Enbrel

[Guest guest]

Hi there! My name is Jackie. I'm 31 years old and I have been

suffering with PA for 11 years or so.

My doctor recently started me on Enbrel injections (once a week) along

with MTX and folic acid. I was told by my doctor that I should notice a

difference in the way I feel after I have had 2-3 injections. I just

had my second one two days ago, and I still feel the same. Sore and

stiff all over, fatigued, and itching like crazy from the psorasis. I

have psorasis on 90% of my body. It's horrible.

Have any of you ever tried Enbrel? Did it work for you? I could

really use some help or advice.

Thanks.

[Editor's Note: Hi, Jackie and welcome to the group. We have over 3,000

members and many of us have tried, or are on, Enbrel. There are lots of threads

in our archives on this medication. PA is a challenging disease and it affects

every person differently. In addition, each person responds to medications in

their own unique way. For many of us, Enbrel took up to two months (8

injections) before we started to see it begin to work its magic. For some of

us, Enbrel has enabled us to return to normal, or near normal, lives. For

others, Enbrel has helped stem the spread of the disease, but it has not been

able to reverse the damage already done. For some, Enbrel has not helped at all

and, for a small percentage, the side effects were significant. Fortunately,

very few people suffer serious side effects, even after using Enbrel for more

than 5 years. Since you have had PA since your early 20s or late teens, it is

possible that you have already suffered permanent joint damage which is not

something Enbrel can repair. Give it 6-8 weeks and if you do not begin to see

some positive changes, talk to your rheumatologist about trying something else.

Kathy F.]