Enbrel Medication for Rheumatoid Arthritis

Enbrel^® (

etanercept) is a medication commonly used in the treatment of several different kinds of arthritis. For example, ankylosing spondylitis, plaque psoriasis, and rheumatoid arthritis can be treated with Enbrel. It is a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor, which means that this drug blocks the action of the chemical TNF-alpha in the body.

When used for rheumatoid arthritis, Enbrel was shown in clinical studies to improve symptoms of this condition -- often in as little as one or two weeks. Other studies showed that combining it with methotrexate (Rheumatrex^®) improves the medicine's effectiveness. However, this drug is not without possible side effects. Commonly reported ones include reactions at the injection site, infections, and headaches.

(Click Enbrel to learn more about using this medication for rheumatoid arthritis. This article explains the product's effects in detail, lists additional side effects, and explains what to do in cases of overdose.)