Enbrel May Have Dangerous Side Effects

Chronic back pain is a debilitating condition that millions of people suffer from every day.  Pharmaceutical companies also realize this, and try to create and market drugs that will best meet the pain relief needs of these people.  Often, these drugs pass FDA approval and continue on to help people manage their pain needs. Other times, these drugs can turn out to have significant and possibly dangerous side effects.

Enbrel, a new back pain prescription drug, may fall into the latter category.  According to a recent story by CBS News, a recent study was conducted by Johns Hopkins University testing the effectiveness of this drug for sciatica pain. This particular drug is an anti-inflammatory medication that is delivered through injection.  Using 84 adult participants, this study showed that this drug did not significantly reduce pain symptoms, and in some cases, even led to increased feelings of disability. Some subjects who were given steroid injections instead found them to be more effective.  This is disappointing because Enbrel was created to reduce the risk associated with taking steroid medications.


Chronic pain is a serious and life-altering diagnosis.  If you have been having trouble with consistent pain lasting over six months, it might be time to consult with a doctor.  If this pain was caused by an accident due to the fault of another, it may also be time to consult with an attorney.   If you would like more information about this page or central Pennsylvania attorney Doug Stoehr's areas of practice, contact our Altoona, Pennsylvania, law firm by calling 814-946-4100.