Bad itch on Embrel

[AbbieJ55]

I have always been prone to occasional itching dry skin , over the the last couple of weeks been driven mad with a all over itch , eyes nose scalp legs ....everywhere . Worse at night , is it due to the embrel injections .? Been on it since March and helping me . .otherwise .

[popsmith1874]

I would make an appointment with gp maybe you need a antihistamine or phone rheumy

[Hidden]

Sorry to hear you are suffering I have been on Enbrel for 7 years and have never had a problem though one of the side effects of my condition (Ankylosing Spodylitis) is psoriasis I have not noticed this getting worse due to my injections. It would be worth talking to your doctor or rheumy nurse to find out if you are having side effects and get an appropriate treatment. I hope you get it sorted and do not have to give up Enbrel if it is having the same effect on you as it does on me I still have to pinch myself when I look at myself today compared to when I started my Enbrel treatment.

Good luck

[Mandalou]

Hi Abbie

What else are you on out of interest?

I'm on Enbrel but also Hydroxychloroquine and its this that gives me the itch you describe, not the Enbrel.

I take up to 50mg daily of Certrazine hydrochloride ( Benadryl) prescribed through the GP in 10 mg doses. If I take them before the itch gets hold then it keeps it at bay.

I was being driven to distraction by the itch and my GP told me its nature of one minute arms, one minute nose next forehead etc was typical of drug allergy.

Had an emergency appointment with my Rheumy nurse who said antihistamines were the way to go.

Annoying to have to add more drugs to the mix but keeps this awful itch at bay.

Good luck to you.

Mx

[AbbieJ55 in reply to Mandalou]

Had Rhemy appointment yesterday .Thank you for your reply . I was taken Hydrox......too but stopped it as I had such good respond to Embrel . The doc said coming off the Hydrox .....caused my itch !!! . Still got it . Worse at night . He now wants me to start taken it again . ..will try the Benadyrl x

[Leonwp]

Great sympathy. When i had it i had the strangest itches etc going on, the itch came on very suddenly and raced around with me chasing it to the point that i was almost demented, as soon as i scratched in one spot it would instantly appear somewhere different, scratch there and it moved again, then again, for 90 minutes i played that game and then it just stopped dead, i think it happened 3 or 4 times over 2 days and it was after the second dose. It wasnt at all funny at the time but i would love to have seen a film of me scratching away like a demented chimp. Well when it went it never came back, but it was followed by raised red blotches, dry skin patches and bumps almost like goose pimples. None of them lasted and my rheumy nurse just waived her hand at me like " least of your problems". But it was aggravating and annoying at the time so i do sympathise and hope it goes away soon for you.

[AbbieJ55 in reply to Leonwp]

You made me laugh out loud ...thanks . You have described my itch to a tee . The Embrel injections have changed my life so going to stick it out .....

[Leonwp in reply to AbbieJ55]

Im so pleased to hear that, it is so important that if u find something that works u give it ur best shot and if there are minuses u have to weigh them up against the benefits, grab those positives and wring the hell out of them, there are so many damned negatives around this disease, even more so are the negatives that are caused by those negatives, those things spread roots like japanese knot weed, if we allow them to. We have to fight this disease while trying to be kind to ourselves, but more than anything else we have to be sure we dont fight ourselves while we are doing it. Its a very fine balance.

[wiliby]

Yes!! You all described my it itch!!! Driving me nuts 😬 as I type it's flitting around... (I'm enbrel and Leflunomide) glad to know it's not a 'serious' side affect 😂

[AbbieJ55 in reply to wiliby]

Thank you for your reply . Irs reassuring to know others get it too . Good luck .