I just had my 6th shot of Enbrel and today, the spot of the injection is red, warm and itchy. It is about the size of a half-dollar. Should I be concerned?

Did you have them before? Did you shoot yourself in a different site? I would call the Dr. and let them know.

Hi shammypup,

I would not be too concerned. What you describe sounds like an injection site reaction and they are very common. I'm on Remicade (which is given by infusion rather than self-injection) so have no personal knowledge, but I have heard many of our members here say that the better you get at giving yourself the shot, the less you are apt to get a reaction.

Also, there is a preservative on the auto-inject needles that can cause a slight allergic reaction for some people, if that is the type you are using.

It is a good practice to mention any sort of side effect or reaction to the prescribing doctor.

Hope the med is effective for you and that this disappears!
mig

I get the same reaction from Enbrel, the only other side effects is that I seem to be getting better looking everyday.

Can anybody tell me if Enbrel had made them gain weight? I'm about to start it and I've heard that it can be a side effect. God, I hope not. ;-/

I have been taking Enbrel for almost 4 years now and I have gained weight. I have also been in the gym alot and I have been eating outside of no starch diet because I have 0 pain. Its hard to tell if the food or working out has caused my weight gain. I still get flares on Enbrel in fact I am in one now. I have had pain in my feet which I have never had before, got a mild case of Uveitis, and that lower back pain that we are too familiar with came back to haunt me. My pain overall and stiffness is about a 3 versus a 0 which is what it always is. Will see how things go ! I have heard Cimzia is working for AS patients and you do not have to take it with Metheraxate.

To Lia3: I gained a few kilo at first when I started enbrel. On the other hand it helped on the pain so my running became more regular. And in the end I have therefore lost weight.
On the pain level it helps me a lot. My AS is very sever and has spread to all majo joints and most minor. In the beginning I only noticed a small benefit, but my use of Norspan and Tramadol combined with, Endone, Oxycontin and especially Oxynorm fel slowly after a few weeks to a new and better low. I rarely use Oxynorm now and took them daily pre Enbrel.
I later had a poisoning accident at a bar, someone had put something strange -possibly a bad ecstasy drug - in our drinks, and because I was on all these other things my liver said stop. Some of my healthy friends also got seriously sick.
That is when I realized the full benefit of Enbrel, because when I had to stop taking that for 7-8 months the pain was terrible.
So even if you do initially gain a few pounds, then you will be in better shape to move them and more off again in when the effect of Enbrel manifests itself after a few doses.

To Shammypup: I get that kind of marks often. On me it depends on how hard I lift the skin or if I get the angle a bit wrong. I believe they are harmless, but ask you doctor next time you go there anyway.

I still get that type of reaction every week after a year and a half on Enbrel, only mine at your stage was the size of my entire palm! It didn't every really bother me other than a slight itch, and would be at it's max from about 24-48h after the shot, and then go down over the next 1-2 days. Now it's more like 5cm diameter, not nearly as impressive as before. I actually just slowly moved my injection day to Monday, so I wouldn't have to worry about explaining a bit red blotch on summer weekends!
Hope that helps. Otherwise, I have had no real side effects to enbrel, except regaining the unhealthy weight loss I had from being sick before starting (10 lbs) , and a few more persistent cough/sinus issues when I get sick.

Hi Lia,

Without Enbrel, I go down to around 58kg - I'm 173cm tall.

With Enbrel, I sit at 60kg - because I get my appetite back.

Before I got AS my weight sat at around 68kg (I was very athletic).

James

Thanks for posting this.

I've just come back to kickas because I think I've just had a reaction to Enbrel - either that, or a mild case of food poisoning. Had shot in evening, then became very ill over night - sweats, frequent urination, fever.
Have spoken to GP, and he has advised that my next injection be done in the morning, and with handy access to hospital...
Just wanted to check to see if anyone else has had these symptoms?
Am very concerned that I may not be able to use Enbrel anymore - been using it for the past 3 years now and it has helped heaps. I've used the other 3 main biologics, and they just aren't as effective as Enbrel.

James