Enbrel side effects - I’m afraid if this is truth

[Guest guest]

I'm afraid if this is truth, please post if any info.

Thanks

http://www.stevensjohnsonsyndrome.com/enbrel.htm

Enbrel has been reported to be capable of allowing the following

very serious diseases to appear in users:

Lymphoma and other cancers;

Tuberculosis, especially extra-pulmonary and miliary tuberculosis;

Opportunistic infections, such as histoplasmosis, listerosis,

aspergillosis, coccidiomycosis and pneumocystosis, sometimes

manifested as life threatening sepsis and abscesses;

Multiple sclerosis, optical neuritis, transverse myelitis, and other

neurological diseases;

Aplastic anemia and other pancytopenias;

Serum sickness, which is a delayed hypersensitivity reaction which

can be quite severe, and includes rashes;

Lupus.

[Guest guest]

ENBREL is not KNOWN to CAUSE any of these things. People using ENBREL have

developed some of these things while on ENBREL, and the percentage of people

developing these things is very small. Most of the people who have developed

these " side effects " were older, and had other things compromising their immune

systems (other than arthritis)... diabetes is one of the main things I have

heard. Here is what both I and my physician agree on: Enbrel and any other

immune suppressing drug can cause infections such as TB, MS, and other things

surface that you never knew were in your body. The infections/cancer gene, etc.

were already there, this drug just made them fester and show their ugly heads. I

will be on this drug soon, and I went ahead and got tested for TB, Hepatitis,

etc. just to make sure I don't get surprised by these things surfacing while I

take this med. VERY FEW cases of this have been reported, and the ENBREL website

does talk about all of this. Many of the cases were in people with Diabetes, so

I don't think Dr.'s recommend this drug to diabetics anymore. If you are

healthy, and take all precautions (labs) to make sure you aren't at risk for any

of these things... I think you will do fine on this drug. ANY drug has serious

side effects... including asprin. If you read all label warnings, you would

never take anything. Also realize the possibility that people who have come down

with cancer, TB, MS etc. while taking this can certainly be mere conincidence...

they just don't know, and since this is a NEW drug, they have to report any

disease/infection that anyone gets while on it. The % of side effects with this

drug is small compared to most other arthrits meds. You just don't hear about

people getting cancer/infections on the other drugs, because those drugs have

been around for so long that they don't have to report things as closely

anymore.

My Rheums office has a ton of people on this drug, and I asked him flat out if

he has had any serious reports of side effects, and he said not a one. He

doesn't even hear complaints about the injection site. His office participated

in the trials of this drug, so most of the people have been on it over two

years. Let me add that most people who do get infections from this drug get it

within the first few months. (once again I read that on the Enbrel site) This

certainly makes me believe that these diseases/infections were in the bodies of

those infected LONG before the drug ever came along. The drug just helped

motivate those genes/infections into action. They do not require TB/Hepatitis

tests in order to take this med, and I really think in the near future it will

be a requirement. I told my Dr. I would not take this drug without the testing

first.

In a message dated 1/14/2003 3:08:57 PM Eastern Standard Time, miri454@...

writes:

> I'm afraid if this is truth, please post if any info.

> Thanks