Colds/Flu and Enbrel

[Guest guest]

Connie asked " How many had the flu during the time you were taking

Remicade/Enbrel/or Humira? "

Hi Connie,

While I was on Enbrel I caught a cold each year that seemed to settle in my

chest. As I am unable to take decongestants due to heart concerns my doctor

put me on antibiotics and a nasal form of cortisone. The nasal pasages

cleared up but it took forever for the chest congestion to clear. Each time

I went to get my flu shot I was " too congested " and was told to come back in

a couple weeks.

I stopped taking Enbrel on May 29th as I felt that it was not as effective

as it once was.

This winter I was able to get a flu shot and have not contracted even a

slight case of the sniffles. " Touch Wood " .

Hope you and your family are well.

~~~Faye~~~

AS and fusing

[Guest guest]

I am not on any of the TNFs because I have had lung cancer, but this year

when I got my flu shot, though we are told that we are getting a killed

form of the virus, I got a rattly cough the day after the shot. It lasted

for 2 weeks and then went away. So far --no flu for me. I get the shot every

year since the cancer and last year was the only year I had what I'd

consider a true case of the flu.

On other lists I have noticed that though lots of us with the HLA B27

afflictions get lots of low resistance types of germs and viruses, many have

said that they are better when on the TNFs though the side effects list

indicate that we are more likely to get infections of various sorts.

Go figure. I don't think anyone really knows what to think ,or to do with

us.

/MI-- blessed with AS and other 'autos' for many years now