RASHES AND SKIN REACTIONS TO ANTI-TNF AGENTS

The anti-TNF medicines (adalimumab or Humira, infliximab or Remicade and certolizumab or Cimizia) have been highly effective in treating psoriasis as well as inflammatory bowel disease, they can cause a rash that looks just like psoriasis, with red and scaly skin. 

The rash is rare in adults, with only 3% of patients getting it (A Afzali and others, J Crohns and Colitis 2013, pages 480-8), taking an average of 10 ½ years to develop. The rash seems to be more common in children with IBD with as many as 48% having a chronic rash. (T Malkonen and others, Inflamm Bowel Dis 2014, pages 1309-15). Most of these too were on long term, maintenance treatment programs. 

Most are able to stay on their treatment, but some require steroid lotions or skin treatment for their rashes. A few require switching to other anti-TNF medicine or the addition of another medicine to reduce the side effects.