COVID Question

[RgRn]

Can anyone tell me I am injecting with Etanercept for RA and have been offered a COVID jab do I have to come off it for so long like I do for the flu jab ? And also which jab am I supposed to have ?

[helixhelix]

The most important things is that it is entirely safe to take your drugs alongside the vaccine. All the authorities have confirmed that they are all safe for us, with the only footnote being the timing of Rituximab infusions.

After that it is quite individual. We have different levels of disease activity, different overall health issues and so on,

So always better to check with your own team about pausing drugs, although I think some surgeries are less helpful than others. My GP knows nothing much about the RA drugs and treatments.

I trust my rheumy and so I trust her when she told me it would be be better for me to miss a week as it might help me mount a better immune response. She knows I am stable, and this is unlikely to cause me to flare. So that is what I did (I am on Etanercept and MTX). Others will be different.

[allanah]

I agree with helix , and you can check out the advice on nras.org.uk on vaccinations too.

[Deniseelk]

I would suggest you talk to your Rheumatologist team as they are best placed to advise knowing your personal medical situation. Nobody has a choice of which vaccine we receive and the way I look at it is when we are offered one, take it as it’s protection. I am on Benepali and was given the Oxford AZ vaccine last week. Infact, it was on the same day I was due to inject Benepali and , by my choice, decided to do so as normal. You must feel happy in the choices you make. When is your vaccine appointment for?

[RgRn in reply to Deniseelk]

Saturday morning

[Deniseelk in reply to RgRn]

Ok, so you have time to check out any concerns with your Rheumy team. JVT has been excellent also in answering many concerns about the general vaccines and I am sure someone else on this site can guide you to a link of any recent interviews. I hope you get guidance and confidence on your choice to vaccinate. The future can only feel a little clearer for us all and allow us to live a little more “ normally “ in the not too distant future.

[RgRn in reply to Deniseelk]

Thank you I will phone my Rheumy nurse tomorrow

[Mandalou]

Hi RgRn,I’ve just had my second Pfizer jab last Monday and I withheld my Benepali on Saturday.

I looked at how the vaccine works and what the Anti TNF in the Biosimilar does together with my last blood tests and my general state of health/disease activity. I’m 53. ( I was in group 2 for Covid 19 vaccine through having worked with the NHS)

Will take my jab as normal this coming Saturday.

Hope your Rheumy nurses get back to you and good luck with your vaccine. 👍🏼

Mx

[Denise64 in reply to Mandalou]

Hi Just reading your message, and how the vaccine works with biological drugs, I'm on Benapali, do you know just how it does with a tnf blocker .I've tried researching it ,cant come to any conclusions xxx

[Mandalou in reply to Denise64]

Hi Denise,

Disclaimer ( not advice , just personal experience)

It’s very tricky isn’t it and a minefield of information to absorb. In my layman’s opinion my reasoning is as basic as allowing my immune system to perk up slightly , not be as dampened ( I did this following experience of having had Covid 19 in March 2020, where my Consultant said don’t take my Benepali for two weeks )

Then in my mind , my body would have a slightly better chance of launching an immune response to the spike proteins created by the body in answer to the vaccines messenger RNA.

There is of course much new information out there that actually suggests Anti TNF therapy might actually be beneficial in a Covid 19 patient.

Helping to prevent the Cytokine storm of inflammation that severe Covid patients can experience.

However for me personally I wanted the vaccine to be as effective as possible so to facilitate this I decided not to take my regular injection immediately prior to getting my 2nd dose of vaccine.

I’m in medically induced remission and my CRP levels don’t increase rapidly ( or havnt when I’ve had operations or chest infections etc in the past and been told to withold)

So I knew I wasn’t taking a huge risk of flaring.

The above is something I decided for myself and do not recommend anyone to do similar decisions must be made by taking professional advice from their personal medical team.

Please, please ALWAYS talk through your concerns with your Rheumatologist or Rheumatology nurses.

All the best.

M x

[Denise64 in reply to Mandalou]

Thank you I take my benapali on a Sunday usually but I the Sunday after the vaccine i felt very yukky so rang Rheumatologist nurse she says to do it as soon as I feel a bit better. So did it on Thursday this week.That went ok

I know it's only coincidence as you cant blame everything on side effects of vaccine ,but my acid reflux is through the roof n definitely worse since i had it.

N I've not drank or had spicy food or my Celebrex.

But hey ho..

Xxxx

[hemsworth]

I had this problem 2 weeks ago. Was due to have the vaccination the same day as benepali (etanercept). Sent a note to the surgery where they checked it out and gave me the all clear to have the vaccination. Had it on 30/01 and no effects at all. Please do not worry.

[stubbs1958]

I didn't come off mine, I had the Oxford vaccine a week ago no problems.

[Fra22-57]

Never missed my biologic.wasn’t advised to do so .only had some arm pain for a couple of days after vaccine.

[Feank]

Morning. I take etanercept too, had the vaccine, Oxford astra one yesterday! No problem whatsoever. The team at the vaccination centre talk you through the whole process and drugs you are on and know everything about them. I really was impressed with it all. ..I had also asked my gp who also said just get it done! Good luck.

[Paula-C in reply to Feank]

I had mine last week at my local hospital, they never asked anything about what drugs I'm on. I was asked by a nurse if I was staff, I said no I've got RA and classed as CEV due to my drugs I'm immune suppressed, but still no question asked.

[polltax in reply to Paula-C]

I had oxford vaccine last week with no problems. I inject benepali and was told to inject as normal by my rheamy nurse 😀

[allanah]

The message on my rheumy helpline is "continue with your RA meds, have your covid vaccine when invited. Only exception to this is patients receiving Rituximab, would those patients leave a message x "

[hatshepsut]

I had the astra zenecka jab on Monday. Was due to take my biologic the day before, andMTX on the day. I have missed the both. Just seems common sense to me not to take something to suppress my immune system at the same time as something that encourages my immune system to wake up. May well miss my next dose too, as long as I can avoid a flare.

I'm not advising anyone to follow suit, just explaining my actions