HUMIRA Side Effects

Hi BADDAY! Sorry to hear that... My body actually tolaretes HUMIRA prety well, I don't have any side effects as of now, hope it will stay like that.. we'll see.

16kg - that's a lot.. I hope you will feel better soon!!! And hopefully someone more experienced will be able to answer your questions..

Are you originlaly from Europe ??(just noticed kg in your post )

Take care and all the best to you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried Humeria, Remicade, Symponi and I have graduated to Orencia (pardon any misspelling). I never had any side effects from any of them. When I was on them however, I was only taking them and Salsalate (along with my regular pain medication and muscle relaxers). At one time, my Dr. put me on Hydrochloroquinine (sp?), Metholtrexate (10mg tablets), and Prednisone (up to 25mg daily). I know that when I was on all those pills together (plus the shots or IV treatment), I didn't feel very good. I know that I gain a huge amount of weight, which was upsetting in itself. AND I know that when I finally put my foot down and said I had enough, so I started backing off all of it. Starting with the Hydrochloroquinine, and the Metholtrexate, that I felt better. I then backed off on the Prednisone (which was harder because I hurt more often), but that once I began losing the weight I had put on while taking the Prednisone (a struggle but one that felt so good once I started getting on the other side of -- also I admit it was nice to have some control over something even if just my diet)...After about 3 mths I was doing well (until I hit a huge let's get the freaking cold/flu snag, which threw me back into the dark ages and having to take large quanities of Prednisone again since I was unable to take my I.V. treatment for 2-3 mths..fun stuff, NOT!).

I don't know if anyone has had good results with the Hydrochloroquinine (yes I know it's a Mylaria drug) or the Metholtrexate (sp?), but to me, it seemed that while I was on both of those meds, I had an even worse time of things with regard to my catching colds. I just spoke to someone from a distance or blinked at a person and next thing I knew I had a cold. *shrugs*..

I wish you all the best and that you not only have "good days" but are able to live life to the fullest, smile and be happy on a daily basis.

I'd talk to your rheumy about when to start, some of your symptoms could be from the RA being left untreated.
I know I had a bad reaction to remicade and had to wait 4 weeks before starting orencia, there will be some sort of time limit to get the humira out of your system. A half life or whatever they call it.
Ask your rheumy.
Best wishes, golitho

Hi WearyRAsufferer (good name) i feel same way why put self at risk for no reason,Hubby says do i want to be in pain or Dead! well if i had my way id say Neither, the Cimzia is just Too New to have gathered all Data yet i feel as if i'd be experimenting, and trully just Too tired to fight off any adverse reactions,Came out of Hospital from having Colonoscopy & gastroscopy only to get a Huge Cold Sore seems even seemingly Small things tip me over now,still waiting on results of Biopsy's they took. I Know i told Rhumy i'd Try it but keep getting Bad feeling when i Look at Cimzia Box in Fridge -

Hi Bad,

I was scared to use MTX when I was first dx'd but I was so ill and in so much pain I had no choice. They make you read all those scary possible side effects yet truthfully MTX has been around for 25 or more years and is successful for most people and few get the serious side effects...
My doctor started pushing Humira right away because I was so bad. But a daily megadose of prednisone daily got me right again and I was too scared to self inject and I thought it hadn't been around long enough. Also the possible side effects of lymphoma or lung cancer scared me because I have a family history of cancer.
I tapered off the prednisone (took 1 1/2 years) Although I was a lot better the daily "bearable pain" was on my nerves. I decided to try the Humira- it had been around 10 years by then- I just want to feel pre RA so badly.
Like I said- it didn't do much. I think my hands felt slightly better and that's it. Bah! I hate self injecting and I don't need the extra toxins for so little improvement.
I have no interest in trying anything else at this time. I was thinking of Orencia but I couldn't get a clear cut answer of how much my insurance was going to pay for it and it's expensive.
I've just come to accept how I feel. I am fully functional and I have a lot to be grateful for. So many of us have unbearable pain despite taking many toxic drugs.

Bad- How many mgs of MTX and Pred are you on?

Do you know with RA because our immune system is compromised we have a slightly higher than average chance of developing certain cancers anyway? Plus on the biologicals the percentage chance increase is really small. My doctor told me its quality of life over risk. If you do go for the cimzia then make sure you get your breast mammograms every year. I have mammograms, bone density scans yearly now because of the prednisone and humira that I am on.
Humira has given me my life back, its well worth the risk to be this much better.
Some times you just have to take that chance, if it doesn't work at least you've tried. I use to be scared of the meds but now with the symptoms that much worse, its give me anything!!!
Its a horrible disease but being an ostrich will not make it go away! I wish it would. I tried denial and ended up in hospital. If its affecting your life that much don't let it take control of you, get out there get armed with information about all these meds, ask your rheumy, do your research online, then take an informed choice.
My GP was a huge help interpreting data for me and taking away the fear factor. Remember the drug companies have o mention any side effect by law, so you have to look at the percentage of people who get that side effect for it to really mean something significant.
Anywa sorry to rabbit on, I just feel you shouldn't be guided by fear, find out more about it. Talk to your rheumy, best wishes, golitho

it got so as i'd take the MTX on Wednesday night then by 4am Thursday i'd be Throwing upthen by time i started to feel bit better it was Tuesday and i'd be taking it again next day,also part of my aprehension to Cimzia is i May have Lupus and this could effect the Rhumy Drugs so holding off to try to get a Definite answer,in myself i feel i do have it too many things fit, and yes i have a resonably high Rhumatoid Factor was 160 now down to around the 30-50 i seem to be treading water going from cardiologists to Rhumys to GPs to Surgens each with a Diffrent side,i had Biopsys done 2 weeks ago they should have been back last friday still not back yet this was via  Endoscopy & colonoscopy as i had anemia and positive Fecal test like they do for bowel cancer etc. all this occured after the time on Humira. didn't think about injections of MTX will talk to Rhumy about it.