Since I am all new to this any advice would be great. One of my children has came down with the stomach bug. Should I hold off on my enbrel or continue taking it. What is the protocol or is there one?
I feel fine now.
When I was on Enbrel, I took it unless I had a fever or was actively puking. I have five kids, take care of friends kids as needed, and there are germs galore floating around my house all winter. LOL I was actually healthier on Enbrel, even with sick kids.
I always kept taking my Enbrel until I got sick. If it was a mild illness I kept taking it. If it was severe (like the flu) I would hold off. I found that unless I was very sick, the Enbrel disruption affected me way more than the illness.
It's a personal decision though. You know your own body best and know what type of infections you are prone to and their severity. I've been on one or the other on the biologics for 11 yrs, and when my kids were young if I stopped every time they got sick or I got sick I never would have had any treatment! :)
Possibly getting the stomach flu is a lot better than interrupting your "program" It can take weeks maybe months to get back in the control. There are certain times/exposures that you should stop for ie surgery and a sustained fever. But never stop without asking your doc.
My doc says to only hold off if you are sick enough to seek medical attention or need an antibiotic.