enbrel Has anybody tried it.

[jcave]

Hi everyone Ive suffered for 19 yrs, even been disabled by it for a short
period. Has anybody tried embrel, does it work, how did it make you feel?
I'm asking cause I'm thinking about trying it.
jc

[Nick Balgowan]

Hi everyone Ive suffered for 19 yrs, even been disabled by it for a short
period. Has anybody tried embrel, does it work, how did it make you feel?
I'm asking cause I'm thinking about trying it.
jc

Hello,

there is little doubt that powerful drugs that influence the immune system can bring great relief to some people, but they have many other associated issues as seen below and here http://www.beatpsoriasis.com/enbrel-etanercept.htm The warning bulletin issued in Australia was a whole 4 pages, the one issued in the USA I believe was 40 pages......... If patients are aware of potential issues and exactly how the drug works and why, I don't see any problem, but this is often NOT the case and people have taken this drug and seen serious side effects and were not properly informed (or at all) of the potential for risks until it was too late.

Enbrel Etanercept the new wonder drug for psoriasis?
Deaths caused by Enbrel Etanercept. New warnings issued

Again, Enbrel Etanercept, a drug has been released so rapidly that its full side effects had not yet become apparent. After several possible deaths relating to the use of Enbrel Etanercept the FDA has released the following statement, the manufacturer has also updated its warning insert supplied with the dangerous drug.

phototherapy remains the best proven, medically recognised treatment for psoriasis.

Get regarding injury or death caused by Enbrel

May 10, 1999, The FDA writes to all doctors warning about higher incidences of serious infection, including sepsis, associated with the use of Enbrel Etanercept.

May 10, 1999, The FDA warning about Enbrel Etanercept cautions that adverse event reports indicate that certain patients receiving Enbrel therapy developed serious infections, including sepsis. Several Enbrel patients died from their infections.

October 10, 2000, The FDA writes to all doctors warning of the risks of multiple sclerosis and other central nervous system (CNS) disorders, as well as pancytopenia and aplastic anemia associated with the use of Enbrel Etanercept.

Enbrel, a genetically engineered protein, was approved to treat patients with symptoms of moderate to severe, active RA who have not responded well to other treatments. It can significantly reduce pain and swollen joints in people disabled with RA, an autoimmune disease that affects more than two million Americans. The FDA is advising physicians about new safety concerns regarding the use of Etanercept (Enbrel), a product recently approved to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). New post marketing reports indicate that certain patients receiving Enbrel have developed serious infections, including sepsis, and that several of these patients have died from their infections. Since the drug's approval, 30 of the estimated 25,000 patients treated with Enbrel are reported to have developed serious infections, including sepsis. Six of these patients died within two to sixteen weeks after starting treatment. A number of these RA patients had a history of chronic or recurrent infections, pre-existing infections, diabetes, or other conditions that predisposed them to infections.

If you have experienced severe side effects due to this medication, seek an attorney, or find a firm devoted to class actions against the manufacturer of Enbrel (source, American Legal Database.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is the retyped text of a letter from Immunex Corporation. Contact the company for a copy of any referenced enclosures.

May 10, 1999

Important Drug Warning

Dear Healthcare professional:

This communication is to inform you of important post-marketing safety information for ENBREL® (Etanercept), a new treatment for moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis. Some of this safety information was already described in the package insert. The new information provides additional data on serious infections reported with the use of ENBREL. Over the five month period following the drug's approval in November 1998, thirty of the estimated 25,000 patients treated with ENBREL are reported to have developed serious infections including several with sepsis. Six of these patients died within two to sixteen weeks after initiation of treatment. In addition to their rheumatoid arthritis, a number of these patients had a history of chronic or recurrent infections, pre-existing infections, diabetes mellitus or other conditions that predisposed them to infections. Infections, including serious infections, are more common in the rheumatoid arthritis population than in the general public.

Based on the current information, we ask you to consider the following recommendations regarding the use of ENBREL.

patients who develop a new infection while undergoing treatment with ENBREL should be monitored closely. Treatment with ENBREL should be discontinued in patients with serious infections, or sepsis.

Treatment with ENBREL should not be initiated in patients with active infections including chronic or localized infections. Physicians should exercise caution when considering the use of ENBREL in patients with a history of recurring infections or with underlying conditions, which may predispose patients to infections such as advanced or poorly controlled diabetes.

The Warnings, precautions, and Adverse Events sections of the labelling for ENBREL have been revised to incorporate this new information and these revised sections are included in the attached sheet.

A revised package insert is enclosed. Should you have questions regarding the use of ENBREL, please call Wyeth-Ayerst at 1 800-934-5556.

Healthcare professionals should report any serious adverse events possibly associated with the use of ENBREL to Wyeth-Ayerst at 1 800-934-5556. Alternatively, this information may also be reported to FDA's MedWatch reporting system by phone (1-800-FDA-1088), Fax (1-800-FDA-0178), via the MedWatch website at www.fda.gov/medwatch, or by mail (using postage-paid form) to MedWatch, HF-2, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787. Health professionals and consumers should use the Form 3500 for adverse event/product problem reporting.

Revised Sections for ENBREL® (Etanercept) package Insert

WARNINGS

IN POST MARKETING REPORTS, SERIOUS INFECTIONS AND SEpSIS, INCLUDING FATALITIES, HAVE BEEN REpORTED WITH THE USE OF ENBREL. MANY OF THESE SERIOUS EVENTS HAVE OCCURRED IN pATIENTS WITH UNDERLYING DISEASES THAT IN ADDITION TO THEIR RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS COULD pREDISpOSE THEM TO INFECTIONS. PATIENTS WHO DEVELOp A NEW INFECTION WHILE UNDERGOING TREATMENT WITH ENBREL SHOULD BE MONITORED CLOSELY. ADMINISTRATION OF ENBREL SHOULD BE DISCONTINUED IF A pATIENT DEVELOpS A SERIOUS INFECTION OR SEpSIS. TREATMENT WITH ENBREL SHOULD NOT BE INITIATED IN pATIENTS WITH ACTIVE INFECTIONS INCLUDING CHRONIC OR LOCALIZED INFECTIONS. PHYSICIANS SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION WHEN CONSIDERING THE USE OF ENBREL IN pATIENTS WITH A HISTORY OF RECURRING INFECTIONS OR WITH UNDERLYING CONDITIONS WHICH MAY pREDISpOSE pATIENTS TO INFECTIONS SUCH AS ADVANCED OR pOORLY CONTROLLED DIABETES. (SEE pRECAUTIONS, ADVERSE REACTIONS, INFECTIONS).

PRECAUTIONS

Immunosuppression

The possibility exists for anti-TNF therapies, including ENBREL, to affect host defences against infections and malignancies since TNF mediates inflammation and modulates cellular immune responses. In a study of 49 patients with RA treated with ENBREL, there was no evidence of depression of delayed-type hypersensitivity, depression of immunoglobulin levels, or change in enumeration of effector cell populations. The impact of treatment with ENBREL on the development and course of malignancies, and active and/or chronic infections is not fully understood (see WARNINGS, ADVERSE REACTIONS, Infections and Malignancies). The safety and efficacy of ENBREL in patients with immunosuppression or chronic infections have not been evaluated.

ADVERSE REACTIONS

Infections

Upper respiratory infections ("colds") and sinusitis were the most frequently reported infections in patients receiving ENBREL or placebo. In placebo-controlled trials, the incidence of upper respiratory tract infections was 16% in the placebo treatment group and 29% in the group treated with ENBREL; and 0.68 events per patient year in the placebo group and 0.82 events per patient year in the group treated with ENBREL when the longer observation of patients on ENBREL was accounted for.

In placebo-controlled trials evaluating ENBREL, no increase in the incidence of serious infections was observed (1.3% placebo, 0.9% ENBREL). In open-label and placebo-controlled trials, 22 serious infections were observed in a total of 745 subjects exposed to ENBREL, including: pyelonephritis, bronchitis, septic arthritis, abdominal abscess, cellulitis, osteomyelitis, wound infection, pneumonia, foot abscess, leg ulcer, diarrhoea, sinusitis, and sepsis. Serious infections, including sepsis and death, have also been reported during post-marketing use of ENBREL. Some have occurred within a few weeks after initiating treatment with ENBREL. Many of the patients had underlying conditions (e.g., diabetes, congestive heart failure, history of active or chronic infections) in addition to their rheumatoid arthritis. See WARNINGS. Data from a sepsis clinical trial not specifically in patients with RA suggest that Enbrel Etanercept treatment may increase mortality in patients with established sepsis.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Immunex Corporation
51 University Street, Seattle, WA 98101
206-587-0430

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phototherapy remains the best proven, medically recognised treatment for psoriasis.

[waffnap]

Hello jc sorry no I haven't tried it but I would just like to say welcome
Jules

[jcave]

Hello jc sorry no I haven't tried it but I would just like to say welcome
Jules

thanks for the welcome Jules, I appreciate it. I've changed
my mined about enbrel, dont believe I will take the risk, Thanks for the
info Nick. Jules what style of guitar do you play?(classical, jazz, etc)

[Nick Balgowan]

Hello jc sorry no I haven't tried it but I would just like to say welcome
Jules

thanks for the welcome Jules, I appreciate it. I've changed
my mined about enbrel, dont believe I will take the risk, Thanks for the
info Nick. Jules what style of guitar do you play?(classical, jazz, etc)

G'day, please remember nothing here is medical advice. IF you understand the risks in a treatment and the treatment works for you, it may still be a good treatment. But all too often people are already using these drugs without being informed of the potential and also the KNOWN side effects, which I think is unethical.

[Jeffrey B]

I just started Enbrel on May 11, 2006, I have done only 4 injections since that date and have seen considerable improvement. Now I can at least sleep at night.

My doctor was not to helpful and did not point any of the side effects out.

I guess you have to decide how much risk you are willing to take to give you a better quality of life.

Regards,

Jeffrey B

[waffnap]

It's good that we have a forum like this to be able to share our experiences amongst ourselves Sometimes i feel isolated not being able to share it with people that don't understand the way I feel about my condition, because as much as they try they don't really understand.
Welcome Jeffrey I know exactly how you feel about your doctor. On my last visit to the specialist he began writing up my notes before even taking a look at my P, I may as well have been talking to the chair
A big welcome to you btw and glad to hear that you have noticed some improvement.

JB you're welcome my guitar playing leaves something to be desired i will send you a pm.
Jules

[Nick Balgowan]

I just started Enbrel on May 11, 2006, I have done only 4 injections since that date and have seen considerable improvement. Now I can at least sleep at night.

My doctor was not to helpful and did not point any of the side effects out.

I guess you have to decide how much risk you are willing to take to give you a better quality of life.

Regards,

Jeffrey B

Hello,

yes, the obvious flip side of these drugs is they often have quick and good results. But as you said, most doctors either are not aware of the side effects themselves or do not inform their patients.

[jcave]

I just started Enbrel on May 11, 2006, I have done only 4 injections since that date and have seen considerable improvement. Now I can at least sleep at night.

My doctor was not to helpful and did not point any of the side effects out.

I guess you have to decide how much risk you are willing to take to give you a better quality of life.

Regards,

Jeffrey B

Thanks Jeffery, I appreciate the info, my fear is, If I was to start taking enbrel, and it cleared up, would it come back 100 times as worse. Thats what happened with methotrexate drug I was
taking. I started out around 40percent covered in psoriasis, took the
shot for several months, which made me feel like I had the flu, for a few
days, my p never cleared up but when I quit taking it, my body went to
95 percent coverage and dis-abled me for 7 months. Not to say the dermatologist hit a nerve in my hip, and paralized my left leg from the
knee down, I went to another medical doctor, after his examination, he
told me it was from the shot in the hip, but he would not testify in court.
So I confronted the dermatologist who herd us through like cattle, about
it and he laughed in my face. I wouldnt wish psoriasis on my worst enemy, but wish I could find a dermatologist that had some compassion.
By the way I regained control of my leg 5 weeks later, glad it was temporary, and I quit taking all drugs, and my psoriasis went away for 1yr
then unfortunately it came back.
Jc

[hkluth]

Wow Jcave - sounds like you've really been through the mill... I took Enbrel last year for 3 months but had to stop when I couldn't deal with the secondary infections and injection site problems. It made the skin and muscle at the injection site thin and painfully bruised no matter where I tried to inject and knocked my immune system for such a loop that as simple ear infection took off within two days, leaving me in the hospital with a bleeding ear. The antibiotics given me for that left me totally wiped out for months. And, adding insult to injury - it didn't seem to affect the PA on my hands at all...

I do know some who have used it with varying results, but it didn't work for me. Fortunately, my doctor did discuss the warnings and possible problems so we knew what to watch for. We just hadn't anticipated how fast the ear infection would go bad with the immune system suppressed.

[caldispatcher]

Hi all! New to the forum. I have had PA for about 25 years now. It's considered very severe and methotrexate keeps it under control but I have never been free of it. I decided to use Enbrel when it started being manufactured in the US. I was made fully aware of the side effects by my Dr. and only get injection site reactions. I have been using it for about 2.5 years now. I use it in conjunction with methotrexate and still have not cleared but it helps the arthritis so much I only rarely get sore and have become a lot more active. But the psoriasis itself is only a little better, improving most on the face and scalp.

[BigDaddy]

I just started Enbrel on May 11, 2006, I have done only 4 injections since that date and have seen considerable improvement. Now I can at least sleep at night.

My doctor was not to helpful and did not point any of the side effects out.

I guess you have to decide how much risk you are willing to take to give you a better quality of life.

Regards,

Jeffrey B

hello jeffrey. wow, I didn't realise those drugs worked so far. How long appart are teh unjections? if you stop the injections wll the psoriasis come back? how many injections are required in total as I freak out at the sight of the smallest needle!

[BigDaddy]

Thanks Jeffery, I appreciate the info, my fear is, If I was to start taking enbrel, and it cleared up, would it come back 100 times as worse. Thats what happened with methotrexate drug I was
taking. I started out around 40percent covered in psoriasis, took the
shot for several months, which made me feel like I had the flu, for a few
days, my p never cleared up but when I quit taking it, my body went to
95 percent coverage and dis-abled me for 7 months. Not to say the dermatologist hit a nerve in my hip, and paralized my left leg from the
knee down, I went to another medical doctor, after his examination, he
told me it was from the shot in the hip, but he would not testify in court.
So I confronted the dermatologist who herd us through like cattle, about
it and he laughed in my face. I wouldnt wish psoriasis on my worst enemy, but wish I could find a dermatologist that had some compassion.
By the way I regained control of my leg 5 weeks later, glad it was temporary, and I quit taking all drugs, and my psoriasis went away for 1yr
then unfortunately it came back.
Jc

hi jc - oh my gosh! the nerve of some "doctors" how do they get away with treating people this poorly and then laughing about it? have you made some type of official complaint about this person, he obviously doesn't care about his patients so he shouldn't be practicing. espically since you went to him for help.

[BigDaddy]

Hi all! New to the forum. I have had PA for about 25 years now. It's considered very severe and methotrexate keeps it under control but I have never been free of it. I decided to use Enbrel when it started being manufactured in the US. I was made fully aware of the side effects by my Dr. and only get injection site reactions. I have been using it for about 2.5 years now. I use it in conjunction with methotrexate and still have not cleared but it helps the arthritis so much I only rarely get sore and have become a lot more active. But the psoriasis itself is only a little better, improving most on the face and scalp.

hi caldispatcher - I have seen a couple of people metion enbrel inject site reactions. what exactly is this, do the injections cause problems and does this happen for everybody who uses it, I was curious to know incase I ever want to use these drugs in the future.

[jcave]

Thanks Jeffery, I appreciate the info, my fear is, If I was to start taking enbrel, and it cleared up, would it come back 100 times as worse. Thats what happened with methotrexate drug I was
taking. I started out around 40percent covered in psoriasis, took the
shot for several months, which made me feel like I had the flu, for a few
days, my p never cleared up but when I quit taking it, my body went to
95 percent coverage and dis-abled me for 7 months. Not to say the dermatologist hit a nerve in my hip, and paralized my left leg from the
knee down, I went to another medical doctor, after his examination, he
told me it was from the shot in the hip, but he would not testify in court.
So I confronted the dermatologist who herd us through like cattle, about
it and he laughed in my face. I wouldnt wish psoriasis on my worst enemy, but wish I could find a dermatologist that had some compassion.
By the way I regained control of my leg 5 weeks later, glad it was temporary, and I quit taking all drugs, and my psoriasis went away for 1yr
then unfortunately it came back.
Jc

hi jc - oh my gosh! the nerve of some "doctors" how do they get away with treating people this poorly and then laughing about it? have you made some type of official complaint about this person, he obviously doesn't care about his patients so he shouldn't be practicing. espically since you went to him for help.

never made a complaint, nor
did I sue, just stop going, and hate dermotologist, I think I need to
find a dermatologist who has psoriasis, before I would visit one again,
Its seems to be just about the money to most, that I have seen.