ENBREL Reviews (ETANERCEPT)Average Rating: 3.7 (533 Ratings)Filter ResultsCompare ENBREL with similar:
Type: Rx Drug
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Results are sorted by Date added. Key to Ratings: 1=LOW (I would not recommend taking this medicine.) Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 |
More on ENBREL: Reviews Summary | Drug Safety Information
| RATING | REASON | SIDE EFFECTS FOR ENBREL | COMMENTS | SEX | AGE | DURATION/ DOSAGE | DATE ADDED |
| 5 | palindromic rheumatoid arthritis | None | It has made the difference between walking and not walking | M | 52 | 5 years 50mg 1X W | 9/18/2011 | 5 | Psoriatic Arthritis and Psoriasis | Since starting on Enbrel, I have had two bouts of cellulitis, one of which hospitalized me for a week on IV antibiotics. May have been Enbrel related. Colds seem to last a bit longer but are not more frequent and I have frequent nasal irritation and occasional congestion. | The medication changed my life. Before Enbrel I was in constant pain and was partly disabled. Since taking Enbrel I have become fully active, very athletic for my age and my skin problems have almost resolved. Arthritis pain comes and goes but is really a minor burden, So for me the drug is effective. Safe? Meh. Bottom line is that this drug has some rare but horrific potential side effects. It's as scary as a war. But what are the alternatives? Something is going to kill you one day and if you're already middle aged or older I think the risk reward formula favors Enbrel as long as it works. | M | 51 | 5 years 25mg 2X W | 9/16/2011 | 4 | Psoriatic Arthritis | No real side effects to note other than hardess, rash, or bruising at injection site. | So far the Enbrel has helped the only noticeable relief is in my kness (still can't run yet) and in my spine. | M | 25 | 7 weeks 50 MG 1X W | 9/8/2011 | 1 | Psoriasis & PA | Reasonable abatement of P & PA symptoms for first 2 yrs. Then increasing number of low-grade infections, and return of P & PA symptoms. By year 4, permanently compromised immune system; pre-MS brain lesions; antibiotic-resistant infection that resulted in 6 organ failures & subsequent resections. | TNFs are dangerous. P & PA already weaken your auto-immune response. TNFs exacerbate this. Enbrel nearly killed me, and I was hyper-vigilant in monitoring my use/suspended use at the 1st sign of cold, flu, etc. With no warning and having suspended use at onset of simple cold, I was in ER within 12 hrs undergoing multiple surgeries to stave off a lethal staph-caused peritonitis. I lost SIX organs! Team of surgeons/doctors from 2 nationally prominent hospital systems all concurred that infection would have been easily managed, BUT Enbrel had weakened my immune response to such a devastating extent that the infection could run rampant. I stopped taking Enbrel in 2008; by 2009 MRIs showed pre-MS brain lesions; by last year, labs shows pre-lymphoma. Docs still say Enbrel to blame. I WAS BIONICALLY AND GENETICALLY HEALTHY until I took this medication. Advice: get full blood workups 2-4 times/year (including TB, CBC, CRP) at very minimum and be fully aware of long-term risks. Most asymptomatic patients do not have longitudinal data beyond 1-2 years of use. | F | 50 | 4 years 50mg 1X W | 8/31/2011 | 5 | RA | No side effects to speak of. Occasionally there is slight redness at injection site. | Enbrel changed my life 180 degrees! I love it. I was previously taking Methotrexate and Relafen with some Prednisone at times. I was tired, had pain and generally felt bad. I told my Dr. that I wanted to feel better and he put me on Enbrel. Within 2 months I could run, had no pain and had more energy than I could remember and finally had my life back! Enbrel saved my life. I wish that it was available when I was first diagnosed 20 years ago. | F | 57 | 9 years 25mg 2X W | 8/24/2011 | 1 | Psoriasis and Psoriatic athritis | Lung infection that almost killed me. Resistant to three different antibiotics. Caught every bug while on this "drug" lowers immune system and open you up to the world. | Your milage may vary but for me it did nothing for the psoriasis but it did help with the arthritis - until it almost killed me with infection. I still got a souvenir - scar tissue in lung. Thank you Enbrel! | M | 40 | 6 months 50 1X W | 8/12/2011 | 4 | Psoriatic arthritis | some insomnia, some fatigue, numbness and tingles, and painful injection | talked to my doc about the numbness and tingles, she said to give it another try. Worked really well for the psoriasis and helping with arthritis pain. | F | 31 | 2 weeks 50mg 1X W | 7/24/2011 | 4 | Spondyloarthritis | I started using the Enbrel Autoinjectors 10 weeks ago per request on my rheomatologist. I was diagnosed with Spondyloarthritis at the age of 14, and the pain became so bad I was stuck in bed for weeks at a time. Within the first week after taking Enbrel, I was able to walk normally, and even start running again. Around my 3rd week, I began Redlighting for my skin, and I would instantly get a large almost welt-like reation around my injection site if I would redlight the day of or day after my injection. If I didn't redlight, I would only get a little itching around my injection site and the occasional warm, red spot, which could become the size of a baseball or larger. Mixing the injection site with heat isn't recommended, because that is what set off my reactions. Other than that, the product works extremely well for pain. | I missed a dose one week when my shipment was not recieved, and I noticed that my skin became increasingly oily and acne spots starting appearing. Two days after I got back on my normal schedule, it all went away. Skipping injections isn't recommended. Although your pain stays away, your skin will become very oily. | F | 15 | 10 weeks 50 MG 1X W | 7/4/2011 | 4 | RA | I have been taking enbrel for about a year and it had greatly improved my ra symptoms. However, I have noticed my hair is thinning... which never concerned me until I started really noticing :( I love my hair. It REALLY is not a good trade off. especially for a woman. Also, I have stopped taking it on occassion for a week or 2 for various reasons and notice I breakout in my face :( Don't miss your doses if this happens to you. Once I take it regularly again, my face clears up. | F | 39 | 1 years 1X W | 6/28/2011 | 2 | RA | injection site reactions that got worse every time i took the shot. started as a small red hot and itchy spot. eventually got to be the size and shape of a flattened nerf ball, just stayed very hot itchy and painful. had to switch to humira | really did great with the RA. no side effects except the injection site reaction | F | 52 | 2 months injection 1X W | 5/26/2011 | 5 | RA | I was hurting all the time in my neck, back, knees, ankles, and legs. | I was hurting all the time and i could not dare go exercising. Now that i am taking enbrel, i am able to exercise and do a lot of other things that i could not do any more. I LOVE THIS DRUG! | F | 40 | 4 months 15 mg 1X W | 5/24/2011 | 5 | Psoriasis | I didn't have any side effects at first - 3 weeks into taking the drug I started getting injection site reactions. Those went away and now I have been getting nausea and diarrhea after every meal - this has been continuing for a week now. | I would like to say that although I have been getting some side effects, this drug has been a blessing. I was 70% covered with plaque, guttate, inverse, and scalp psoriasis and now I have may 5% coverage. I will take the nausea over the pain of psoriasis anyday. | F | 26 | 9 weeks 50 MG 2X W | 5/23/2011 | 5 | RA | I have been taking Enbrel for 6 years. No bad side effects at all. I have lots more energy and no pain since taking Enbrel. I was practically bed bound before taking it. I now work full time as a nurse and live a full and active life (jogging 3 times a week) I rarely get flareups and when i do it is nothing like the pain i experienced previous to taking Enbrel. I've had 3 flareups in 6 years and each episode lasted 3/4 days. The injection site has never caused me any discomfort or pain and is never irritated by the drug. | In my own personal experience Enbrel is a wonder drug. I feel very lucky! | F | 32 | 50mg 1X W | 5/19/2011 | 4 | RA | Had been on Enbrel for 4 months in 2001. Too many sinus infections, but I had plenty entergy and no pain. Started again in 2007. Got sick with a cough and sinus again. Now 2011 1st injection since 07 and my whole body is itching the heck out of me. Is this a new side affect? Never had it before. Have had RA for 11 years now. | F | 59 | 1 days 1X W | 4/29/2011 | 2 | ra | facial numbess, dizziness, loss of balance, feet ankles burn with pins and needles, wrist and hands numbs | medication helped pain but caused other more scarier side effects | F | 52 | 365 days 50mg 1X W | 4/25/2011 | 1 | Psoriasis/Psoriatic Arthritis | I have used Enbrel 3 times in the last couple years and just stopped the third round of shots. The first time I cleared from 30% coverage in 6 weeks with no side effects or pain. I was off after I cleared for 6 months and started to bloom really bad and arthritis started back. Took it again for 12 weeks and although it took longer I cleared but not below the knees. Pain was relieved. I got covered by insurance again and 10 weeks ago I started back on it. This time It was as if I was injecting water! My Psoriasis slowed its spread some but I did not clear any. I have also gotten sick 3 times and had sore throats when usually I never get sick or can remember a sore throat before. I also noticed three 9mm spots and two 1 inch long hard areas that looked like Psoriasis but felt like warts do. My Dermatologist said they were harmless and were I believe she called them Keratosis. They are very hard and just like a plantars wart. The thing is, I never have had that before. Not 100% sure Enbre | Like I said, the third time I started Enbrel I got no benefit at all from it. When not on it I was the only person in the house that NEVER got sick when all the rest did. While on Enbrel the 3rd time I was sick more than not. This time if anyone in the home had a cold or virus, I got it also. My young daughter was on it at the same times for the same reasons except for the last round. I will not let her take it again after reading the real possibility of M.S. and other diseases. Some doctors would not take it. This medication lowers your bodies ability to kill cancer cells also. I do not want my child to be the person to provide the long term research by letting her take this immuno-suppressive drug. Too many major risks. Everyone should have the choice as to whether they want to take the risk though. One more thing to insurance, Chronic Plaque Psoriasis is not a purely cosmetic issue as I have heard for 20 years. | M | 45 | 8 months 50 Mg 2X W | 4/10/2011 | 5 | rheumatoid arthritis | Initially I had a red, itchy rash around the site of the injection for a few days and after two months I do not experience that at all. I always ice the area I am going to inject 1/2 hour before and 1/2 hour after. | I was experiencing deep "bone" pain in my left hip and had to ice my hip each and every night just to be able to sleep. I also had swelling in my ankles and my hands, which were also very painful to open and close. Since I have been on Enbrel I am 80% more mobile and the pain in my hip has lessened by 80%. I am also on Methotrexate. I am forever thankful and only hope that Enbrel continues to work. | F | 59 | 8 months 50 mg 1X W | 3/29/2011 | 2 | Psoriatic Arthritis | Headaches and Bad site injection reaction | The first time I took my injection, I had no reaction. The 2nd and 3rd injection, I had a small in size, itchy rash that eventually went away w/in 5 days. The 4th injection I had an itchy rash that started out small, but tripled in size, and is still present after 9 days (hasn't gone away). Now, my 5th injection is worse. It started off small in size and by morning it had tripled in size. It is warm to touch, swelling, hard, and very itchy. My doctor's office suggested taking a Benadryl before and after, and icing the site before and after. That did not work. I rather live with the pain in my knees than live with these symptoms every day for as long as I take the medication. Unless there is something I can take to offset the bad reaction that I'm experiencing, I will stop the injections. All of this in just a month. I can only imagine how much worse it will get if I continue. | F | 37 | 1 months 50mg/ml 1X W | 3/27/2011 | 5 | Rhuematoid arthritis | Injection site reaction, headaches, have had shingles twice since being on enbrel, noticably thinning &dry hair, cystic acne & slow healing which isn't great for my self esteem :), odd & easy bruising, all of these side effects are nonissues due to the fact that enbrel has given me backmy life! I was diagnosed at 26 years old I thought I'd never live normally again &after trying prednisone (way more evil than enbrel btw) and methotrexate, enbrel is a wonder drug for me. it is scary and strong but I am young and have small children and work & go to school full time and I am able to function normally 98% of the time. | DO NOT take enbrel if you have a cold or someone in your house is sick! Inject in stomach, do not pinch skin (oww) spread the skin apart with two fingers, let the shot come to room temp,let the alcohol dry completely and make sure the purple circle is pressed firmly into the skin at a 45degree angle. I take benedryl with the injection most of the time & I take it right before bed and all of that minimizes the pain and injection site reactions. Take a multivitamin, vitamin c, prenantal vitamins etc and they really help with the immunity issues and the thinning of the hair etc. ALl of the side effects of enbrel can be managed with lifestyle changes for me. I began taking vitamins and I exercise and do Zumba 3 times per week and I have almost no side effects now. I had to learn what worked for me to help manage them and they are different for everyone. Rather than sit around and feel sorry for myself bc the wonder drug made me feel bad I had to realize that having a chronic illness sucks in general and Ihad to be grateful that even though I have headaches etc I can wipe my own butt and sign my name and pick up my children and be a human being all of which was impossible before enbrel. there is a trade off with EVERY drug so I am very happy with enbrel and how it has enabled me to LIVE!!!! | F | 30 | 2 years 50mg 1X W | 3/20/2011 | 5 | Severe psoriatic Arthritus | Guaranteed to have a sore throat within 24 hours. Minor inconvenience. | Have over 28 joints involved. Took Humira for 18 months and then it stopped working. Disease is virtually completely controlled with Enbrel. I am a useless blob without this medication. No help on my relatively minor psoriasis. Single dose of 50mg gives me horrible series side effects. | M | 65 | 1.5 years 25mg 2X W | 3/6/2011 |