Humira

No side effects! Other than the stinging during injection. I used it for arthritis and moved on to Simponi once it was approved, mostly due to it being a monthly ijection and the stinging from Humira (no stinging with Simponi).

I used the syringe instead of the pen, so I could control the injection rate. The pen delivers it at a set rate and you can't stop or slow it if it is stinging. I also had less stining in the abdomen compared to the thigh. I let it sit for 40-60 minutes before injecting. Icin the site didn't seem to matter much.

Jan

Hi Jan Thanks for your reply. Had the first 4 needles of Humira on Fri. so far no side effects did not sting too bad they where not pens so that may be why. I was told if it is going to help it will probably be within the first 4 weeks another 2 doses on the 23rd then I'll try cutting back on the pred. and see what happens would like to get off it soon or will have to borrow my husbands razor and start shaving. Shawne

Hi Shawne & Jan,
Dr. Shen is going to begin Humira with me soon. I was wondering some of the same things. I see where you said you got 4 needles on Friday....is that the normal dosage? All at once like that & then repeat again in so many weeks? Just have no info back from Dr. Shen on how this works.....thanks!

I received 4 injections at one time and in two weeks will have another two this is the loading injections after this it is one every two weeks. You give these to yourself. This is for Crohn's I believe it is different for other auto-immune problems you can get all the info on the web site of the drug company. Good luck!!!

I did notice one side effect- Wild mood swings- as a male who does not often display his emotions- I found myself angry at people for no reason other than I found them suddenly annoying. Then the anger would go away as quickly as it arrived. I had not experienced anything before and anything since I had been on Humira.

The only thing Humira really did for me was help me transition off Remicaid which was no longer working and get me to my surgery date with low symptoms of my UC.

Loading doses are typical for Crohn's. I didn't have them for my arthritis treatment. But, I wound up needing weekly doses of Humira while on it. My rheumy said that people with IBD tend to need more frequent dosing than the straight arthritis folks.

That was why I switched to Simponi, and monthly injections.

Jan

I have had a wonderful response to Humira.

The typical "loading" (initial) dose is 4 injections one day and then an additional 2 injections two weeks later. I saw results within the first few weeks.

The injection does sting, but not enough to outweigh the benefits from the treatment. And the sting is over within minutes.

In order to control my Crohns, RA and AS, I do weekly injections.

I haven't found any side effects except for some fatigue the day of and after the injection. But I had that with Remicade and it was far worse. I have been using Humira for five months and it has allowed me to gain 15 pounds (which I desperately needed) and live a life that I never thought I would. I am working full time as a lawyer and there are days that I forget about my Crohns, which if anyone had said would happen in the last 10 years, I would have thought them to be crazy!

Good luck!!