Enbrel and surgery

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

I haven't posted for a long time, I'm a lurker for the most part. I

ususally read all the post every day , except for the last week or

so ,B/C I've been too busy.

I'm having some out patient testing. Actually a colonoscopy, which

is considered surgery by the doctors.I have to go off of Celebrex,

because it can cause bleeding. The internalist says 3-4 days, my

Rheumy says one week before and 4 days after.

Now I've asked both Dr.s if I need to go off

Enbrel, in case of infection developing and not healing because of

the immune system being suppessed. I read that you need to go off of

Enbrel at least 100 hours before surgery (that's how long it stays

in your system), so your body can fight off any possible infection.

Both say I can stay on it, which I really want to do. But I'm

thinking I may skip that day's shot, the day of surgery.

Any input please , I need to know before next Fri. Aug. 29th.

Thank-you,

nne

[Guest guest]

" Does anyone know very much about needing to discontinue Enbrel before

surgery? "

For my hip replacement last June, I was instructed to discontinue both

the Methotrexate AND the Enbrel one month prior to surgery. I resumed

the Methotrexate 2 weeks postop when the staples were removed but was

forbidden to resume the Enbrel until I had my 1 month postop check.

Their (the orthopedic surgeon and rheumy's) feeling was that the

biologics inhibit your immune system so much that when you have major

orthopedic surgery like joint replacements you are at much higher risk

of developing osteomyelitis (a serious bone infection that requires

treatment with IV antibiotics for a minimum of 6 weeks and sometimes

longer.) Whether the same thinking applies when you have minor

surgeries, or non-orthopedic surgeries, I don't know.

Take care

Wanda