Today I saw my rheumatologist. I walked in carrying the hard cover Enbrel information book that is in the waiting room. As soon as he came in and saw the book he said, "I was going to ask you about Enbrel!" I replied that I was there to BEG for it if I had to. He had some labs dra...
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Untitled Comment
Lene Andersen
Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 12:42 PM
The Biologics by Enbrel are immunosuppressants and that means that you may be more likely to develop infections and to have trouble fighting them when you're on this type of medication. If you do develop an illness like a cold or flu, doctors usually recommend going off the medication until you're better, as continuing to suppress your immune system during illness will make it harder for your body to fight the disease and more likely that you develop an infection that will require antibiotics. I haven't heard of other people on Enbrel needing to carry a thermometer and antibiotics, so I suspect that is a precaution based on your past medical history and your allergies to a number of antibiotics. Whether you will be very susceptible to illness and infection remains to be seen - I've heard of people who are very sensitive, yet others manage well with basic precautions such as frequent handwashing, asking family and friends who are ill to stay away until they're better and carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer for use when needed.
One of the common side effects of the Biologics is upper respiratory infections, more commonly known as sinus infections. This seems to be because these drugs increase your mucus production and once it sits there in your sinuses, they may become inflamed and you have a festering stew. Throughout my "career" on these drugs, I've found a number of tricks to help keep these sinus problems down to a dull roar, which may help minimize how often you need antibiotics. I wrote a post on how to manage medication side effects last year which includes a section on dealing with the sinus related side effects and you can read that here.
The Biologics carry a risk and a higher one than many other medications. The way I've come to look at it is that a really big problem needs a really big solution and really big solutions often carry more risk. Each of us decide what risk we're willing to take and when the benefits of taking a drug outweigh those risks. It sounds like your doctor is monitoring you closely, have given you a "safety net" and that you have decided it is something you're willing to do to get your life back. Enbrel was my miracle medication - I hope it will work the same for you. Please let us know how it goes.
The Biologics by Enbrel are immunosuppressants and that means that you may be more likely to develop infections and to have trouble fighting them when you're on this type of medication. If you do develop an illness like a cold or flu, doctors usually recommend going off the medication until you're better, as continuing to suppress your immune system during illness will make it harder for your body to fight the disease and more likely that you develop an infection that will require antibiotics. I haven't heard of other people on Enbrel needing to carry a thermometer and antibiotics, so I suspect that is a precaution based on your past medical history and your allergies to a number of antibiotics. Whether you will be very susceptible to illness and infection remains to be seen - I've heard of people who are very sensitive, yet others manage well with basic precautions such as frequent handwashing, asking family and friends who are ill to stay away until they're better and carrying a bottle of hand sanitizer for use when needed.
One of the common side effects of the Biologics is upper respiratory infections, more commonly known as sinus infections. This seems to be because these drugs increase your mucus production and once it sits there in your sinuses, they may become inflamed and you have a festering stew. Throughout my "career" on these drugs, I've found a number of tricks to help keep these sinus problems down to a dull roar, which may help minimize how often you need antibiotics. I wrote a post on how to manage medication side effects last year which includes a section on dealing with the sinus related side effects and you can read that here.
The Biologics carry a risk and a higher one than many other medications. The way I've come to look at it is that a really big problem needs a really big solution and really big solutions often carry more risk. Each of us decide what risk we're willing to take and when the benefits of taking a drug outweigh those risks. It sounds like your doctor is monitoring you closely, have given you a "safety net" and that you have decided it is something you're willing to do to get your life back. Enbrel was my miracle medication - I hope it will work the same for you. Please let us know how it goes.