Can Enbril cause central nervous system damage or bring on the onset of MS?

  Im a 28 year old female who has been taking Enbril for Rheumtoid arthritis.  I have been experiencing numbing in the back of my head which lasts for a couple of seconds.  I also know someone who is taking Humira and experiences the same thing.  Is this common?

Mouneera,

Hope I'm not too late to catch you.  I have had some problems that may be related to Enbrel or Humira use.  Yes, there is a possibility that Enbrel can cause the onset of ms.  My main issue was/is a change in vision.  A symptom of ms is optic nueritis -- inflammation of the optic nerve.  I still haven't been diagnosed and the docs actually don't think I have ms, but we're not sure if I can go back on any biologics.  I saw my rhumey, a nuerologist, and then an optic nuerologist to rule this out.  I have had an mri and will have one again in June.  Please see your doctor and discuss this issue with him/her.  I'd be interested to hear what your results are.  Good luck

Diana

Oh Boy! enbrel along with the rest of the dmards do run a rare risk of triggering MS and lymphoma. It's very important to have some insight in yourself with these meds: Is your condition with the drug worth the improvement and worth the risk? or maybe you'de feel more comfortable with trying again with some more aggressive traditional meds? also, these dmards can aggrevate underlying nervous system disorders too. numbness at the back of the head is something i've experienced quite often, it's weird and i can feel it coming on and then it goes away in a couple of seconds...but other times it occurrs when i lose consciousness as well (from partial complex seizures and underlying nerve condition). whatever it may be....don't be afraid to talk to your doc! it's a very good thing to keep track of your body. and to catch something early is great. sometimes all it takes is to go off the current med! tell your doc just to keep an eye on things!
sincerely, erin

hi kelly,
i'm sorry you have to go through this. the chances of developing MS or like symptoms of it was a risk we all take on deciding to go on enbrel. the thing is.....did the enbrel relieve any arthritic symptoms for you, or had you improved at all on it? how long were you taking it for? many MS signs and symptoms are similar to having RA. weakness, fatigue, back of the head numbenss and much more. i would try not to be too scared yet. YOU WERE TRYING TO MAKE YOURSELF BETTER KELLY! you took a step with the enbrel and that you should be proud of! we have to way the risks. if it's of any comfort to you maybe you'll find you have some of the same things i experience: dizziness, passing out, headache sometime, muscle weekness, inability to pass urine easily, bowel changes, difficulty reading (print jumps around) spotty things floating, dropping stuff, numbenss in limbs pins and needles. plus, i'm under watch for lymphoma right now, a type of cancer. but i still take enbrel in hopes of getting some quality of life back.....i do not worry about MS or the lymphoma because it is a choice i made when first decideing to say yes! i want to have enbrel therapy! go for that MRI kelly! itis better to keep track of suspician! you will feel better after the MRI. perhaps another DMARD you will decide to go on again and try to manage the uncomfortable symptoms. one day as it comes kelly, you hang in there girl!
talk to you soon. we are here to lend you our ears always!
sincerely,
erin

Goodmorning Kelly! you know what, i thought of a neat thing that we should all be doing. i know personally too that i forget to tell my doc stuff and symptoms and weird happenings...the last post you wrote was very thorough and precise! PRINT IT OUT and bring it to your next appt! and read it to him or her. it gives a lot of insight on how you're feeling and the order you experienced them and your concerns too! i did it my last appointment and the doc thought it was a great idea because we write here in a stress free environment. i jot down on a piece of paper some significant posts i write, so i don't forget them. all of the things i write here, i sometimes feel that i should be saying them at my appointment! i wish you a lot of good luck and good results. when is your MRI? i should be picking up my results of bloodwork today. Keep in touch.
sincerely,
erin

Kelly, forgive my tardiness in welcoming you to the forum. I am glad that you have found a place that you can find the answers you are looking for. I am glad that Erin has taken you under her caring wing and got you throught the last few days. I hope that you will comtinue to post here. I will be praying for you.
Oreo

Hello Erin,

Don't feel like you are prying at all. If you or anyone else can give me any insight as to whats happening to me..its more than welcome! Ask me anything you think might help. No one in my family has MS. Is it a hereditary thing? I am not a diabetic but, my grandma is. I dont have high blood pressure and I'm not sure what vasculitis is (have to look it up). Oh, and no to the shingles too. Yes, the symptoms aren't as bad as they were so I am hoping it was some weird thing from the Enbrel. I guess if anyone is going to have some weird side effect, it is going to be me. Ive read that nervous system disorders are rare with Enbrel. So lucky me. As for the MRI. I have never had one so I dont know what Im in for. I guess they aren't bad though. I will let you know when it is schedualed. Maybe I will frame it! LOL Im glad I could help with school Talk to you soon and let me know if you have any more ideas. Good Luck with everything!

Kelly

Hi Kelly, when is your MRI? If it has happened did it go well? I've never had one but tight comfined spaces really bother me these days so hope I never need one. Hope all is well with you.
Oreo

Hey All,

Hope you are all doing good! I haven't had the MRI yet. I have an appt with my Doc on the 23rd. She wants to see if I feel better being off the Enbrel. Which I do. Not 100% but better. Im still dizzy quite often so Im not sure if its possible MS or maybe some of the other meds Im taking (prednisone, methotrexate and darvocet). Im kinda scared about the MRI. I hate confined spaces also and I almost dont want to know what it is. I know thats kind of stupid but, its like going to the doctor and having the MRI and discussing the symptoms Im having is acknowledging I have a problem. I know I need to face it. Its just scarey. You know? I am hoping and praying that it is not MS At least with the Arthritis I know what to expect. With MS, it can cause so many different things. Its all just scarey to me and Im trying to keep it together because I dont want to scare my daughter. Writing to you guys helps me alot. So THANKS!! I will let everyone know how Im doing and if anything new pops up I will let you know. TAKE CARE and I will talk to you soon.

Kelly

I would document these and bring to your rheumatologist as soon as possible.  I took enbrel for 3 years and in October came suddenly down with ms like symptoms.  this is so scary - no RA meds for at least a year and the ms like symptoms are horrible!  i would not dismiss this. 

by the way I would not have changed being on enbrel.  It was last ditch (been on everything else approved in Canada so far) and it worked fairly well for the 3 years.  I had no neurological events and no one in family with ms except an aunt which they don't count.  The chances were something like .5% - of course I got that chance.

Don't ignore symptoms though.  I didn't have any symptoms before - this was a very sudden as in instant reaction.

Kelly

Yikes!!!!!! Today I met with my regular doctor and the Eye, Ears, Nose, and Throat specialist. The idea of the immunologist is cancelled because I am not getting anymore infections and am doing much better. I was just given an appointment today to see a nuerologist April 3 to make sure I don't have MS. My doctor today says that he doesn't like it because I am dropping things and have these shock feelings in my hands and feet and this dull numb head. The dull numb head sometimes feels like a band going around it. I have had this for years. It seems when I am low on calcium this is worse. I just wonder is all this part of the RA. I had these before I took the one Humira injection that I had the reaction to. I had this when I was just on the methotrexate alone. I have never taken Embrel or any of the other biologic drugs. Actually, these symptoms are better now than they were some couple of months ago. Today I was shocked. I never dreamed of having MS. I can feel for you all. I hope everyone tests out okay. I did notice that the humira brochure said that it can aggravate already present neurological diseases. I couldn't see any mention of MS, but I guess that would be one of them. I saw also where it could produce Lupus like symptoms. I really thought my doctor was being extravagant to send me to the neurologist, but I guess not. Mannnnn I just thought I was being fleeced. I hope none of us have it. Maybe these RA symptoms are so akin to MS symptoms that the doctors just need to rule out the MS. Please post to let us know how you come out. But to answer Moaneera's question, yes, I have experienced that since I had RA even before I was diagnosed. Maybe we have RA in our head bones :) hahhah.... and I am not sure that is the same as my skull. hahhaand some of these strange muscle problems associated with it all. I know I have the gravel neck so bad. No wonder my head is numb. Does anyone else have the "gravel" neck -- when the neck is turned a bit it sounds like gravel rolling around. I am just thinking positive and laughing, but I am scared, too. :))

Hey un-pierrot, have you told your rheumy about this? Sounds like you need to be switched to a different biologic, please let us know how you are doing.

I have heard the majority of the time they do... how long have you been on Enbrel? When did you stop taking it? Please keep us updated... thinking of you.. Duck