etanercept and depression/low self esteem

mandyb

Hi. My daughter, who is 17 has been back on etanercept since april 2011 and since then she has become depressed with very low self esteem and has become very anxious. When she was on the etanercept before this was also a problem but not as extreme as this time. I realise that lots of teenagers have anxiety/confidence problems but this seems so extreme we are wondering if it is a side effect of the medication as it came in with a bang when she started it. I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this? and if so did they or their child come off the medication? And also could it be that the teenage hormones are affecting the way it works? Also has anyone tried Adalimumab/Humira and had any similar problems as don't want to jump from frying pan ino the fire! Thanks for ANY advice form anyone. M

tillytop

Hello Mandyb.

I am so sorry that your daughter is stuggling. It must be very hard to live with arthritis at such a young age.

In terms of whether the depression and low self-esteem are related to the etanercept - it does sound possible given that this is the second time it has happened and, although I have not had etanercept I know from my own experience with other drugs that everybody is affected in a different way and, even if something is not listed as a side effect, it doesn't mean it isn't (if that makes sense).

You mention Humira as a possible alternative for your daughter and you might be encouraged to know that, when I was changing from Humira to another drug, the consultant explained to me that the anti-tnfs don't all work in the same way so, just because someone has a problem with one, doesn't mean they will have the same problem with another anti-tnf. And I'm guessing that your daughter's etanercept injection is weekly but Humira is, usually, just once a fortnight so might be easier for your daughter to manage.

I would definitely suggest contacting the rheumatology nurse for some advice on this - and I really do hope that your daughter feels brighter soon.

Tilly xxx

mandyb

Thankyou so much. We have chatted to the nurse who is going to speak to her consultant for us. I just really want my lovely daughter to be feeling herself and be happy again! It's so difficult when weighing up what to do, i'm always so scared of making a wrong decision and don't always know where to turn or who to ask. M

frogmorton

Hi Mandy

Tilly's reply really was helpful there.

I was redaing your post and feeling really upset as l have three teenage girls. The eldest two are 16 and l could imagine how helpless you as a Mum must feel seeing your daughter change like that.

My youngest is nearly 14 and she is on medication for epilepsy....this has thinned her hair out ( SHe is aware - no-one else is) and she went through a phase of not eating (because she was so very 'down'. She ended up seeing the hospital psycholigist as she lost over a stone in weight. It helped.

I hope your daughter is given some choices now and that some of them help her.

Love and hugs

Toni xx

dreamdaisy

Hello Mandy, your poor girl and poor you too, this is indeed a worrying time. Meds such as enbrel etc are very powerful and they can cause all kinds of unwanted and untoward effects, as does the disease for which they are prescribed. I find managing arthritis in my older years (I am 52) a tough ride - I am currently taking anti-depressants to get me through a low patch - but it must be so hard for a much younger person. Is her consultant aware of how low she is feeling? This depression could have more than one cause and I hope that she soon starts to feel better - oh, and you too. I wish you both well. DD