My brother got a couple injections of Enbrel for his severe psoriasis. A few months later we went on a cruise that we planned for over a year. After the plane ride his throat was swollen. After we boarded the cruise ship the ship doctor had him removed from the ship right away due to his throat swelling shut. The doctor in a hopital in Miami diagnosed him with Lymphoma. He returned home to a local hospital where he was life-lined to Hershey Medical Center. He was then diagnosed as Enbrel induced Lyphoma. He had a mass in his throat which wore a hole in his throat which was filling with infection. He was treated with chemo and had a feeding tube put into his stomach which was there for about 11 months until the hole closed. Since then he gets infections every couple of weeks in his legs. He has gotten Merca several times, staff infections, and severe leg pains constantly. Every little bump he gets that breaks the skin results in infections. He got a stomach infection which resulted in the doctor having to leave a huge hole in his stomach with a wound vac attached to it for 18 months until the hole finally closed. It has be a nightmare. Enbrel should not be given to people. It has been one thing right after another all from the time he was injected with Enbrel.

I was diagnosed with moderate plague psoriasis all over my body just after joining the United Army in 1989 and started seeing symptoms of arthritic form of psoriasis in 1991. I was treated by the Army using steroid ointments and tar shampoos. After getting out of the army in 1994, continued treating my psoriasis using ointments and tar shampoo.. In 2005 I went to a private Dermatologist after seeing ads for Enbrel. I began treatments right away after being tested for TB as a precaution. Did a great job clearing the plaque psoriasis. However I began getting sinus infection regularly . After several infections my primary care Physician ordered a blood tests in 2006, then shortly referred me to an Oncologist that did further blood tests including a marrow biopsy. My official diagnoses of CML was announced by my Oncologist . I tried researching a connection of enbrel and my cml but just recently found the connection between the two, thanks Google for the help. I am on my second drug for the cml, first was Gleevic which makes me too sick, now on Sypycel 100mg, trouble now is I have gone from at a retail store, back to retail associate, from 50 hours a week , to 38 hours, then down 24 hours a week, to now struggling to even work 8 to16 hours. My primary care and I have discussed it probably time to apply for SSI, a decision I’ve put off the last couple years do to complete physical fatigue or nauseousness and recurrent sicknesses

I had been on Enbrel for Rhumatoid Arthritus for two years. Suddenly I am having consistent bouts of CHF Congestive Heart Failure. After seeing weakened heart specialists they tell me it is from the Enbrel and happens in 1% of the people using this drug. Now a I have a heart that does not pump like it did prior to taking Enbrel. They changed my RA medicine to Orencia- which side effect is pnuemonia- which I have had twice in the past few months. This medicine took my quality of life away.

I am shocked & so saddened to see so many comments that are so similair to what I experienced with my father. We lost him this past April on the 3rd after he fought harder than I believed was possible. His health was great before he began the Enbrel injections,as I saw was so similiar to other posted comments. He began getiing infections so easily. Wounds that would simply appear & become so severe that they needed proffesional attention. They were constant. Then came the kidney cancer. It was removed & we thought it was contained. I am not sure to this day if it was or if the spinal cancer that was to follow was a seperate cancerous growth wrapped around his spine with 6 major tumors, The first surgery lasted 26 hours & required the implant of titanium rods since so much of his real body was cut away to remove as much cancerous growths as possible to help relieve pain & make walking easier. It was clear from the start that it was terminal but the option of surgey could possibly give him more time with us & more time having use of all his extremities. what a terrible choice to make,they were also clear that the surgery itself could paralyze him or he could possibly not make it through the operation itself. My Daddy was a fighter,he wanted to watch his 3 grandsons grow. It made him so angry,sad & frustrated that he couldn’t play with them doing things like sports(playing catch),wrestle,go whale watching,go on hikes or so many things. He lasted 4 years longer than the Drs ever imagined. They got to a point were they were trying to learn from hin how to treat the disease that would eventually kill him. He was extremely intelligent & always needed to learn all he could about anything that affected his life. He learned what things cancer did not like,what slowed its’ progression,what they did like such as oxygen,sugar,protein ect. He stayed away from all those things,started following the Gersions’ diet(a well known plan to fight terminal cancers). He started getting coffee enemas to clear his body of toxins(since your blood runs through your entire body every 3 minutes the caffiene dialted all the lower vessels to help the enema reach further up). Of course he had the enemas done proffesionally. He stopped taking the chemo pills after the first round because he felt so ill,got oral thrush & sores. His reason was understandable,”Why should I take poison to help fight a terrible disease that is basically poison itself?”. He made juice drinks daily using specific fruits & veggies. He felt great! The rods snapped 3 times so he needeed surgery to replace them each time. The pain was always there & was mostrly unbearable. There was not a pain medication that could come close to touching it. Not to mention the million other pills he had to take daily. He could not lay down,it took him several hours to be able to function each day,he had countless”accidents” in regards to bowel movements & it was so embarassing to him! His pain medication was stolen on a few occasions & it was a nightmare to try & get them replaced. I set up a hidden camera to catch the person that was stealing them so the police knew it was true. He was lonely,sad knowing that there were so many things he’d never do that he had planned. He was only 59 when he passed away after something like a 10 plus year battle with this terrible disease. Not to mention how bad his rheumatoid arthritis itself had been for most of his life,deforming his hands & feet,arthritic nodes appearing all over,swelling,tendons snapping,being in so much pain that he was not pleasant to be around,conversations impossible,noise intolerable but he was afraid to be alone. He went through the 5 stages of death & dying,of course bouncing up & down from 5 back to 3. He fought to the last second & as his power of attorney it was gut wrenching to have to finally say okay,it is time,let’s start the meds that would end his life within 24 hours. I knew his wishes were to fight no matter what but the last surgery to replace the rods in his back did something & he lost the ability to use his legs no matter how hard he tried. Due to the loss of mobility & lack of moving(especially in an understaffed nursing home where noone cares if you live or die,I can say that not as a distraught daughter but as a former employee of the exact nursing home) he threw a DVT(a blood clot in his leg),then a PE(a blood clot in his lungs),he had a reaction to heparin(a standard blood thinner) so they had to give him a much weaker one hoping to break up the clot. It was such a weak blood thinner that it would never have had any affect on the clots that were all over. The clots(which usually would kill a person instantly) were making it very hard to breathe so he was stared on a regime of steroids(he hated them & believed that they were to blame for things & made others worse but he needed them to breathe & was also put on 2liters of oxygen. The steroids made him become an insuline dependent diabetic & of course now that he was diabetic,nothing healed,it neber had before but now it was simply impossible. So,the bedsores,pressure ulcers,infections that came from the inside out,contracting MRSA(methaciline resistant staphalocaucus arius) which is basically an infection that is immune to any antibiotics known to man, Everyone who entered his room hafd to be gloved,masked,gowned,the whole 9 yards. It made him feel like a lepar,I cried every night & sporadicaly through out everyday. I still do! Since the surgery on his back required a cut from his tailbone to right under his neck & he has diabetes,it basically all turned to mush,as did all thr other wounds. the edema(fluid built up under the skin anywhere on the body) was so bad that his skin constantly weeped & felt so tight. All the antibiotics made him have uncontrolable bowel movements that were simply liquid. My Dad always prided himself on being super neat & clean & was mortified & sometimes sat in it for hours before anyone answered his call light. It was the brothers birthday on the 2nd. Just him & I spent the day up there making sure he was comfy,making that final decision(he had been pretty much in a sleep like state for 2 or 3 days) & just keeping things calm,quiet,soothing,playing his favorite music,each of us on opposite sides of his bed holding his hands talking slightly louder about fond childhood memories involving him,hugging him,rubbing his head. We would have to head out to the hall & sob seperatly or together once in a while. We kept the lighting dim,the curtains closed,except for the small opening I had made in the window to ensure his soul could leave that rechid place.The hospice women that assured me they would always be right there were nowhere to be found at the very end. The woman they sent knew nothing & messed up his meds so badly that I feel as though he passed away in severe pain,not to mention they did not get the correct order from the Dr to dry up his saliva so basically he died as if he were drowning,looking pannicked like he was trying to swimup out of a pool but it was impossible because it was his own lungs that were full of fluid. I had seen many deaths throughout my 12 yeasrs in the medical field & this was a bad one. I felt aweful for my little brother to have to see this. He was acting so brave but knew he was as scared as could be! I had explained to him all the different things that could happen when the end came & what could be helped,what bothered us more than him,got him books,pamphlets ect on what to expect & what he could do to feel helpful or what was just inevitable. It was as though he forgot it all. He was asking what that sound was that sounded like marbles rolling around in his chest & telling them to do something about it. He told my Da”Hey Da, you better not die on my birthday!”,in a joking like,loving voice. He lasted until 2:31am so he did make it past his birthday. My brother was in such a state of confusion,I had to tell him that he was gone. I finally gave into my own feeling & plopped down on our make shit liitle bed & burst into tears.My brother came around crying too & hugged me so tight. We just cried hugging & rocking. We were both shocked that it was finally over. I hated the idea that I had to make the decision to either be selfish & have him come too scared,in pain & agony & unable to move or do what was right & just & give the go ahead to end his suffering. IT IS UNIMAGINABLE TO HAVE TO DECIDE WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR OWN DADDY! I did not like the hospice team from the start,they seemed to want to start the meds to end his life the day they met him,they rush you far too much,especially when you are already in such a state of overwhelming confusion. So,it was over. But,the biggest thing that stuck out to me was that on his death certificate cancer was not the main cause of death but an infection down his spinal cord was, Now if this was my experience & there is so much I left out becauuse look how long this already is,imagine what he went through! Oh,he also had a bout of pericaditis(severe inflamation of the sack surrounding his heart) so it turned it into basically leather making it hard for his heart to pump. That is another condition that usually kils people. It was all aweful & robbed him,my siblings & I as well as his grandchildren of so so amy years of happiness,memories & life. My heart goes out to others who have dealt with this. This drug is aweful!

My husband started taking Enbrel Feb 2012. He was a heavy drinker which he admitted to his derm. He experienced extreme fatique. He was hospitalized in June 2012. He was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. His liver enzymes had been monitered with his annual check-up for several years prior. Two years prior since he was having a gall bladder removed his liver was biopsied and was negative for cirrhosis. He died August 2012. I believe Enbrel had some connection to the cirrhosis. It all happened so fast after he started the injections.

i had a stroke caused by a bleed. my right side is affected. an article in the miami herald december 25.2012 about a dr. giving one injection of embrel to stroke victims with great results in curing the effects of the stroke with one injection. please advise of any history of the use of embrel for stroke

My husband just turned 54 years old in September and a week later was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Stage 4 brain cancer. My husband has RA and Sjogrens and started taking Enbrel about a 1 1/2years ago it might also just be a year, the way things have been going I just can’t think anymore. My husband had brain surgery and 2 weeks later started chemo and radiation. We are now in a waiting stage. We will take another MRI in about 3 weeks to see if the cancer has diminished,although it is a very aggressive cancer with a poor diagnoses. I’m am starting to wonder if there is a correlation between Enbrel and the tumor. This drug has not been on the market to long and it seems as though every other commercial is on Enbrel, Humera, or another drug that is wrapping up millions by the minute.

I am currently 54, and I have had RA for nearly 20 years now. I have taken Enbrel for about 11 years now. I am also a teacher and have been during the entire time I have taken the injections, Over the past three years I have been sick much of the time due to my lowered immune system. I seem to catch everything my students have, but I am grateful to be living in a time a drug like Enbrel is available. I was given the opportunity to teach due to Enbrel, I have not to be a spectator in life. Up until this past year I have jogged with this disease. I was told during the summer to trade in my treadmill for an elliptical, so I do. I am now faced with finding another job choice or retire.. I am just grateful for the years I have had were I was able to function as well as everyone else……… I am sorry to hear about others who have had serious issues… Enbrel also pays for the majority of my co pay for my drug, and I and thankful. Despite being sick over the past three years more often than not with stomach bugs,I am happy for the years I had…because I love teaching, The makers of Enbrel didn’t give me this horrible disease, they made it easier……

I was on enbrel in 2007 and had severe infection, which I had never had previously or since I stopped Enbrel for my ra. I was able to cancel my hysterectomy surgery date within3 weeks of stopping enbrel. I developed breast cancer since then and had to have a mastectomy although i had no history of 1 st degree relatives with cancer. Now my rheumatologist wants to put me on arava as i had an anaphylactic reaction to humira. Im scared to death (pardon the pun) of getting cancer again! I would rather be in severe pain than die in my 50’s.

Hi started enbrel i had only one shot n i have bad stomache pains,tired and chest, n respitary infection and skin rash ..i have ra i feel worse than ever i cant rest i feel very diffrent.i want to know if anyone has had this side affects ? I dont want enbrel any more i dont want to see my ra doctor anymore i have been seeing him for 7 years …im so worried

Our daughter, Victoria, was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis when she was 18 months old. We tried many medications to relieve her knee and ankle pain. Finally, our doctor suggested trying Enbrel. My husband and I researched the Enbrel to find that Enbrel had many horrible side effects. We brought that up to the doctor but she told us that companies have to list every possible side effect and that doesn’t mean that Vicki will get it. She also told us that the drug will help her. We were very skeptical but spoke with a nurse friend of ours who told us that she took Enbrel for her psoraisis. With hope that our daughter could have some relief and walk without pain, we took a chance on Enbel. We were hoping and praying that the drug would be a miracle and it was for awhile. Then Vicki started burning fevers and got very sick. Vicki was on Enbrel for about a year when we found out that she might have leukemia and the doctor took her off the drug. What was supposed to be leukemia was then Hodgkins or Lymphoma. We went through 6 months of sleepless nights trying to find out what was wrong with our daughter. Went to other doctors who then told us that she has Macrophage Activation Syndrome (MAS), whis is now in remission. We have been in and out of hospitals for about 4 years. Presently she has hemolytic anemia and neutropenia. Vicki is now taking a case study drug to control her disease. We have been hospital free for a few years now and monitor Vicki’s blood every few months. We cringe every time we hear or see the word “Enbrel.”

On June 6 of 2012 I went to Boca Raton Florida , to see a Dr. Edward , because he had invented a treatment for back pain, with an injection of Enbrel Etarnecept Anti TNF Treatment, today is October 3 2012, i have very bad symptoms, tingling, numbness on my arms and legs dizziness , nausea, jaw pain,pain in my eyes, it Sucks ! He charge me 5000 dollars, and told me that more than 3000 patients have had the treatment, that the worse thing that could happen is that it did nt work. I regreted so much ! I spent more than 15000 in the last 3 months to find out whats happening to me, because i call the drs. Office but he dosent answer the phone or returns the calls. I just did a blood test call Biophysical 250, which suppose to tell me if anything is wrong, i cant wait for the results, i will have them on October 16, this test its 3400 dollars, i will post the results when i get them. But we should all get toguether and put a law suit against this Dr. And the company that makes this drug which is so dangerous.

I started Enbrel injections once a week about 5 months ago. About 4 weeks ago I started having flu like symtoms, rapid heart beat, coughing up mucus, lymph nodes swollen,very tired, lite headed. I thought I had the flu. I seen my Dr. I was checked for the flu. Did not have the flu. The Dr. said it was side effects from the Enbrel. I’m having blood test done, and I’m waiting for results. She’s testing me for Lupus and lymphoma, also checking for heart problems. I have phsoriatic arthitis. I’m off the Enbrel right now until I know whats wrong. Very concerned!

This is in response to Michael. I am so sorry about your wife and hope your pain lessens for you in time. My comment is dated July 12, 2012. My mother started taking enbrel and our family truely believes enbrel had everything to do with her immune system weakening, causing a chain reaction of her organs shutting down. She loved life to the fullest and is missed so much everyday! My dad is still alive and healthy and he feels the pain of her loss everyday. I read these storys and feel for these people. I am trying to understand the desparation of the patients that take it. My mother was not a complainer so we didn’t realize how much pain she was in. She took Humara a few years ago and that did nothing! So she was desparate. There is more I could say, but the bottom line is she is gone and missed sooo much everyday. My prayers go out to you Michael!

My very best friend was taking Enbrel. I explained the dangers of heart failure it can cause and all of the other negative side affects. She was only 42. I received a devastating phone call on September 29, 2012 that my dear friend passed away from heart failure and a horrible bleed out. She left behind 2 children and many many friends that loved her dearly. Enbrel killed my best friend.

i was on enbrel. blood count started going down. now i need blood transfusions every two weeks. been like this for years now. i was then diagnosed with pure red cell aplasia. blood disorder in bone marrow. not producing red cells.life really sucks right now.bad enough with ankylosing spondilitis. now this. also overloading with iron..ferritan…running up around 4-5 thousand (count)seems like i am just waiting for inevitable..need advice..

The Doctors state that Enbrel is not transferable to the spouse by bodily fluids. I really worry that is not true. Most prescriptions are, so how can Enbrel be any different?

On January 28, 2012 my wife of more than 48 yearsLorraine passed away from multiple myloma (an incurable cancer of the blood) which was diagnosed in October 2007. She was only 67 years old. In her mid-30s my wife was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis whiich over the following years became more and more severe. While my wife was alive, she and I came to the conclusion that having taken Enbrel for a number years earlier may have caussed her multiple myeloma. This conclusion was in part arrived at upon seeing Enbrel commercials on TV in which the makers of Enbrel stated that Enbrel (may/can, not sure of this term) lyphoma, other cancers, and blood disorders. Clearly multiple myeloma is both cancer and a blood disorder. To make matters worse my wife was among a small percentage of patients that did not get much relief from the medications she took including Enbrel. It is absolutely devastating to me to believe that the taking of Enbrel may have well been the original cause of her cancer and thus her death. I IF THERE IS ANYONE OUT THERE THAT EVEN HAVE REMOTELY SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH ENBREL I WOULD BE FOREEVER GRATEFUL TO HEAR FROM YOU Thank so much for viewing this message. Michael

skin issues, arthritis issues, neurological issues, pain, inflammation, all auto-immune issues. The only post I read here that had a good ending involves the man who claimed Enbrel caused him to become allergic to gluten, when he quit Enbrel because of these bad effects (and quit gluten) he got better after about a year. People, I’ve had many of the above symptoms from arthritis to MS. This is how it happens: infection from something (in my case dengue fever) that ignites the immune system, which becomes intolerant of gluten, immune reaction in the gut follows, leaky gut, bacteria and proteins to include gluten and lectins invade the bloodstream through the gut, all kinds of auto immune reactions ensue. It took me a few years to figure this out. I now eat no wheat or other foods I’ve become reactive to and I have my life back. No doubt Enbrel is very bad for you. It sounds like the immune suppression makes the original issue worse and your gluten sensitivity worse. But you don’t need it. Do your research go gluten free, heal your gut, get off Enbrel. Google search “gluten, autoimmune disorders” Be well.

My dad had plague psoriasis all over his body since I can remember and got the arthritic form of it about 5 years ago resulting in the ‘wonderous’ injections of enbrel. Now he is back and forth to the Mayo Clinic for Nephrotic Sundrome–a kidney type of disease where they leak a protein called albumin and causes you to retain water all over the body, plus many other hardships. After reading all of the other comments (horrifying, I feel for everybody here) I see that there aren’t too many kidney problems, so I am not sure of a direct correlation. He is on a ton of prednazone now keeping the water weight off, but can’t be on it forever. He also can’t be off of enbrel either for he is able to move with it. I hate this.

at the age 13 i was diagnosed with JRA and was put on celebrex, with little to no relief. then Viox until it was recalled, shortly after my uncle died of heart failure after being on viox for years. since i was under age my parents had to sign a release to get me on the medication, meaning we could not sue for damages done. i now have a heart murmur. after that we decided to do the naturalistic remedies which helped more than the pharmaceuticals. now wait let me back up, when i was 13 they had me on ibuprofen 800 8 times a day and cortisone injections until they feared it would do more damage than the inflammation. needless to say after killing my stomach we had no other route. when i was 19 i had an abnormal pap which on the second biopsy was tripling in size each visit i decided to have my daughter rather than risk chemotherapy and lose that gift of life. after her birth my RA floored me, dropping my weight to 95 pounds and i was scared to even hold her, scared i would only hurt her, or fall with her. also worried that she wouldn’t receive enough nutrients i did my best to gain weight. things seemed to be better until my first semester back at school i rapidly lost my sight, had an insatiable thirst for ice water and bathroom breaks every chance i had…. can you guess what was next? diabetes. after a year with a quack doctor that almost killed me treating me as a type II and blaming me for irresponsible management i did my research and caller her out on what could have been a lefty lawsuit and the loss of her licence. after finally getting to a specialist i spent the next year applying for everything available to get a pump, which has been a miracle to say the least. still far from perfect but manageable. then i was referred to a new RA as i had inflamation pockets so bad on the top on my wrists i could not write or type and my knees and ankle so bad i was missing class. exhausted, and sore beyond words. needless to say im an 24 now. and the worst part is the way people treat me like im faking it. like im lazy and looking for attention and sympathy. fuck that, being said politely more than anything i want to like a full and happy life. being able to have the freedom to be a single mom going to school and surviving without the monster of chronic health problems. i would not wish what i have on anyone. going through the ringers of pre-existing conditions and health insurance red tape. my grades dropping in school because its so small its not worthy of being on my plate of issues at hand. after seeing this new doctor i started enbrel, and then came the headaches. so sever i couldn’t get out of bed. driving i would become faint and everything had white long and lazy tracers of light behind them. upon going to the university clinic they said my diabetes wasn’t being managed properly and i was dehydrated. this persisted for months. torradol (no idea how that is spelled) was the only thing that would give me back at the least an afternoon and good nights rest. being an non narcotic anti-inflammatory and pain killer. they say it was non habit forming but if they knew the pain it relieved i would gladly have added it to my daily regime! then i was put on tryciclic antidepressants for what they called tension headaches. which i wouldn’t be so stiff and sore if i didn’t have RA. those knocked me out to the point of zombie Apocalypse, situation isolated to my bedroom only, where no alarm clock or phone call could wake me. i don’t even want to mention how this is affecting everything outside the spectrum of health here but im sure one could imagine. so i offed those from my medicine cabinet. then came the tremors. resting tremors in my hands that i could not hide and violent tremors when i was moving. very embarrassing as i was studying Neruopsychology and covering neurological disorders that was covering symptoms while i was demonstrating them. i am a very stubborn and proud person so don’t mistake it as a lack of concern and lack of fear. i do my best to hold everything together while my physical is falling apart around me. next came the dizzy spells and almost fainting to the point i was scared i was on the edge of a diabetic seizure. now i know that it is NOT my diabetes. and i have developed this reappearing thick tender to even the slightest breeze, feel like someone poured acid on me, rash almost feels stiff like a scab but burns if anything touches it. and back to the tremors are also accompanied by sharp shooting pains like when your limb falls asleep, but nor constant like a lightning bolt zinging in my body, in my fingers, down my leg, in my back and chest. these all happen on the little over six months on enbrel once a week shots i take. my last visit to my RA just last week reassured me that its not the enbrel but she is worried its neurological problems. ive noticed my kidneys are starting to hurt and more worrisome my breast have been tender. after reading all of these post fighting back the tears! im so sorry for all those who have lost loved ones and struggled through diagnoses i haven’t the slightest clue of. my greatest fear is not being here to raise my daughter. like being a single mother in this country isn’t hard enough. my fears were realized tonight in this comment area. never again will i take another enbrel shot. i would rather suffer the pain.

I have been taking Enbrel since it came on the market in the late 90’s. I was even on a waiting list before I was allowed to get it because it was so difficult to make. I knew from the very beginning that the risk of other diseases was possible because Enbrel suppresses the immune system. I am shocked that so many of you did not read the documents that come with every shipment of the medicine. I have had no side effects at all. In fact, my doctor stopped the Enbrel and tried Humira which caused me to go into such a flare up that I had to have a sterioid shot in my butt which caused my potassium to deplete and my heart to have problems. I am now back on Enbrel (15 years now) and have no problems except aging.

I took Enbrel for 18 months for severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. I developed numbness and tingling in my legs. I called my family doctor and my dermatologist, and stopped taking Enbrel immediately. I now have Transverse Myelitis at T5 – I have numbness from mid-chest to the tips of my toes. You can see the atrophy of the spinal cord in my MRI. I’m pretty fortunate, though. It seems most people with TM are paralyzed and in wheelchairs, and/or have bowel/bladder issues. The neurologist’s diagnosis is idiopathic TM, but after doing some research and knowing that I took Enbrel I think it’s really immunopathic TM. While Enbrel helped with the arthritis, my psoriasis never got a lot better. I knew there were risks, but this is still not right.

I started taking Enbrel in 2006 for severe plaque psoriasis. In 2008 I was taken to the emergency room with a suspected heart attack but was diagnosed with muscle strain and sent home with painkillers and muscle relaxers. The next morning I was again taken to the emrgency room with severe, constant back and chest pain. I was given a stronger pain killer and a heating pad to relieve the muscle pain. My cousin, a doctor, recommended I go back to the emergency room for an MRI for a spinal abscess. The hospital emergency room finally agreed and found a football sized, MSSA infection on my spine. I had 7 hours of surgery, including a partial vertebrae removal, to remove the spinal abscess. I was bed ridden for 4 months with a constant antibiotic pump in my arm. Went on for rehabilitation to walk again and now cannot lift more than 35 lbs, have constant leg and back pain and numbness in my left leg. During my recovery period I lost my business, my home, my wife had to take a job in another state to pay our bills and we had to file dfor bankruptcy. My doctors, dermatologist and neurosurgeon, attribute all of this to Enbrel. My dermatologist documented my case and submitted it to the folks at Enbrel. My neurosurgeon said that if I had waited another day or 2 for the MRI I would have been paralyzed or died from the infection.

My mom was diagnosed with C.R.E.S.T. 25 years. She started taking Enbral in January of 2012 for the RA part of these diseases. She started getting sick and 4 months later passed away. She was a very active women for 74 years old. She went to the hospital feeling weak and tired and had a pain in her chest, and passed 10 days later. We believe Enbral had everything to do with her passing. Her pancreas was inflamed, her potassium was high and she was anemic when she was admitted. Her blood vessels got inflamed and started leaking out into her body, her kidneys started shutting down, and she ended up drowning in her own blood. WE BELIEVE IT WAS CAUSED BY THE ENBRAL!! There is so much more to this aweful story, but the bottom line is we lost our mother and we believe it was caused by this aweful drug.

I started Enbrel in Sept 2011. The morning after the first injection I had a mild heart attack. They put in a stent and gave me a bunch of drugs: lipitor, lisinopril, effient, carvedilol, aspirin. The cardiologist told me I can’t get off any of them for two years, and never off lipitor. I also take synthroid for hypothyroidism. Then, last Sunday I did another Enbrel injection and the next morning had a mild stroke. Went to ER and they found nothing, but my speech, writing/ typing, and balance are impaired. I’ve not had either a heart attack or stroke before. I’m only 53, had RA about 8 years, am mostly a vegetarian, though I have smoked since I was 15. I’m going to see my primary care physician this week and get a referral to a neurologist. I’m also quitting the Enbrel. I’m pretty sure it caused the heart attack and now the stroke. It says in the paperwork they are a risk. though smoking is bad, I know. I’m going to quit again. Staying quit is the problem. I’ve quit Enbrel before but the RA came back. It does work for a lot of people but the side effects are too great. My God, reading this I know now that people have died from Enbrel. I’ve also read Eat To Live by Dr. Joel Furhman, which is about eating vegetables and fruits and beans, and avoiding oils and animal products. Very little bread and no cheese, which I love. But I will do it. I have to. Dr. Furhman adresses RA, saying that a “nutritarian” diet will reduce or eliminate the symptoms. To the person posting the mean comments about the people here, no, I am not making any money off Dr. Fuhrman’s book. Just an RA sufferer who’s had trouble with Enbrel, looking to see how many others are experiencing the same thing. I’ll post againg here in a few months after I’ve been off Enbrel and on this diet.

My mother had rheumatoid arthritis and developed pancreatic cancer after using Enbrel. Her general practitioner seemed to think that the Enbrel had a lot to do with it. She passed away one month after the cancer was discovered.

I read Mindys post about lower back pain and not being able to stand for more than 15 min, well I have taken Enbrel for 1 year and about 6 months ago, found the same thing, after standing for 15 – 30 min I would get back pain and muscle weekness and spasms I have to sit and rest my back muscles for a few minitues and then I can resume walking for a bit. I never had this problem before. I have decided to stop enbrel to see if I get better or not. So far Ive only been off the drug for 2 weeks and no change. I feel like a guinee pig with taking these drugs.

My daughter started taking Enbrel when she was 15 for Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis and two years later they found out that she had Acute Prolymelitic Leukemia (APML) She was in treatment with Chemo for 2 1/2 years. She is in remission but no one should have to go through something like this if it is not necessary. Please stop them.

A psychologist told me once, that people react with anger when you speak the truth they hide. My question is why doctors chose to hide information about Enbrel? My daughter also suffers from JRA. She is now 15 and on Methotrexate since January 2011, which was 5 months after the diagnosis. She is doing fine physically, yet psychologically the treatment is draining to anyone who suffers a bit of intelligence. We are doing everything to get healthy to eventually get rid of highly toxic methotrexate. Why do doctors withdraw information about effects Enbrel can bring? And yes, ultimately getting angry with those who ask questions? Enbrel (not the doctor) is now calling our home wanting to speak directly with my daughter. Such is marketing under Enbrel.

My daughter was diagnosed with Juvenile Arthritis in 2006. She was put on Methotrexate and started showing improvements immediately. She did have an upset stomach every night and complained of mouth soreness, and she got the flu more often than she used to. After being on methotrexate for 6 months the Rheumatologist wanted to put her on Enbrel because he felt that she wasn’t improving enough. When I asked him about the medication he told me nothing. All he did was had me the paper on what is was and the side effects. I read the pamplet and was extremely worried, but I filled the prescription and was going to start the treatment when she got strep throat. The next month I was going to start her on it and she got another flu before starting treatment. When we went to the doctors again and after doing some more research on Enbrel I started asking the Dr. questions. He was very rude and combative towards me. All I wanted was some information and advice. I could not understand why he was so upset with me for asking questions. He even sent in a case manager (we went to the Children’s Hospital in Knoxville) because I guess he thought I was being negligent towards my daughter. He even wrote in my file that I was a “bad mother.” ???? I don’t understand how I can be a bad mother when I’m trying to get as much information as I can. I will be taking her to Vanderbilt in Nashville, but I’m worried they will try to force me to put her on Enbrel. I hope they are atleast willing to communicate with me instead of acting like gods.

Wow, sorry to hear about all the bad experiences but I must say this is a very small percentage. If you really do the research Enbrel has saved many more lives. I have severe RA. It’s crippling and I’m bedbound without medication, within days of taking it I was out of bed and moving like once before. You take risks with any medication you take even over the counter Ibuprophen.

I am 59, have had RA for going on 5 years and am due to have hip replacement surgery. My surgeon wants me off Enbrel for 3-4 weeks prior and after surgery. My rheumatologist (who is also a pharmacist) says, no, only 1-2 weeks off before and after surgery or my RA will likely come back full force and will be more difficult to get under control. My surgeon fears infection, which can lead to a really horrible outcome. I don’t know how I’m supposed to sort this out. I’m not a medical person. Wondering if I should go to Mayo? Anyone else been through this?

I was an active healthy 53 yr old woman. I did have mild psoriasis and joint pain. I told my dermotologist of my family history. My mother had severe psoiriasis and was crypled with rhuemetoid arthritis. The Dr. said Enbrel would cure me. He spoke very highly of it. I agreed trusted in him. I started in July. The shippment I recieved was left outside to long so it got warm. The Dr. even provided me with samples to get me through til my insurance would cover the enbrel. I noticed relief within days. I started a great job everything was good. I saw the dr. 8-2-2010 got my refill. 9-27 I cancelled an appointment but, they still filled it. Oct. the dr. refilled it again without seeing me. In Nov. I saw my primary Dr. he said that I had a lumbar sprain and masked it with pain killers. Nov. 18 I had to call an ambliance to get me to the hospital with severe back pain Within 2 days I was in a coma. Just as all hope was almost gone with yet another effort of many Dr.s I began to come back. I spent 3 months in the hospita I had to learn to eat, breath and walk again. Now it’s March and I am told that the infection is still in my system. I am a mother of 2 beautiful girls and a loving husband. Enbrel did’t just hurt me it hurt our entire family deeply.

I am also on Enbrel for RA. Rook Hydroxyquine before for a few years , worked moderately and I felt I had put off Enbrel long enough. Ihave now been on Enbrel for 9 months and have a terrible stiffness in my back muscles. Im afraid this has something to do with Enbrel but the RHUM doesnt seem to think so. This pain and stiffness started around the same time I started Enbrel. Conincidence??? It is getting worse and dont know what to do??? If I stop I am sure I will flare bad!!! 🙁

I am very sorry about all of the things I have read. I am sorry now that my husband and I did not research this medication much more thoroughly than we did before he started taking it. Did anyone remember paperwork talking about bleeding as a risk? I do but I did not save that paperwork after my husband started taking that medication. My husband started taking Enbrel in mid August 2010 and took it for about 6 weeks when he suffered strokes in his brain and bleeding in his lungs for which there was no medical explanation. He had no relief from the Enbrel and actually had decided to stop taking it right before he suffered the strokes. He had RA like symptoms and had tried all other RA medications and was given Enbrel with the hope that this would bring some pain relief. Not only did it not bring relief but I believe it had something to do with the strokes he had, which led to his death end of Sept 2010. There were too many things discovered in the hospital when he had his strokes that pointed to the only thing different had been taking this particular drug. I hope no one else experiences this. It has taken me over a year just to read all these comments. If you are reading these comments, beware of this drug.

I took 6 injections of Enbrel for my RA. It worked soooo well. My sixth injection, however, gave me cellulitis. I had to be hospitalized. I have an appointment with my rheumatologist next week. The cellulitis has cleared up, and I am awaiting new treatment options. But after reading some of these comments, I am scared. Since I’ve stopped treatment, I have had such severe back pain that I cannot walk without a cane, and I need to stop and rest after being on my feet for more than 10-15 minutes due to excruciating pain and pressure in my lower back and weakness in my legs. I’m hoping it’s due to my RA settling into my spine (I have a severe case), but after reading these comments, I’m scared….

I have plaque psoriasis which my dermatologist prescribed Enbrel. In the summer of 2010, I developed severe pnumonia (spelling ?) which lead to three weeks of hospitalization, a thoricotomy, kidney failure, and ten hours of dialysis. The many doctors that helped me agreed that Enbrel’s side affects on the immune system were a suspicious factor in my condition. Because of the amount of time I lost from work with the recovery, I lost my job and have not been able to find another due to my expensive health conditions. Now health insurance is gone, unemployment is about to run out and my psoriasis is back and ugly as ever. Enbrel works but at what cost? Give serious thought to using this medication first.

On Enbrel now 4 years for Psoriatic Arthritis, with excellent results. Enbrel has given me my life back. Diagnosed 30 years ago at age 27 and suffered tremendously. My body was wracked with severe pain with every movement and I needed help with dressing , doing stairs, bascially everthing to do with daily living. I spent years with so much pain, stiffness,swelling and damage to all joints, where most joints in both hands are now plastic or metal, and the elbows, shoulders, knees, hips ankles and feet had cortisone injections on a reular basis, plus numerous medications to try and ease the suffering. Enbrel has changed all that, I am pain free,and can move about like I did over 30 years ago, I finally feel like I am living again and enjoying life. I take Enbrel 50 mg autoinjector once weekly at home. Living comfortably even for a few years is worth the side effects risk for me.. I would not use Enbrel just to get rid of Psoriasis alone, but for those who have suffered long term for many yrs with difficulty walking, etc, this may be the drug for you, so choose wisely , the choice is YOURS to make!

My wife started taking enbrel due to severe plaque psoriasis sometime in 2006 – 2007. Throughout the years we noticed a change in her behavior. In 2009 my wife required hospilation due to severe mental decline that included paranoia, anxiety attacks and explosive mood swings. My wife has to this day continued with these issues all while still taking enbrel. This lovely wife and mother has turned into somebody we no longer know, her happiness has dissapeared. Is ther anyone else experiencing similar issues?

MY GRANDMOTHER HAS BEEN TAKING DARVOCET FOR A WHILE AND RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT SHE MAY HAVE FIBROMYALGIA. I’M WONDERING COULD IT HAVE BEEN CAUSED FROM THIS MEDICINE. SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY HEALTHY AND NEVER SMOKED.

i was diagnosed wiyh as and fibromyalgia and ra. my rhuemetologist is suggesting that i try enbrel and after reading all of these comments i will absolutely refuse to take it id rather deal with what i have an use the medications i already have(pain meds, meloicam,and muscle relaxers) than to risk getting another disease or cancer or infections or even death its crazy to try to make patients take one med to fix something but will make you worse than how you started out it makes no sense

I have been taking Enbrel for years due to plaque psoriasis. In the past three years, I have had multiple hospitalizations because of acute pancreatitis. Doctors insist Enbrel is not the cause, yet no cause can be found. Yesterday, I was in so much pain that I went to the ER. I was diagnosed with NASH (fatty liver). I am still in severe pain and no MD will allow me to have pain medication. I am lost. Now I am reading that this will probably lead to cancer and who knows how long I will have to suffer from MD ignored pain. I’m 30 years old.

ive been taking these shot for about a year or so and now im scared as hell! fml

I was informed by my doctor to start taking enbrel about a month and a half ago, however, I did some research prior to deciding not to take enbrel. I am scared and do not even want to think of what could happen if I ever decide to take it. I am 23 years old with Rheumatoid Arthritis, and even though my doctor says that enbrel will make me feel “great” and more “normal” I refuse to take it and these comments only justify my reasons not to take it. I already have a weak immune system as it is, I have mild anemia, and I think that I would most likely end up in the hospital somewhere if I was to take enbrel. I am sorry to hear about all those people who have taken enbrel and have passed away on it. It is such as sad thing to hear about.

I have a friend that I care for and also care about after reading this page he and I are becoming very worried. He started on Enbrel the summer of this year and by taking Enbrel I have seen a huge inprovment in his movment. He is only 27 yrs old and after reading this site like I have already said we have become very worried. It is one of those things what is better? Quantity or quality?

my mother was diagnosed with RA in 1984, in 2004-2006 my mother was taking Enbrel I had no idea until this evening that Enbrel could be the very medication that caused my mother’s death in Jan 2006. It is too late for me to pursue a lawsuit but I will most certainly warn people who have RA and are taking Ebrel as to please beware of the drug and it’s potential to cause death. I miss my mother and I’m very sorry that I link the two together too late.

This is for Radames. The other side effect of my toxic shock syndrome resulting from Enbrel was atrial fibrillation which caused my heart to go into severe arrhythmia. I have been on medication to control the arrhythmia up until last week. I had periodic episodes of the arrhythmia up until just recently. I would say that there is a very good likelihood that your heart attack may have been caused by the Enbrel.

I am planning a consultation with lawyers by the end of the year (see my post June 15). I will post later if anything comes from the meeting. As an addendum to my previous post, my skin is still relatively clear with only a few small (eraser sized) lesions scattered here and there after being off of Enbrel for 11 months. At this point the worst side effect that I have is the inability to walk without pain in my feet. Again, I feel that my good recovery has everything to do with my healthy diet. I wish more people were aware of the relationship between diet and illness/disease.

i have been on etanercpt since 2001 i have rhumatoid arthritis i took part in the trial but have had constant urine infections and have been coughing and being sick since february loads of different antibiotics spiromatrys lung scan said i had 2 nodules and air in the avoli i am now on steroids bringing up loads of mucus the injection stopped all the pain i thought it was great but now my doctor says it can cause lung disease and maybe should stay off it coz when cough improves slightly after 2nd injection comes back again