Enbrel allergy | Arthritis Information

Hi, I am new to the forum and have recently started Enbrel. For about 1-1/2 months it worked wonderfully. Then I got a cold which turned into a sinus unfection so I went off it for 2 weeks. Upon restarting it I have developed 5" welts at the injection sites that last for about 2-3 days. I fear I have suddenly developed an allergy and am quite distraught as this med has been great (I feel like a never had RA). My rheumy thinks I should try the Quick pen dispenser as a last resort even though he thinks I will eventually have to go off Enbrel altogether. I have read a lot of forums and it seems that most people allergic to one of the biologics are also allergic to others. Anyone have this problem??

Hi Hessalina

When I first started Enbrel I would also get hot, red, itchy welts at the injection site, but my nurse advised me to stick with it and eventually they lessened until they disappeared altogether. The only time they returned was after a 3 week break without the Enbrel due to a chest infection. Hopefully, this reaction will only be temporary for you and worth riding out, especially if the drug seems to be working so well.

Best of luck :)

Moonie-

Thanks for the advice. How long did it take until the welts stopped? I've been at it for about a month. They aren't gettin worse but not getting any better.

Hessalina

Hi Hessalina, I'd say it was a couple of months at least - at first I was very aware of them and worried that the reaction meant I wouldn't be able to keep up with the med, but they slowly but surely disappeared. Hope the same goes for you, best of luck!!

Moonie

Moonie-

Thanks for the insight. I don't know if I'm kidding myself but I think the last injection was a little less irritating

HessalinaMy injections seem to be going a little better. But I have started developing a single hive in some of the areas I had injected previously. It doesn't seem to be the exact spot I injected however. Has anyone had this happen??

Yep! Gosh it sounds like you're experiencing a similar pattern of reaction to me, how strange is it?! I remember I'd inject on one side of my stomach and get a welt where i injected on the other side the time before, or the time before that! I still don't know how on earth it happens, but I was told it was quite alright. There were days I'd have red blotches over 3 or 4 sites but it was after that happened that they eventually started to disappear altogether, albeit slowly.

Good luck, hope things are still going okay with the Enbrel otherwise??

It's good to know this is all normal! My last injection was a lot better-only swelled up to about 1/2 the size as before and lasted about a day as opposed to 2-3 days. My RA is greatly diminished on this drug but I am not completely pain free-although my rheumy says I have no damaging inflamation.

Enbrel has enabled me to go off all my other meds. I actually like the fact that it is not taken orally. It's good to know my stomach and liver are getting a break.

Thanks for your help...My doc said if I got a skin rxn to Enbrel at 50 mg once a week, he could try me on 25 mg twice a week to lessen that reaction. I am doing the 25mg twice a week. I had two injections that were not that bad but now back to softball size. I am trying to get the sureclick if anything to get a different lot of this medicine. I can't explain why I had absolutely no problems first starting out to these softball size lumps just because of a 2 week break due to illness.

Before the 2 week break the medicine seemed to be easily absorbed into the skin. But now when I inject it seems to pool under the skin and then grow swollen and warm. After 2 days the swelling goes down but I can still feel a small lump under the skin where the medicine was injected. This might take several days to go away.

Hi all! New to the board.

Have Psoriatic arthritis and after my first injection of 50mg had huge relief in all my affected joints within 48 hours. I was on cloud 9. No reaction at injection site.

My second shot of 50 mg (which I did myself) I got a whopper bruise and redness (no itch) and a secondary circle about 1" away. Also had enormous dizzy spells for two days. Felt like I had the flu.

My third shot of 50, no bruise but an even bigger red welt and dizzy again but not quite as bad. Doctor is asking me to stick with it as my joints are really better...but dizziness is very unpleasant. Has this happened to anyone else? Will the dizziness get better?

Do any of you think 2 shot of 25mg would be better?

Thanks very much.