I started Enbrel two weeks ago. My Father-in-Law has been fighting Lung/Bone cancer for a year now. He was hospitalized yesterday with a high temp and infection on his nose. We went to visit him last evening. They called this morning to tell us that the infection on his nose is MRSA and to keep an eye on my 4 year old to make sure he doesn't show any symptoms. I didn't even think about my suppressed immune system until I was relaying the information to my mother who reminded me I was on Enbrel and need to be careful.
I have only been on Enbrel for two weeks. Has anyone else ever been exposed to MRSA or Staph while on Enbrel and had any issues? Thanks in advance!
I have not had issues. Just watch for a fever and wash your hands a lot. The germs may still be viable on surfaces in your home, although doubtful, so a good disinfectant is always a good idea.
At least you know what to watch for - so if a little fever starts, or you get other symptoms, you can go straight to the Dr and get help. Early detection is always best. Most likely, you have nothing to worry about - but we all worry anyway
Nic.Pat
I have not had issues. Just watch for a fever and wash your hands a lot. The germs may still be viable on surfaces in your home, although doubtful, so a good disinfectant is always a good idea.
At least you know what to watch for - so if a little fever starts, or you get other symptoms, you can go straight to the Dr and get help. Early detection is always best. Most likely, you have nothing to worry about - but we all worry anyway
Nic.Pat
I have not had issues. Just watch for a fever and wash your hands a lot. The germs may still be viable on surfaces in your home, although doubtful, so a good disinfectant is always a good idea.
At least you know what to watch for - so if a little fever starts, or you get other symptoms, you can go straight to the Dr and get help. Early detection is always best. Most likely, you have nothing to worry about - but we all worry anyway
Nic.Pat
The only infection that I've gotten the past year that led to a pause in my medications for the arthritis was a small infection in my cuticle that started spreading down the finger, and that had more to do with my not noticing a microscopic break in the skin from the cold weather. I'm wearing gloves religiously now. :)
When I was spending time with a friend who had a systemic staph infection, I gowned up, put on a mask and wore gloves. She was in the ICU, though. Your doctor or a nurse at their office can tell you how much to cover up, and like Stoney said- MRSA is carried by a lot of people on their skin, and unless you have a break in your skin, you're probably alright.
I am still working in an acute care hospital and come in contact with all kinds of germs. This past year I have been on some type of biologic and often prednisone to boot. Like the others have said washing your hands is probably the best thing you can do. And of course clean all surfaces to rid yourself of any lingering MRSA bugs that could be hanging around.
Most medications for PsA have the infection risk disclaimer, however, it doesn't mean you will get sick more than usual. I look at it as a heads up so to speak and as a reminder to keep my contact with "dirty" surfaces to a minimum.
Having intact skin, hand washing and avoiding touching your face can keep you from picking up most germs.
I got infected pores from shaving my legs not too long after I started Enbrel. It was the first time that ever happened to me so I blamed my weakened immune system. I was worried it was MRSA because my husband has constant open sores scattered over his body that he picks and picks. But he told me his Dr said they aren't MRSA. I used bacitracin along with my betamethasone and they healed fast. But I understand how you must feel being in such close contact with MRSA. Infections are difficult to get rid of when you're on a biologic.
I realize this is an older thread but thought I would post anyway. Yes, I have experience with Enbrel and MRSA. My father had a MRSA wound infection and was hospitalized. I had a splinter on my thumb and not knowing at the time he had MRSA I helped my mom clean her house. I ended up with a MRSA abcess on my 5 days later. It cultured positive and I was treated. Several months later I developed a cough which lasted 3 months before doctors decided to do a sputum culture. The culture was positive for MRSA pnuemonia. Fortunately I was not taking the Enbrel at this time. I am now a carrier of MRSA. Have done the MRSA "decontamination" protocol 3 times (hibiclins baths, muciprocin to nostrils etc) to no avail. Was advised by Infectious Disease MD I will probably carry this for "years" Enbrel wrecked my life. Think twice about these meds.
Hi, Cayuse, and welcome to the board. Sometimes it's good when someone revives an old thread. I'm wondering how KJCLECK is doing these days.
Anyway, there is something I've missed in your story. You weren't taking Enbrel at the time you tested positive for MRSA pneumonia, and lots of people are carriers of MRSA. I'm afraid I'm not understanding how Enbrel wrecked your life. Can you set me straight?
I found that a bit confusing, too - I took it as she was on Enbrel when she contracted MRSA, but was off by the time of diagnosis...maybe?
My understanding is that it's very rare for something to get out of hand -like a MRSA infection- if we keep on top of our health. The benefits of disease-modifying drugs outweigh the risks for the majority of people.
Omg that's scary!! My two nurse daughters are in contact with MRSA on a daily basis, and I'm almost sure they're carriers....at least I heard somewhere people in health care become carriers. Anyway, so I agree--with such horrible germs all around us, we do need to keep on top of our health, as Nym said. I never knew there was such a thing as MRSA pneumonia.
Cayuse, I'm sorry you had this terrible experience! I feel so much better since being on Enbrel, I'm not too afraid of the risks-although I'm sure I'd be angry if I got something like you did. However, it's hard to blame Enbrel completely. If you didn't have that splinter in the first place, this probably never would have happened. It's an eye-opener for me. I clean a small library twice a week (there are two restrooms) and I almost always have little cuts on my fingers--AND I don't wear rubber gloves! That is going to change due to your post, so thanks! Again, sorry this awful thing happened to you!
I think you have to remember that perfectly healthy people can and do become infected by MRSA everyday too. Before blaming a med for it I would blame the virus for being strong enough to resist antibiotics. I had a bad bout with it almost 8 yrs ago and had bad case of anemia to top it. I couldn’t stay awake for more than 20 mins at a time for days. I was not diagnosed for PSA yet so no bios. My sister had it a year later almost died but she doesn’t have PSA so no bio there either. Mine was said to be chronic and would come and go. After a year it just stopped. Nothing ever since not even with my treatment now. No one in my family got it either and we hug everyday! What I am getting at is its a “super bug” and it doesn’t care if you take enbrel or not. I am sorry you had to go through all of that it. To say it isn’t easy is almost an understatement! I do not know how difficult your PSA is but please consider that MRSA attacks even without it.
30% of the people in the world are carriers. Keep in mind if you will that MRSA is primarily a skin infection for which PsA patients are at very high risk for when "blooming" You don't become a "carrier" after having the infection. You are a carrier before you become infected. If anything the enbrel prevented a problem.
Immune suppression may effect your ability to FIGHT infection, but it doesn't cause more infection. In fact Arthritis patients on biologicals have a slightly LOWER rate of serious infection than the general population. I worry more about being disabled to the point I can't work, or require care a whole lot more than I do about an infection taking me out...........
I was on Enbrel for one year when I got the first infection which was the thumb abcess. I then stopped enbrel. Then about 2 months later as I remember, I came down with a cough which lasted months thrugh 2 courses of antibiotics. After 3 months a sputum culture showed MRSA. That is the time line. That was my experience. I believe the first infection was directly related to compromised immune system, the second one is anyones guess. I for one will not be taking enbrel again. Oh, by the way, my dad's infection DID "take him out."
Cayuse, I’m sorry about your Dad, and I can certainly understand that his passing as a result of an MRSA infection has left you grieving and frightened. But in all honesty, I can’t see how your status as a carrier of MRSA could be the fault of Enbrel. You caught it, and now you are a carrier, like 30% of people. I’m having a hard time seeing that as having your life wrecked. Or maybe there’s something I’m still missing here. What have your doctors said about the role of Enbrel in your disease process?
One of the emphases that we have here, both as members and as moderators, is making people aware of the potential for PsA to cause damage and disability. PsA has significantly damaged my quality of life, as it has others’. Enbrel has given me back some (but by no means all) of what PsA has permanently stolen from me. The biologic therapies still give people with this disease the best chance of PsA NOT wrecking their lives, at a risk level which is, for a lot of people, reasonable. That is why when someone says that a therapy wrecked their life, like you did, without the background of how that happened, we question it. We do not want people more frightened of the therapy than of the disease.
Thank you tntlamb, no he was not on enbrel or any med that would compromise his ability to fight infections. I tried to edit my post as I thought of that, but I couldn't. He had different health issues. Not RA or Psoriatic arthritis. I realize MRSA is treatable with appropriate antibiotics etc. but sadly not so for him.
So sorry to hear that, cayuse. What a difficult thing to deal with with everything else you were going through at the time.I can understand your concern about Enbrel's effect on your end of things. What have your doctors said about the correlation between the Enbrel and the MRSA? Are you currently on any meds to treat your PsA? (If you mentioned it already, sorry - my memory is shot!)
As someone who is currently off biologics due to neurological issues/diagnosis process,I can say that I'd much rather be ON biologics with the small risk of serious infection than be dealing with all the damage that's currently happening in my body.