Consider Enbrel for Psoriasis Treatment

In viewing hubs over the last few weeks I have noticed numerous google ads for a prescription medicine known as enbrel for the treatment of psoriasis. Because my son, my brother-in-law and my next door neighbor use enbrel, I thought I would let you know what their results have been. And to not keep you guessing, all three have had amazingly wonderful results. Two years ago, my son clicked on a google ad about psoriasis and that one click has changed his outlook on life forever and the lives of my brother-in-law and neighbor, simply because they saw the results that my son had gotten. My son and neighbor both have medium to severe psoriasis. My brother-in-law has ankylosing spondylitis which is a chronic inflammation of the spine and joints located in the lower back, which over time can lead to a complete cementing together (fusion) of the vertebrae, a process referred to as ankylosis. Ankylosis leads to loss of mobility of the spine.

My sister has psoriasis also but chooses to stay with her own treatment for now and that is to go to Florida for 10 days each year to sit in the tropical sun and when home in New England where the sun is not quite strong enough to clear her skin, she goes regularly to the tanning salon for maintenance; quite an expensive treatment I might add.

While most people think of psoriasis as a skin disease because of the lesions found on the skin, that is just the symptom of the underlying problem. Psoriasis is not a disease of the skin, it is a disease of the immune system. In psoriasis, certain immune cells are activated and produce a protein called tumor necrosis factor or (TNF). This protein can cause the skin cell cycle to speed up causing accumulated skin cells to form noncontagious raised red patches of legions on the skin which can be quite painful, itch, crack and bleed. While the itchiness and pain can be unpleasant, some of the worst effects of psoriasis can be emotional. People with severe psoriasis can become so overwhelmed with their condition and self conscious of their appearance that they oftentimes feel isolated and depressed. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, up to seven million people in the U.S. have psoriasis. That is about 2.6% of the U.S. population. Bruce E. Strober, MD, PhD, co-director of the Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Center at New York University, says that "psoriasis has a tremendous impact on quality of life'. Dr. Strober also says that "studies have shown that psoriasis detracts more from quality of life than any other condition except depression -- and that's including life-threatening illnesses such as heart disease and diabetes". Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects men and women equally and across all socio-economic groups. Unfortunately, as of yet, there is no known cure but there are options to improve it such as with enbrel.

Enbrel is a type of protein called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker that blocks the action of a substance your body's immune system makes called TNF. People with an immune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and psoriasis, have too much TNF in their bodies. Enbrel can reduce the amount of TNF in the body to normal levels, helping to treat your disease. It is a self-injected medication and it can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections. You will receive an enbrel information kit as well as consultation with an enbrel representative you will work with you and other members of your family until you can administer this yourself at ease. Also you can check out more here on administering enbrel. Like all medicines, enbrel can have side effects. Serious infections have occurred in people prone to infection, such as those with advanced or poorly controlled diabetes, those who have had Hepatitis B and those who have been treated for heart failure. The many creams that my son was using before starting enbrel also had side effects (Taclonex ointment for one, can have serious side effects including too much calcium in your blood, or adrenal gland problems if you use too much or use it for too long.) Always talk with your doctor first before starting any new medication. Careful medical management and supervision of patients are recommended. My son sees his dermotologist twice a year. Although enbrel is recommended for 18 yrs. and older, my son started using enbrel at 17-1/2 yrs. due to his maturity level and willingness to have injections. This was all his idea in the first place when he clicked on the google ad and pursued enbrel until he won. Also to note, enbrel has 8 years of clinical experience in psoriatic diseases and has been used by over 460,000 patients worldwide. Many patients, including the ones I mentioned above, have seen improvement within 2 months. And I'm almost certain thinking back that my son starting seeing improvements within weeks. To hear from dermatologist Dr. Craig Leonardi, as he describes on video, the science of enbrel and explains how it works; click here. When you come to that website, scroll down a bit until you get to the video.

Make sure you check with your health care provider to see if you are covered. It is not a cheap medicine. Depending on where you do your research and where you get the enbrel from, the price seems to vary. The cheapest I saw was $1600.00 a month for enbrel consisting of 4 prefilled injectable needles. I only pay $30.00 a month for co-payment. Co-payment was $15.00 two years ago. If your insurance plan does not cover enbrel, the insurance specialists at Enliven Services (1-888-4ENBREL) will assist you by helping you overturn unfavorable coverage decisions. Once they determine the reason that your health insurance company is not covering enbrel, they will take the next step to assist you and your doctor in advocating for coverage, such as sample advocacy letters, appeal letters, and letters of medical necessity.

Well, I hope that this may help someone, even if its just one person who is seeking relief from psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or ankylosing spondylitis. If you or anyone else you know uses enbrel, it would be helpful to those seekers if you could leave a comment for them to read. Thank you. Dottie