I started taking Enbrel 5 weeks ago. My RD wanted me to wait for a month of Enbrel to introduce Imuran go along with. I have only had some injection site reactions w/the Enbrel otherwise I have started to feel a little better and am very hopeful it will work for me.
Last Wed. I took my 1st dose of Imuran. Other than feeling slightly nauseous and really tired I have noticed nothing else untoward. I took todays dose about an hour and a half ago. about 45 minutes ago my back started itching, no big deal just found my back scratchaer and had a go. Suddenly my legs, inside elbows, just b. elow waist, you know all the usual places started to itch. Right now its awful. I just looked in the mirror and I have rash everywhere. Same way it started when I became allergic to all the other drugs.
Have sore throat, slight fever, mouth sores. All this came up in the last couple of days, except the rash which just happened.
Please if you have taken these two drugs togetjher I need advise. I am getting really upset and afraid of a bad reaction again. I'm scared. My doctor is out of the country.
Seems like it is the Imuran, not the Enbrel. I don't know what to do.
might want to take some benedryl to help with itching and call RD first thing in the morning.
sorry you are going thru this again.
much hugs & prayers
HI Crispy, I would see your GP, maybe try an antihistamine for the rash. I had a terrible reaction to Imuran but no rash, extreme vomiting for 3 hours non-stop, and then extreme diarrheoa, sorry too much information!!!! Had to call an ambulance and they gave me stemetil and a drip to rehydrate me, I was like a rag doll, the sweat was falling off of me yet I felt really cold????? My RD said definitely no more Imuran. Go to the ER if you have to. Hugs Janie. Sounds like the Imuran as well. Do you have a nurse call line or something at the local hospital? Def need to take something for the reaction (benadryl or something) and call a doctor in the AM. Of course, you know the drill if it gets any worse go to the ER. *hugs* I hope its JUST the Imuran!
Yep, I would get benedryl on board and call the doc in the morning. If you start to have trouble breathing.....yep, you know. Reactions can be serious, but I would start the benedryl now!!! If you have a kind GP that would call in some aderax then that will stop it and put you right to sleep, but if you think he will say to go to the ER, and you don't think you should then don't call.
On second thought if it were me I guess I would go in for documentation sake, and the fact that you have sores in your mouth and down your throat!! So scratch the previous...just have someone else drive. They have great antihistamines that will zonk you out. They will also send a copy to the RD and GP if you request it.I am sorry you are scared. You can also call your ER. I hate allergic reactions. I hope it does not get any worse. Please let us know how it turns out. I will pray for you. Do you have people around to keep an eye on you? I especially hate to be alone during an allergic reaction.Please go to the ER. That could only be a start.
Hugs,
Pip
Thanks so much for the quick answers. The itching is still going on and the rash is getting bigger. I can't take the benedryl yet cause the drill (for me anyway) is to immediately take Lorazepam (ativan) to keep my throat from swelling shut. The Lorazepam relaxes the throat muscles and keeps my throat from swelling shut. Since I took my nightly dose of pain meds when I took all my bedtime meds including the Imuran, I am afraid to have 30mgs oxycodone, 1mg lorazepam, 300mgs Neurontin and then throw benedryl in. I am afraid I might go to sleep and not wake up. Benedryl knocks me out, all these strong pain meds do not affect me at all like that but benedryl kicks my b.utt.
Wish one of our nurses were online. I know I am babbleing but it keeps my mind off the itching.
Guess I will go try to find out somewhere if taking all those meds together is ok.
thanks again. God, I sure hope the lorazepam kicks in soon.
BTW, don't worry, I know when I have to rush to E-room or call 911
I appreciate you guys helping me so much. I am embarressed to be so scared when I know how to deal with it, but I am having to fight back high anxiety right now and that will only make matters worse.
Crispy...that does sound scary. I'm glad you know the drill having been through it before. Check back in early in the am if you can, just so we all know things are ok, ok? I'm sure they will beDo not be embarressed about that. I like to have someone around when i have to take the benadryl. I also worry about falling asleep when i am having a reaction. I wish i was there to keep an eye on you so you could get some rest.Crispy~ I am so sorry to hear this is happening. I wish I could tell you something but when I was on Imuran I wasn't on Enbrel yet. Maybe try Calamine lotion or a cortisine cream for the rash. Please do not wait too long to call the ER if you have to. Is your husband home in case he needs to call?Thanks Linccn, say a prayer if you could. I would really appreciate it.
Aww, Milly, you are so sweet. I wish you could too. Especially since my Herbie" sleeps like a rock. Takes forever to wake him up. If I feel like I need to go to ER I have to go in wake him up and keep talking to him until he comes out of his stupor.
The Lorazepam has kicked in and I can swallow and take air in much better now. Whew, big relief.
Thats the worst and scariest part. Now I am calming down. Thanks so much for "talking" me through the last hour.
You guys are the greatest. You all will never know how much this has meant to me.
xoxoxoxoxo
Thanks Auntlisa, I have some cortizone cream and I am going to use it.
You guys are a god-send.
xoxoxo
Crispy, that is something I can definitlely do, and I will pray for you right now.
Anytime, honey, that's what we are here for! Here's hoping for a restful sleep and a better day tomorrow! Take care for tonight, and call the pharmacist!
love ya girl...good night!
Glad you have your Herbie! Glad you have us also. Wow Crispy~ i just checked in and read what you're going through. Do you have any prednisone handy? I've had so many allergic reactions it's scary. I'm almost positive the benadryl will help you. The ativan will do nothing to stop an allergic reation...you need the anti histamine. Prednisone or Madrol will stop it too. You need and Epi Pen hon. Are you ok now?Yeah, Moana I am ok. The worst part of the reactions for me is my throat swells and the muscles contract and when that happens I can't breathe. I have a condition called Spasmodic Dysphonia. It causes the muscles in your Larnyx(sp) to contract and then get paralyzed in the closed position so there is no air flow. Combine the muscle spasms of the larnyx with the swelling from allergic reaction and you have a problem that is treated best w/lorazepam. When I have had to go to the ER, the 1st thing they do is give me IV lorazepam. It relaxes the muscles and opens the airway. So I can breathe.
Then comes the IV pred to the tune of 2000mgs usually.
That is what I ended up doing tonight. I knew the pred wouldn't knock me out so I took 60mgs and I may be up all night, but the danger is over. Now I just have to decide whether or not to continue with Imuran. I am going to try and get hold of my RD's partner tomorrow and see if he will talk to me over the phone.
Thanks again to all of you for putting up with me. I had gotten used to having these in infusion rooms, this is the first time I had to go through it alone, but I wasn't alone because of all of you.
Thank you sooo much.
xoxoxo
PS getting tired going. to try and sleep
Thanks gimpy,
Good night.
xoxo
Poor baby. What does the Iv pred at 2000mg do to you? Does it keep you up for a month. That sounds scrary side effect wise. I think that would make me nutty.Goodnight. I am taking my meds now i have to work in the morning. Will check on you when i wake up. Hope you get some sleep.Crispy. Something we always do before infusing Remicade is give BenedrylLike Lorster said the next one could be worse. It sounds like you're building up to a big allergic reaction and most allergic reactions on that level should be handled as an emergency situation in an emergency room. Even your rheumy probably would have told you to go to the ER.
Crispy, please don't wait it out or try and self medicate a serious allergic reaction. This is serious stuff. I'm sorry that you're reacting like this and wish there were more I could do. My rheumy doesn't have anyone to take call when he's gone and it's frustrating. He's the only fulltime rheumy in the area. The other 2 come over from San Diego a couple of times a week. Thankfully my primary is really good. Try and take it easy today. Lindy
Gosh, Crispy, I just came online and read your posts. Poor baby, you had an awful time. I'm glad you knew what to do and that things are better, but I'm worried about if you have a bad reaction next time, how much worse will it be? You need to have a really serious talk with your RD. Hugs.Thanks for all your help. I only woke up about an hour ago. Soaking wet jammies and sheets, terrible night sweats. I feel like I have been through a battle or something I am so exhausted. The rash is barely there, but my throat is killing me and I still have my small injection site reaction.
I am supposed to take Imuran every night. So I called the office hoping to speak to my RD's partner, got an answering machine and left a message for him to call me if possible. So Lindy and Lorie, since you guys are nurses, if he doesn't call me back, should I skip the Imuran tonight?
I'm not a nurse, but I would say to skip it until you can consult a medical practitioner. I'm not a nurse either, but I must agree with Gimpy....sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. It seems to be the case for you right now, and I think it best to hold off until you have discussed it with your doc.
I am a real scaredy cat when it comes to reactions. I would not take the Imuran again unless I was in the drs office with someone to watch over me like a nurse or a PA.
So sorry this happened to you.