Tips

Before beginning Enbrel treatment, make sure you have read the Enbrel Medication Guide. Before treatment, ask any questions you may have.

You can administer Enbrel yourself if your healthcare provider has shown you how to do so and you are comfortable doing so. Remove Enbrel from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before using it. This will make the injection more bearable. Warming it up in the microwave or with hot water will destroy the medicine. The Enbrel injection should not be shaken.

Enbrel should only be injected into the outer area of your upper arm (if somebody else is administering it to you), your thigh, or your stomach (apart from the 2 inch [5 cm] area surrounding your belly button) . Use soap and water to wash your hands.

Through the viewing window on your Enbrel autoinjector, check the injection status. The interior liquid should appear transparent and colorless. The medication may contain a few tiny white flecks. If the medication is foggy, discolored, or contains big particles, do not use it. Additionally, make sure to look at the autoinjector's expiration date, which is printed on the side.

Pick a place to inject yourself, then clean it with an alcohol wipe. Dry it out. Use caution when applying to skin that is rashes, bruised, broken, covered in psoriatic lesions, or discolored. Straighten up the Enbrel autoinjector cap and remove it. The drug may dry out if the cap is left off for longer than five minutes. Stretch the skin out with your fingers or pinch it up to create a solid surface at the injection site. Put the autoinjector at a 90-degree angle (straight up and down) on the injection site of your choice. Hold down the Enbrel autoinjector while applying firm pressure. Press the purple start button once you're ready to inject. The needle will be inserted and the injection will begin. A clicking sound will be heard. When the injection is complete, hold the autoinjector firmly down until the clicking sound stops and the viewing window changes from clear to yellow. You might hear another click. If the window does not change color, contact your doctor. Put your autoinjector and cap in an approved sharps container. Do not replace the autoinjector's cap. Each SureClick autoinjector is administered only once. After starting the injection, the status button on the AutoTouch reusable injector flashes green and then turns off.

People have reported stinging for up to 20 seconds after taking Enbrel. Allow the alcohol to evaporate off the injection site after cleaning it with an alcohol swab so that your skin is dry before administering Enbrel. Ice applied to the area before and after administration may also help reduce stinging. In general, injecting into the stomach is less painful than injecting into the thigh. To prevent scar tissue buildup, rotate injection sites. Allowing a family member or friend to administer the shots instead can help reduce the anticipation, making the procedure less painful.

If you encounter any of the following symptoms, which could mean you have an infection, let your doctor know right away: Coughing, diarrhea, fever, sweats, chills, muscular pains, shortness of breath, stomach pain, fatigue, warm, painful, or red skin, or sores on your body; or weight loss. Burning when you urinate or urinating more frequently than usual.

If you experience an allergic reaction after taking Enbrel, seek immediate medical attention (symptoms include anaphylaxis or urticaria). Latex is present in the needle cover of the prefilled syringe, the cover within the white cap of the SureClick, and the purple cap within the Enbrel mini cartridge.

If you have a cold, you can take Enbrel (etanercept), but you should notify your doctor because he or she may want to monitor your health while your cold symptoms are present, as you are at a higher risk of developing a more serious infection because you are taking Enbrel.

Until it is time to administer Enbrel, it should be kept in the refrigerator at a temperature of 36°F to 46°F (2°C to 8°C). Enbrel can be stored at room temperature for up to 14 days as long as it is shielded from light and is not heated. Do not re-refrigerate Enbrel after taking it out of the fridge for more than 15 minutes. After 14 days of being out of the fridge, Enbrel should be thrown away if not used. Always verify the expiration date and never provide expired Enbrel. Avoid freezing Enbrel.

Inform your doctor right away if you develop any new medical conditions (such as heart failure or autoimmune disorders) or if your current condition worsens.

It is unknown how Enbrel affects a developing baby, but your doctor may recommend it if the benefits outweigh the risks. If you become pregnant while taking Enbrel, notify your doctor right away.

Enbrel should not be stored in extreme temperatures, such as the glove box or trunk of a car.