I started Enbrel on June 7, 2012 and on May 2nd, I started with a UTI and got over it when I started in with some of the same symptoms. I went to my primary and said I suspected it was back again. I was tested for another UTI which was negative but I had a vaginal yeast infection. All in all, I've taken a total of 24 Difulcan tabs and went through 4 boxes of Monistat 7, referred to an OBGYN which took cultures that came back negative but I still have a yeast infection. I may go 2 days w/o symptoms but they are back after 2 days. I told my rheumatologist that I was quitting the Enbrel as it was causing my gums to bleed (badly at times) and went to the dentist to have them checked. My dentist said that I had healthy gums but it was the Enbrel causing my gums to bleed and sores in my mouth. I had an appointment with my hematologist and explained the situation to him and he, too, said it was the Enbrel causing my problems. I went back to my primary and had a discussion with him. I was sent to a hematologist because I had anemia from taking NSAIDS too long (appr 25 yrs) and had to have IV iron therapy which did wonders for me. Anemia, in check. Problem is that the hematologist wanted me to see a rheumatologist. She put me on Plaquenil and I grew horns on my head (pointy bumps) and my scalp itched badly. She changed me to Sulfasalazine and I developed a UTI which I had no symptoms. I ended up in the ER sicker than a dog. They gave me fluids to hydrate me, Zofran to keep me from being from vomiting, took a urine sample, and gave a can of Sprite to sip on. The Dr came in & told me I could go home. I got 10 miles down the road and I got sick all over again. Sorry, one ER trip $$$$ was enough so I made my husband just take me home. My husband was changing bedding all night long as I perspired like I've never done in my life. He took me in to see my primary the next morning. The Dr asked me what they sent me home with and I told him Zofran and a Sprite. Well, come to find out the ER Dr never read my urinalysis results which would've showed him that the UTI went into my kidneys and then into my blood system. He wanted to admit me to the hospital and I thought why would I go back there after they charged me an ER visit and sent me home as sick as I was. I refused to go so my Dr. (against his better wishes) told me I had to come in to the office every day until he would release me. I said OK (I was so sick I could barely walk). He gave me 3 injections and 3 prescriptions to fill on the way home. I went back every day for a week (even on Sunday) but he got me over it. Now, back to our discussion on the Enbrel. I was on Feldene for years until it quit. He was going to put me on Celebrex but my hematologist didn't want me to because of the anemia. The rheumatologist had me Humira for 2 yrs which had quit working and at that point I was put on the Enbrel which is now causing me infections. As I'm discussing this with my primary, I asked him if we couldn't start all over with the Celebrex as he had planned to give me in the first place and he said, "Yes". He told me to go home and call the rheumatologist to put me on the Celebrex and we are going to start all over again. She wasn't happy and said that she would put my Enbrel "on hold" and prescribed Celebrex. I feel great! I'm walking up and down basement steps doing laundry, walking all over without problems. I'm not saying I don't have an ache on occasion but it's nothing I can't deal with. I feel better than I have in years. I'm anxious to find out what my liver enzyme level will be now since I am no longer on the Enbrel and they were always elevated. I go in for my blood work in November. It will be easier to treat the anemia (if it comes back) than all the infections I'm having from the Enbrel with fewer side effects. So far, so good! Sometimes, we have to take our health into our own hands and go talk to our primary Dr as he knows my history better than any specialist. Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on but maybe someone can relate to me on this level. I'm still having a slight issure with the yeast infection but I can honestly say that it's getting better and easing up. I'm hoping just the Celebrex will keep working as I feel so much better and my hair loss has stopped and (I'm a hairdresser) as I wash my hair in the shampoo basin and check and double check the basket to see how much hair is in it. Very little since I'm off the Enbrel.
I’m sorry to hear that you had such a horrible time with the Enbrel. Hopefully, your infections will clear so that you will be able to resume biologic therapy. The Celebrex may be controlling your pain, but it will not control the progression of PsA. It’s obvious that Enbrel isn’t the right biologic for you, but there are others out there left to try. I sincerely hope that you haven’t given up on them because without them, PsA will continue to attack your joints and cause destruction, deformity, and permanent pain.
Unfortunately, primary care physicians aren’t specialists. There is a reason your rheumatologist is upset about taking you off of Enbrel. That is because early, aggressive treatment with biologic drugs, dmards, or a combination of both is the only way to slow or stop the inevitable joint damage that will follow without this treatment.
I realize this but I feel so much better physically without side effects that it's better to be human without any side effects than a zombie. I went through all of this with my brother that had severe psoriatic arthritis and deformed his joints to where he only had 1 finger on each hand that was operable at the end. He was nauseated, his hair thinned badly, and sick most of the time and he was on MTX alone. He passed away at the age of 47. I've seen what PsA damage can do to a person but I watched what my brother went through and I'm not sure I want to go back to that again. Up until the day he died he was detailing cars and doing auto body work and I asked him how he could use the spray painter and he told me to just find another way to do it. He knew I had the same thing and wanted me to seek treatment sooner than he did and so I did but it seems to me as if infections all go along with biologics and I just can't go through all of that again. My liver enzymes were elevated ever since I had been on biologics and since I'm on Celebrex my enzymes went down to 33. I'm happy again and I'm running up/down basement steps like I haven't done in years! My brother also had a leg amputated and he still managed to do his work but taking many breaks as he was so nauseated he could barely stand up. He was alive and doing things I can't believe he was even able to do but his one big thing he impressed upon me was to just find another way to do things and he did them and did them well. I don't want to be sick to my stomach all the time, headaches, loaded down with creams and ointments as he had to do since his psoriasis was total body raw meat greased with ointments. His prosthetic was still one that had a huge belt around his waist to support his leg which was raw meat beneath the belt. God help anyone who has to live as he did but at that time the Dr's called MTX his wonder drug and was used in classes at Peoria School of Medicine years ago. 9 - 10 students studying his body to learn about this horrific disease. I do know a bit about this and maybe I'll have to try the biologics again unless I won't be able to with the new Affordable Care Act in place. Many insurances are not going to pay for this treatment. My husband makes too much money for Medicaid and not enough to spend thousands on deductibles. So, for now, it's Celebrex and I pray to God I won't need anything else.