Enbrel Side Effects

Enbrel Side Effects, Information and Enbrel Tidbits

What is Enbrel?

Enbrel is prescribed to treat rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis among other things. Enbrel works as a TNF inhibitor (tumor necrosis factor); TNF is a naturally occuring protein that causes most of the joint pain that victims of arthritis experience. Enbrel was developed by researchers at Immunex and was released for use in 1998 and is marketed by both Amgen and Wyeth.

Potential for Abuse?

No information available.

Enbrel Side Effects

Get emergency help immediately if you show any signs of being allergic to Enbrel, such as hives, swelling of the face, tongue, lips or throat or difficulty breathing. 

Serious and potentially fatal infections have been associated with Enbrel. Signs of infection:

• ever, sweating, chills, tired feeling
• feeling short of breath
• cough, sore throat
  
• flu symptoms, weight loss
  

  Other serious Enbrel side effects:

• shortness of breath with swelling, rapid weight gain
• chest pain, chronic cough, coughing up blood
• easy bruising or bleeding, pale skin, unusual weakness
• signs of skin infection such as itching, swelling, warmth, redness, or oozing
• black, bloody, or tarry stools
• changes in mood or personality (in children)
• numbness, burning, pain, or tingly feeling
• joint pain or swelling with fever, swollen glands, muscle aches, chest pain, unusual thoughts or behavior, and/or seizures
  
• patchy skin color, red spots, or a butterfly-shaped skin rash over your cheeks and nose (worsens in sunlight)

Less serious Enbrel side effects may include:

• nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain
• runny or stuffy nose, cold symptoms
• headache

This is not a complete list of Enbrel side effects. Consult your doctor for a full list.

Interesting Enbrel Tidbits

Here are some interesting tidbits on Enbrel:

• Enbrel (etanercept) is made from the combination of two naturally occuring TNF receptor linked to an Fc portion of an lgG1.
• TNF alpha is the "master regulator" of the inflammatory reponse of many organ systems.
• Enbrel has a half life of 70 to 132 hours.
  

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