Get Informed: Enbrel
Active Ingredient(s)
Etanercept
What does it do?
This product is used primarily in the treatment of arthritis. It binds to tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to decrease inflammatory and immune responses.
- Last Text Update:
- 2010-Mar-15 5:46 AM
- Last Data Update:
- 2010-Mar-14 9:02 PM
Other Names
- Enbrel
- Etanercept
How Safe Is It?
- Your Risk Rating
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- Average Risk Rating
-
- Pregnancy Category:
- B
Black Box Warning
This product has a black box warning relating to potentially fatal infections, including tuberculosis.This product also has a black box warning relating to an increased risk of Lymphoma and other cancers when used in children and adolescents.
Facts & Figures
- Date Approved
- 02 Nov 1998
- Est US Patients*
- 1,359,000
- Generic Available
- No
- OTC Available
- No
User Age Distribution*
< 21
21-39
40-59
60+
Age (Years)
* Estimated number of US people currently taking Enbrel or its active ingredient based on population adjusted patient numbers registered with iGuard.org.
Enbrel Safety Report
Learn more about iGuard's risk ratings
- Please login or register (it's free) so iGuard can check how Enbrel interacts with other drugs and diseases in your profile.
What is Enbrel used for?
iGuard is currently tracking more than 9,000 patients that use Enbrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)). Use the table below to learn why iGuard users take this product; click on any underlined condition to get information on other medications used for treatment.
| Disease / Condition | % | Average Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | 53% | 
|
| Psoriasis | 34% |
|
| Psoriatic Arthritis | 34% |
|
| Ankylosing Spondylitis | 3% | 
|
How well does Enbrel work?
iGuard regularly polls our more than 9,000 users taking Enbrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medications (TSQM) . This feedback is continuously updated in tables below for the benefit of the iGuard community. To request scores for specific patient subgroups, please contact research@iguard.org.
Average Satisfaction Score
(out of 10)
Average Effectiveness Score
(out of 10)
- 87%
- of patients are confident that the good things about Enbrel outweigh the bad things.
- 6%
- of patients wish they were told more before they started taking Enbrel.
Common Side Effects of Enbrel
iGuard regularly polls our more than 9,000 users taking Enbrel (or similar drugs with the same active ingredient(s)) to monitor the development and frequency of side-effects. This feedback is continuously updated in tables and graphs below for the benefit of the iGuard community.
22% of patients experience side-effects on Enbrel
3% of patients experience signifcant side-effects on Enbrel
Most Common Side Effects...
-
Injection Site Reactions
-
Swelling/Edema
-
Nasal/Sinus Congestion
-
Itch/Rash
-
= 10%
Global Patient Feedback for Enbrel (Etanercept) ( Post a comment )
Question/Comment:
since stopping enbrel after about 3 years, i am noticing a sporadic weakness in my legs where they feel like they are going to give out on me. anyone else experienced this? anyone know why this is happening?
42 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-25 09:29:21
Answer/Reply:
Enbrel stopped working for me after 9 years. I took Humira for about 6 months but it hasn't worked either. I have experienced the weakness in my legs, mostly the thigh muscles, but I just figured that it was my RA which is out of remission.
57 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-27 21:35:19
iGuard Answer/Reply:
Enbrel has been reported to cause a numb, burning feeling, and also some joint inflammation. Speak with your doctor, as it may be related to Enbrel or there may be another issue going on.
Posted: 2010-01-29 11:44:08
Question/Comment:
Been back on Enbrel for almost a year and it's stopped working again. New areas have broken out w/psoriasis and the psoriasis I do have has come back. Humira did not work on me, which is why I went back to Enbrel. Seeing my dermatologist in March, thinking about trying the new biologic, Stelara. This injection is given at the drs office; you go back in 4 wks for another injection and then every 3 mos for an injection. Drawback though is the cost w/out insurance, over $4K for 1 shot.
47 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-24 19:33:05
Question/Comment:
used enbrel for a few years and it kept my psoriasis under control (scalp, nails and face). being disabled, i found it was getting too hard to drive, so it was hard to get to the doc for script. doc continued to prescribe the enbrel until dec 2009. i went back, she thought i would be a good candidate for humara & you only gave injections every 2 weeks. was excited. she checked out the meds and learned that they (both) would wreak havoc on my muscular dystrophy. anyone know anything about this?
49 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2010-01-18 13:32:19
iGuard Answer/Reply:
Inflammation is thought to play a role in the damage of muscles in patients with muscular dystrophy. Enbrel and Humira both block a chemical called tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNF alfa) that is involved in the inflammation process. Currently research is being conducted to determine how medications such as Enbrel and Humira affect muscular dystrophy. At this time, it is difficult to make a conclusion on whether these medicines improve or worsen muscular dystrophy.
If you have the chance, please follow up with your doctor and ask her more about the information she has learned. Perhaps she can provide the sources where she found the information and you can share them here with other iGuard members.
Posted: 2010-01-18 23:37:11
Question/Comment:
Enbrel has been a miracle for me. No noticable side effects. I've taken it for 14 months, but yes I'd still have bad days once in a while. No drug cures arthritis.
40 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-08-18 14:22:24
Question/Comment:
I was on Enbrel for a little over 3 years. It worked wonders for the rheumatoid arthritis, but I developed drug induced M.S. from it and also had a persistant fever for the better part of 3 years. I didn't realize how bad it was until I stopped taking it. I have been told not to take any TNF blockers from now on.
41 year old Female – Source: iGuard United States
Posted: 2009-08-16 19:12:20
You may post comments for the benefit of other patients or post questions other patients might be able to answer. Comments are submitted for possible publication on the condition that they may be edited. Only your age and gender will be published with your comment, although your other user details will be securely recorded for verification purposes.
Comments may be either questions or answers to previously posted questions. Any iGuard.org user may post questions and reply.
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Patient Comments about
Enbrel