your body to test their drug, and the FDA is watching their
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> Because I care,
> Gloria

Back when,,,, You were in the Enbrel trials and did help to make a
difference for many, many people.   You were in it when it had not been OKed
by the Gov.   All of us that used Enbrel for many years have you and people
like you to thank for what took place.   In short,,, you are my hero.
  This drug has already been OKed by the gov.   I am not taking the chance
that you did.   I am helping with the information if it works for me with
all the years that I took Enbrel in the back ground or history.   I
understand what is taking place in the trials and will have no other changes
in medicine.
thanks
Harv
Kelly - 03 Jul 2009 19:27 GMT
It has been okayed by the government but still can be of danger and side
effects still need to be monitored - that is why the continued trials are
needed.  In phase 1, 2 and 3 there are still limited people taking the trial
drugs and the interactions with other medications are understandably hard to
tell.  Once a drug is out in the public so to say there is a broader range
of people, they are taking many different meds from those in the beginning
trials.  Therefore side effects that did not come out before initial
approval by the government do come out.

For example my reaction with enbrel.  neurological reactions and the tb
reactions and the warnings as such were not released until way after after
initial release as they didn't know about this.  The arava problems were not
discovered in huge amounts until after.  Luckily arava was not pulled for
this as it has been a valuable med that has helped others where other meds
has not.  What is taking place in your trials could make the fda still pull
the med, could enable the drug company to say "do not take this med
with....." or to get the drug company to put other valuable warnings such as
the one for rituxan saying "pml has been associated with off label use for
......patients".  Basically they are warnings - black box warnings.

Not saying any of this could happen but it could.

So yes you are taking chances with yourself and with others too.  This is as
important a med trial - the fda trials are not just to make work.  They are
there for a purpose.

Kelly

>> From one who knows drug trials very well, Harve.  In a trial, you are
>> volunteering your body to test their drug, and the FDA is watching their
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> thanks
> Harv
loujeanb - 03 Jul 2009 20:24 GMT
Hooray for Harv.  It certainly seems like old Fate wants to mess things up
just when you get to feeling optimistic and that this time it's going to
work!  We're behind you, Harv.

Signature

Navy
Take out the FISH to email me.

>
>> From one who knows drug trials very well, Harve.  In a trial, you are
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> thanks
> Harv
Gloria - 04 Jul 2009 16:39 GMT
Harve, you've been a hero to me many times over.  Thank you for your kind
words and I admire your determination to keep 'doing what you gotta do' to
fight this damned disease.  You're a good man, dear friend.

Take care,
Gloria

>> From one who knows drug trials very well, Harve.  In a trial, you are
>> volunteering your body to test their drug, and the FDA is watching their
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
> thanks
> Harv
Gareeth - 03 Jul 2009 15:23 GMT
> I wish you all the best with your new medication.
> Don't let the medical terrorists get to you. Some of them seem to
> delight in running other people's lives.

I don't think they are being medical terrorists. It's a drug trial. Changes
can invalidate the data.

Gareeth
Ted The Cat - 03 Jul 2009 17:29 GMT
> > Harvey,
> > How are you doing?  Do you think the med is kicking in?  I think it has
[quoted text clipped - 31 lines]
> shot every two weeks.   So it goes.
> Harv

Best of luck with the med and with the people who give you the med.
Harvey R. Stone - 03 Jul 2009 19:10 GMT
Best of luck with the med and with the people who give you the med.

thanks T the C....
Harv
Squirrely - 04 Jul 2009 03:22 GMT
Harv,

I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. I know you still have a way
to go but that is a plus to hear something is working for now to help out. I
would think they would be happy that you lowered the dose so that they can
see if the med they are giving you is doing any good.

Signature

Love and hugs to all
Love Squirrely Jo

> Ohhh, I keep getting into so much trouble with the program but I do feel
> better.  A person is not suppose to change anything or take any new
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
> shot every two weeks.   So it goes.
> Harv
Gloria - 04 Jul 2009 17:13 GMT
> Harv,
>
> I am glad to hear that you are feeling better. I know you still have a way
> to go but that is a plus to hear something is working for now to help out.
> I would think they would be happy that you lowered the dose so that they
> can see if the med they are giving you is doing any good.

Hi Squirrely Jo,

Changing the dose of something like pred preceding the actual start of the
trial and especially during the trial, can give false results of what the
trial drug is doing.  For instance, if a participant starts a drug like pred
just prior to the trial and has good results in his RA condition in the
trial, it is the pred and not the study drug that caused the improvement,
but the improvement would be credited to the study drug.  Same thing if one
is on pred and lowers the dose during the trial, and they worsen, then the
result would be falsely reported as to the study drug not working as well.
When I started in the Enbrel trial, I had to keep my current dose of pred,
that I was already on, the exact same all through the trial.  I was trying
to come off the 10 mg of pred that I had been sustained on for 2 years prior
to the study coming along, due to side effects.  I was down to 3 mg.  when I
was given the opportunity to participate in the Enbrel trial.  That dose had
to remain the same throughout all the qualifying questions and exams by the
study coordinators and during the complete time period of the trial.
Everything has to be controlled like that in order to get clear results.
The drug companies are ticky, ticky, ticky, but they HAVE to be or else we
would have drugs being approved that weren't investigated as thoroughly as
they should be and the FDA would come down very hard on any company that did
not show a stellar, fully participant compliant trial result.  What Harve is
doing is extremely important and I admire him for doing this.  Harve is a
good man and one of our best!  I wish him all the best in this important
trial.

Take care,
Gloria
Gloria Wolfe - 04 Jul 2009 19:02 GMT
On 7/4/2009 10:39 AM, gloriasfirst@gmail.com wrote to All:

I agree with your comments, Gloria.  A good man.  Gloria Nanny

-> Harve, you've been a hero to me many times over.  Thank you for your kind
-> words and I admire your determination to keep 'doing what you gotta do' to
-> fight this damned disease.  You're a good man, dear friend.
->
-> Take care,
-> Gloria
->
-> "Harvey R. Stone" <hrstone@swbell.net> wrote in message
-> news:NLr3m.3644$Jb1.909@flpi144.ffdc.sbc.com...
-> >
-> > "Gloria" <gloriasfirst@gmail.com> wrote in message
-> > news:h2l9sr$of8$1@news.eternal-september.org...
-> >> From one who knows drug trials very well, Harve.  In a trial, you are
-> >> volunteering your body to test their drug, and the FDA is watching their
-> >> every move.  It HAS to be a controlled trial so certain protocols are
set
-> >> up.  If participants don't follow the protocol, to the letter, the
-> >> results of the trial will be invalidated.  That can be disastrous to all
-> >> involved in the trial and to all the patients waiting for a new drug for
-> >> their disease. Drug companies spend billions of dollars investigating
new
-> >> drugs and they have to trust he results of any clinical trials they run.
-> >> You are not in this trial for yourself, as much as I understand your own
-> >> personal reason for being in the trial, your body belongs to the drug
-> >> company and their trial.  Harve, think about what the outcome can be if
-> >> you don't follow the protocol.  They can and will bump you out if you
-> >> continue to violate the rules of the trial, then where will you be?
Just
-> >> be good, dear friend,  and play fair with them and something will be
-> >> learned from this trial, perhaps something very good that will help you
-> >> and many, many others.
-> >>
-> >> Because I care,
-> >> Gloria
-> >
-> > Back when,,,, You were in the Enbrel trials and did help to make a
-> > difference for many, many people.   You were in it when it had not been
-> > OKed by the Gov.   All of us that used Enbrel for many years have you and
-> > people like you to thank for what took place.   In short,,, you are my
-> > hero.
-> >   This drug has already been OKed by the gov.   I am not taking the
chance
-> > that you did.   I am helping with the information if it works for me with
-> > all the years that I took Enbrel in the back ground or history.   I
-> > understand what is taking place in the trials and will have no other
-> > changes in medicine.
-> > thanks
-> > Harv
-> >
->
->
 
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