Enbrel. Have a very red burning itchy rash on site o... - NRAS
Enbrel. Have a very red burning itchy rash on site of injection, lower abdomen. 6 injections so far. Does it improve? Sudocream helps.
I have been on enbrel since October. I still get a small hive but they are much smaller than when I first started. I put a packet of peas on the site for a few minutes before I inject which helps. I also got some cream from my GP to put on afterwards for a couple of days which makes it less itchy and helps them to go.
Hi Grace,
Mine varies from week to week for some reason but never really gets too difficult. Like you I put sudocreme on it. (wonderful stuff). I like the idea of freezing the area a bit first though. x
definitely not a small hive more like the size of an elongated dinner plate. Will try freezing firstand continue with nappy rash cream (sudocream) Hoping it will get less. Some weeks it's less than other and thinking about it I have a large scar on right which i don't go near but maybe stick to left side for a while. Any scar or stretch mark gets very red and itchy
Do you switch injection sites every week? That was recommended to me, Dinner plate size is a bit of a worry though. Perhaps you should ring the rheumy nurse or the enbrel suppliers and see what they advise. x
Hello, I had this problem with Humira (not dinner plate size but certainly big enough!) This is obviously not an insignificant injection site reaction and I really would suggest you contact your rheum nurse for advice. I was advised to take non-drowsy anti-histamine (Loratadine) before each of my Humira injections and for a couple of days after as needed and that made a big difference. But I wouldn't suggest you start that without discussing it with a pharmacist first in case its not appropriate with your other meds.
Really hope it improves for you soon.
Tillyx
I have been on Enbrel for 5 years and have never had a problem so hopefully yours will pass. Do you rotate your injection site? I inject weekly and was told to do right stomach, left stomach, right thigh, left thigh which has worked for me but maybe I'm just lucky.
Good luck ongoing
for some reason, shots in my abdomen never worked out. So I just alternated right and left arm.
I had the exact same thing when I was on enbrel. It just got worse with each injection to the point it was over half my stomach. I seen my rheumy nurse who then switched me to humira which has been fine. I would give them a quick ring to see what they suggest x
Hi Grace37, I had the exact reaction to enbrel the itching and sore skin drove me to distraction, after about 6 weeks my legs, back, feet, and arms were bad so my RA consultant took me off the Enbrel unfortunately mine did not improve so there was no choice. I am now on Humira, with no side affects to date, speak to your RA team don't suffer in silence. I wish you well with it xxx site rash is very common so it seems.
I do alternate right and left stomach but might try arms as there's lots of fat there. Tried on thigh 1st time and that hurt like hell for 3 weeks, not much fat on legs. Am seeing consultant on 12th so needed input . Thank you all very much
I found it hurt like hell when injected thighs. Not done arms yet. I alternate around my abdomen and have started getting red itchy rashes. I have ointments for eczema so I'll start using them, hopefully it'll cure the itching 😖
i had a reaction with every injection of Enbrel......my rhuemy eventually took me off it...i went on tocilimabe next but it just didn't do a thing for me......i'm now on Abatacept and it is my miracule drug......has turned my life around. saw my rheumy yesterday and he was amazed at how i'm responding to it. all my bloods are now in the black after consistantly being in the red.......he is very happy with it and said that there are amazing results from this particular drug treatment.
Great news, Jeanabelle! I have read great things about response to this although I have been offered Rituximab next. It was a choice between that and Tocilizumab. At my hospital Abatercept can only be given when Rituxi/Tocili have not worked. I am glad you are back in black! (isn't that an ACDC album?!!) x
Hi I have had Enbrel for over a year now, I found that there was a little of the liquid coming out on the injection site. I used to get a red rash around the site too. now I have a wet wipe beside me when I inject and wipe it straight away this has seemed to work very well as I now don't get any rash.
hope this might help. I use non fragranced ones. good luck.
I had a reaction to the Enbrel pans, I was switched to the syringes and it went. Maybe you could try that?
Mary
Hello
Try a different site, I understand we need to move around the areas involved
Hiya i haven't been on this site for sometime now, So hi to anyone who remembers me :)))), I have tried to keep in touch with all the messages, I also started enbrel 5 weeks ago along with injecting MTX in my stomack, I was injecting enbrel on the top of my legs, after the 4th time i had a bad reaction where the top of my leg came largely inflamed sore and itchy around the injection area, I was told to inject my other leg the following week and if the same happened to contact my GP, which i did, i also was given antihistamines to bring it under control but was also advice by my GP not to inject again, she contacted my rheumy nurse which is now arranging for me to go on humira, My advice would be to contact your GP to get advice asap, As my GP said there are other biological drugs you can try, Take Care xxx
Sorry to hear of such a troublesome site reaction. I had a slight one on the first Enbrel which went after an hour and the nurse stayed with me at home to ensure I was alright. Then five weeks of excellent results in general and joint relief etc and no site reactions, then they happened much more frequently and much redder and swollen .. raised off the skin a couple of millimetres. They weren't anything like the size of yours, but were the size of a tangerine. About 2 inches diameter. They also hurt like mad and felt on fire ... and also felt as though someone had whacked my leg hard. Nothing at all to do with technique and I did not want to try on my stomach as the thought of that reaction there was something I didn't want. I suppose I would have tried there, had I not been advised to change med. They faded usually but only about after day five or six and as the Enbrel stopped working for me it was sensible to change to something else. I was prescribed 1 per cent hydrocortisone cream to put round all the affected area (not on or immediately next to the puncture!) but nothing to prevent it before hand like an antihsitamine. The cream soothed a little but not potent enough. BTW just because Enbrel stopped working for me and I had site reactions doesn't mean that it the case for everyone. Not at all. I was told milder site reactions can be managed and often the site reactions can disappear after a couple of months. The nurse told me often people don't let the alcohol wipe dry properly before injecting and this can make a sting, but I don't think it is causing the big rashes. Enbrel never stung me/hurt on doing the clickpen. Just the hot firey reaction which came up within the hour. Hope yours calm soon, Grace. x
Scouser, I found the Enbrel clickpens never hurt when giving myself them in the thighs. I didn't even feel it go in when the nurse did it first time for me.
very good, i forgot about that.....
The syringe was much easier and much less painful, I found the pens awful as the needle is much thicker and you can't control the speed you put the needle in. Definintely go for the syringes!
Good luck with it
Mary
My injection site reaction got worse week on week - I always injected in different place - in the end the Rheumy told me to stop. I was creating antibodies so they switched me to Humira. Sudocream definitely helps ease the itchiness and taking antihistamines, but if you are concerned raise this with your Rheumatologist or your nurse. Wish you well.
I must be a cry baby click pen definitely hurts and I can't even click it yet, my neighbour pops in. Have tried arm today so keeping fingers crossed. Thank you again so much for all your replies. Have a great week end. For the last week I am now taking my very fat little dog for a walk every day. It feels good to be mobile again.
Grace, No you are not a cry baby at all (but think I may be a clickpen masochist??!!) No, I am quite OK with that kind of thing usually. I was told the topside of the thigh is best for the clickpens as you can get over it/access more easily and this way you can use two hands on the clickpen .. if you need to ... one to steady and hold round it .. and apply a little pressure and one to click the top. Better for me also as my middle fingers were/are quite swollen and difficult. I found Enbrel's "click" very quiet in comparison with a louder twang from Humira but both went in at the same rate and if I am honest, Enbrel never hurt going in but Humira did for a few seconds, but Humira caused no site probs but Enbrel did. That's how my Biologics Sister showed me/did my first one for me on my thigh anyhow, then a HaH came next week and watched me. She was quite insistent!! .. and then I did it from thereon. I know in a little while you will build confidence to do it yourself. Hugs, Neonkitty 
xx
Not at all, Scouser! ... No pain .. I didn't feel a thing with Enbrel going in .. no pain whatsoever even from the needle. You will be fine with it as I said to Grace .. it is quite a quiet click and very easy to press once you get your confidence up. Are you having HaH come to do your first? I had my first at hospital so I could get started the same day as it was delivered, then the second one HaH came to me and supervised me doing it. Do not worry at all! Good luck! x
They usually co-incide it with a HaH nurse home visit a few days after med delivery (but the hospital wanted me to start on it and have it done immediately as I was in bad shape. ) I was told I was not allowed to do the first one in case I did it wrong, or had any immediate allergic reaction which required medical attention, so that is why the nurse comes, even though the risk is very very small. (She had never seen one on her visits she told me.) That is what happened last May anyhow with HaH. You could always phone HaH and ask them if the nurse has been booked to come to you. Then usually the HaH nurse comes for week two and supervises you doing it. It's easy, promise!
I wasnt given the choice between a pen or injection, just the pen. But reading the above comments i am a bit scared of doing it now 
Still on Enbrel. using frozen picnic slabs still, cover in cloth and put where I'm going to inject for 20 -30 mins before and replace for the same time after injection. No redness at all. If I rush the freezing process, get red and itchy otherwise no reaction at all. Only use my stomach, tried arms once and ended up visiting emergency and legs hurt for me. Lots of squidgy fat on stomach...
