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Humira starts today

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 8/1/2008 3:19 PM (GMT 0)

Ive given in. After a 3 year battle with this disease Ive finally decided to take the biologics. Humira has arrived via UPS. I'm at work now and will do my first injections tonight at 8pm.

I cant say Im real happy about this decesion. Im a Respiratory Therapist that works in large hospital and deal with some of the worst infectious bugs on a daily basis. TB, MRSA, C-diff, pseudonymous, etc. I'm deathly afariad of catching something becoming very ill. Hopefully Humira will bridge me to the next best drug to come along which will have less side effects.

Things Ive tried over the past 3 years

Makers Diet

SCD diet

Asacol

Entocort

Pentasa

LDN

The only things that have improved my CD was the LDN and Cipro/ flagyl combo. and of course the dreaded pred.  LDN worked wonders for the obstructions but I still developed abscesses on the drug. I think there is much promise for LDN and CD I hope the studies are successful.

Any suggestions for my maden voyge with Humira? I have the pen injections.

Posted 8/1/2008 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
good luck and hold that top down for the whole ten seconds. I messed up my first one b/c I got so nervous. My husband now holds the skin and I do the injection. I have barely even bruised! Hope things for work you.

I do understand your concern about being around disease. My mom is going in for another knee replacement and really needs support. However, I'm scared poopless to be in the hospital and rehab place with her. Last round, I had a cold for 4 months which could have all or nothing to do with my repressed immune system having been allergic to the 6 mp.

GOOD LUCK!!
Posted 8/1/2008 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck to you with Humira. I hope you will have wonderful results with this drug. Remember that it takes a while to work, so don't get discouraged if you don't see immediate results.

I worry all the time about catching something bad while on this drug. I thought I had it bad teaching kindergarten students who don't understand that it is not appropriate to sneeze directly in my face! Working around extremely sick people in the hospital every day would also make me nervous. I was so amazed this past week when I did not catch the cold/flu thing that my daughter had. It was like a pesonal success. Silly, I know.

I use the syringes, so I am of not help with the pens. I don't know if your doctor suggests taking benadryl before, but you may want to do that. I take two about an hour before. I still get a red hot bump each time, but nothing worse than that. Plus it helps me sleep. Again good luck!
Posted 8/1/2008 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
How long did it take for Humira to kick in for those of you who have taken it?
Posted 8/1/2008 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
redspot, I'm fairly new to Humira.  I'm not really sure on the first dose I took, but the second one worked with two days and I felt great for about 10 days.  The third dose didn't seem to do anything.  I'll take my forth one tonight, so I hope it works!  I've been doing benedryl all along and had no problems with the first two shots but ended up with a very itchy red whelp the day after the third shot.  Also, I ended up with an URI a few days after starting Humira, but I got those often on Cimzia also.  So, good luck with not getting sick and I hope the Humira works great for you!

Posted 8/1/2008 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
not everyone has as hard of a time as i did with the humira at first, but incase you react the same (pain-wise) i very much suggest icing your stomach with ice packs a good 20 minutes before the injection and if at all possible have someone either pinch your skin for you or give you the first shot (i assume you are doing 4 tonight)

ive hear the syringes are much less painful but the pens, which i have, are fast and painful. i just got my 2nd dose (2 pens) yesterday and i didnt even cry, just yelped a little but i had a doctor do it for me cause im not ready yet to do it myself, im afraid ill pull it away from my skin cause it hurts. the 2nd time was definitely alot easier than the first 4 shots.

but yeah definitely ice before if you can and i would very much recommend the stomach area, i did three out of the four in the stomach because the first i tried in the thigh and it was a nightmare. the doctor things it hurt much worse because in the upper thigh there's more muscle than anything and it's meant to be subcutaneous (in the skin) and the shot in the upper thigh might have penetrated muscle.

also i didnt see any results the first two weeks after the first dose and may have felt a little worse but after yesterday and the 2nd dose im feeling slightly better today, decrease in the D.

please let me know how it goes! good luck!

oh and one more tip, since it's refridgerated meds, leave the shots out at room temp for 20-30 minutes before injecting because it lets the liquid get warmer so it's not as cold and thick!
Posted 8/1/2008 8:33 PM (GMT 0)

I have cave in also.  I get my first shot soon.  I am scared to death.  i might even back out.I am so scared of the side effects. 

Posted 8/1/2008 9:43 PM (GMT 0)
I am into 3 weeks and I notice a big difference. I am not perfect but i know it is working. I get my 4th week shot next Thursday. I felt it right away and I started to see more with the 2nd and 3rd injections. I feel pretty good now. I was nervous now I almost feel free cause I dropped Pentasa, entocort and Imuran from my meds.... those alone were about 14 pills a day. And I have other conditions so I took a handful each morning. I love not having to take my pentasa at lunch. I agree with ice on the area, I ice the area for a long time, 15-30 minutes until my skin feels numb, during that time the med is sitting out warming up. On occasion I will pick it up and see if the outside feels cold. It does hurt but I can take the 10 seconds of pain over taking handfuls of pills each day. I do think some areas hurt more than others so keep rotating. I thought my tummy hurt the worst so far. I got a bruise a couple times and a small red circle but nothing major so far.  I personally felt great when I did my first 4 shots it felt good to get it over with. I thought it was going to be horrible pain but it is not that bad for me. Good Luck and let us know how it goes!!  Karen
Posted 8/2/2008 6:02 AM (GMT 0)
i've been on humira for a year and i can feel it now starting not to work. it's wonderful when it does though. i feel ya about infection though. i am in nursing school and i've been a CNA for 6 years. Just remember don't get any vaccines while you are on it. and keep up on your PPDs.And a mask is wonderful if embarrassing. Humira did allow me to get off pred, the entocort, and then even imuran but y'know crohns. it's a picky disease and one thing only works for so long. time bomb gut is how i think of it. but if it's any help, my dad was diagnosed at 25 has had several fistulas and resections and even the dreaded ileostomy which was reversed and since he turned 50 (he's 58 now) he's been pretty good. he's on only asacol and imuran.

AMANDA

Posted 8/2/2008 6:06 AM (GMT 0)
oh another thing, my GI doc told me last time i went that a patient of her's on remicade had caught legionairre's disease which is a nasty pneumonia-like resp. disease. My doc mentioned it in passing like it was no big deal and here i am doing clincals in the hospital. Doctors really are all about the drugs and take side effects so lightly. like to see hte deal with it and stay sane.

amanda

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