Etanercept - your results?

[GavinW]

Hi Everybody,

I'm quite new to this websites but have found it very useful reading your experiences with psoriasis and treatments. I have been tackling this for 10 years (I'm 26) and have tried pretty much everything! I have now been prescribed biological treatment and Etanercept to start with. This post is just to get an idea on what I need to expect to manage my expectations. I am really hoping that this works and does clear my P, but wanted to try to find out what experiences anyone has had with this so far. Any info/experiences would be greatly appreciated! 

G

[Matilda]

Hello - also new to the forum (it is so useful).  I was on Humira for psa, it cleared up the arthritis, and the bits of plaque psoriasis I had - brilliant for 12 months, but then I developed ppp, as a result of the humira sadly.  I am waiting to start entenercept.  A friend who also has psa has been in entenercept for 2 years, with very good results. The biologic treatments are scary in terms of possible side effects, and I have been unlucky with developing what I'm told is a very rare side effect to humira - but honestly, it really did give me a quality of life I'd been missing for some years.  So, good luck with the entenercept - hope it does the trick for you

[PNOKC]

I, too, and new to the forum. I have had P for at least 25 years (Guttate). I had a recent bout of Strep that flared me like never before. I never used any medication, just got lots of sunlight, but with this flare, the itching, burning, and overal body coverage is just too much. I am on MTX, steroid cream and tanning right now, and it's working good, but the doctor wants me to go on Enbrel, so that's the next step. I have already been approved, just waiting to do the TB test and lab work. I am also worried about the side-effects (as I'm sure most are). Kinda just hoping my immune system dies down and things can go back to normal, but only time will tell.

[Matilda]

Good luck with the treatment.  i managed the arthritis and psoriasis for almost 20 years without meds, then the arthritis branched out into inflammatory eye disease and after that more significant joint problems, hence I went onto methotrexate.  I've been taking it for over 15 years now, and though I have the occasional chest infection, generally it works well with no ill effects.  It's a tough decision to use the strong medications isn't it, but becomes a quality of life issue for many of us.