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Grandson starts Humira in the morning - what can he expect to happen?

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Posted 4/24/2009 2:28 AM (GMT 0)
My g'son starts Humira in the morning - 4 injections.  I plan to be there.  What can he expect to happen?  Any advice? 
Posted 4/24/2009 2:51 AM (GMT 0)
It will sting, but I remember the first 4 being the easiest. He may get really tired for the next day but that wears off...this has been my experience anyway. I didn't really see any results until several months after because it takes a little while for it to really enter your system. Best of luck...let us know how it goes. It's nice that you'll be there :)
Posted 4/24/2009 2:57 AM (GMT 0)
LMills: Thank you. That helps. May I ask, are you giving yourself your injections now? Do you use the "pen"?
Posted 4/24/2009 3:18 AM (GMT 0)
It will be very uneventful. A little sting and that's it! Most people take the pens out of th fridge for half an hour.
Posted 4/24/2009 5:48 AM (GMT 0)
yeah  Hi Nana how are you holding up? Its Jenn by the way i'm glad to here that he is finally getting started on his treatment Humira right the 4 shots is a loading dose everyone gets that the first time don't worry he is in the best place in the hospital some people get flu like problems like stomache upset,cramping and of corse the (RUNS) but it only lasts for a few days but this Humira is the only drug for Crohns disease that i didn't get sick from,i get tired for a few days and have a little itching at the site of the injections and i get a bite swollen at the site also that is it though but everyone is differant. The injections them selfs burn for 10 seconds that is it the only way i can explain it is when you get a shot of morphine through the direct line in your IV or in a butterfly it burns its the same feeling for me but the itching the can give him an over the counter antihistime and the burning they could use an ice pac on his legs or belly where ever he is getting his shots that is and it will freeze the skin a little bite so it doesn't sting so bad and the stuff isn't cold when they inject it is taken out of the fridge for about a half an hour prior to the needle (Is He Going To Be Using The Needle Or The Pre-Filled Pen) some people prefer the pen i know i do its easier to handle i think anyways i did the needles with my Methotraxate and infusions with my Remicade but i do my own B-12 shots and my Buscapan shots myself and i was doing my iron cause my line is blocked but i'm getting my new one the end of the month anyway. Good luck to you both Nana let us know how everything went i'll be in the chat room tommmorrow night around 6:30pm eastern time if you want to join your welcome there is not alot of people in there alot i check its this time zone differance i know that right now its 2:48am so i'm going to bed nana good night and good morning. Talik to you soon nana tell your grandson i'm thnking of him and praying for him god bless. Love Jenn smilewinkgrin
Posted 4/24/2009 2:30 PM (GMT 0)
I do give them myself and I have the pen. I am too much of a wimp to use the syringe and control the input myself!
Posted 4/24/2009 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
Hi...I've been on Humira 4 weeks now...I use the pens and have no problems with it...I don't even let them stand to warm up...1 week after the initial 4 shots I had extreme joint pain, in every joint...the joint pan/body aches lasted for almost 3 weeks (on and off)...this is not the norm and my doc sent me to a rheumatologist as he thought it had nothing to do with the humira...I even had all the blood tests done to see if it was arthritis, lupus, etc....all test were negative...as of friday, all the joint pain was gone....my 7th shot was on monday and wednesday I started having the flu like symptoms which lasted just one day...it appears that my body is now adjusting to the med...my point in telling you this is that everyone responds differently and that sometimes you body needs time to adjust to such a powerful med...if he has any problems he should call his doc...I can tell you that even though I had those inital reactions, within a week I was able to stop cipro and wean down to 6mg of entocort...hoping to get off of it soon...your grandson is lucky to have you....I miss my nana...I was 22 when I was diagnosed with UC and she was instrumental in helping me thru it....I hope he is well soon
Posted 4/24/2009 10:36 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all so much for your kind words. My grandson had his 4 injections at noon today and has not had any reaction at all. Yahoo! So far, so good. It is a releif to have him finally get underway with some kind of maintenance medication.

His GI plans to take him totally off the hydrocortisone 100 mgs tomorrow and is planning to wean him off the oxycodone (today he was up to 15mgs of that). So I expect there will be some side effects/withdrawal symptoms from coming off the steroid and narcotic pain meds but hopefully they will be bearable.

I guess the big question is weather the Humira will help to heal the colon and rectal area or weather he will require additional medication, like most of you are on. I'm assuming the pain will not go away untill the swelling and inflammation are dealt with. So I'm thinking he has a ways to go yet before he is out of the woods.

I admire his strength (and all of yours to!) so much, in being able to deal with this "crappy" disease! You are all my heros. God bless you.
Posted 4/25/2009 4:30 AM (GMT 0)
smilewinkgrin   Hi Nana glad to here that your grandson is doing great i thought he would,as for your questions will he go through withdrawl coming of predisone i'm pretty sure there will be no withdrawl but there will be hot flushes and mood swings E.T.C but coming of the Cotin that is alittle harder but there weaning him of slowly so he shouldn't have many withdrawl problems except some sweating,hot-flashes,joint pain,and the feeling of having the flu but if he wasn't on it that long he should have no problems at all i hope he doesn't. It sounds like he is out of the woods now he is on a good immune fighting drug that has helped so many people,i'm one of those people that my body just refuses to go into remmission but so far the Humira has really helped me alot its been almost 4 months now and i feel pretty good except the low iron and blood. Please tell your grandson to keep his head up he will come through this and it will make him stronger for it and you to Nana. Your Friend Jenn turn
Posted 4/25/2009 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jenn: I popped into the chat room yesterday a couple of times (BC time) but no names there that I recognized.
Not much news on my g'son... continuing to do fine with the Humira but its only the 2nd day. Time will tell. He is able to get wireless internet at the end of his hospital ward, so he goes there a couple time a day. He reads all your posts but still does not feel comfortable enough to join in.... perhaps, one day...

His younger bro has expressed concern that he may one day develop what his older bro has and has asked me to help him learn what to "eat" to avoid this disease, if that is possible! We have fun "food and supplement" shopping at any rate. Jenn, I am so blessed & privileged to have these awesome g'sons!
Posted 4/25/2009 8:30 PM (GMT 0)

WorrywartNana said...
Hi Jenn: I popped into the chat room yesterday a couple of times (BC time) but no names there that I recognized.
Not much news on my g'son... continuing to do fine with the Humira but its only the 2nd day. Time will tell. He is able to get wireless internet at the end of his hospital ward, so he goes there a couple time a day. He reads all your posts but still does not feel comfortable enough to join in.... perhaps, one day...

His younger bro has expressed concern that he may one day develop what his older bro has and has asked me to help him learn what to "eat" to avoid this disease, if that is possible! We have fun "food and supplement" shopping at any rate. Jenn, I am so blessed & privileged to have these awesome g'sons!

Hi Nana how are you doing today?Glad to here that your grandson is doing better and when he feels more at ease maybe he will also join us here as for grandson#2 tell him not to worry so much i can see his point everyone worried when i got wondering if it was something they could catch or was it heritary some people have one or more family members with it but not alot its not something you eat at least i don't think so it hasn't been proven yet any how,i bet he just sees his brither going through all of this and worries that maybe there is a chance i might end up the same way but tell him he is fine as long as he is not having any problems with his bowel i wouldn't worry. Good Luck Jenn smilewinkgrin

Posted 4/25/2009 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jenn: We reassure g'son 2 that he is fine! Today we picked up "Organic sunflower seeds" for a snack for him. Let's face it, eating healthy counts.

I was wondering if you have ever looked at the "Beck Protocol" videos. It's very left-wing stuff and certainly has to be taken with a grain of salt (I think.) but it is a different take on healing. This is the link:
http://www.sharinghealth.com/beckprotocol/whatisbp.htm . Just paste that link into your Address bar and click go. You may have already see this.

Also, on the Crohn's Canada website at: http://crohnscanada.myfastforum.org/index.php?sid=c7eee758098f26905aba8a7d907af1e5 , if you click on "Test Forum 1" , you will find a post from David Critchton on "Anti-M.A.P." videos by Dr. Collins. They are very informative. I enjoyed watching them.
Posted 4/25/2009 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Nana! I just want to wish your grandson the very best and tell you I think you are incredible! It is so wonderful that THEY have YOU! wink

On a side note, I have looked into the Beck Protocol in the past; watched a video or two. It does seem a bit "out there"..... There was a person on that crohnscanada site you gave that was trying it a year or so ago. I wonder if it helped him?
Posted 4/25/2009 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks EMom. I will pass your best wishes on to my g'son. I am so glad you son doesn't have to be on all these horrible drugs - the drugs are as big a worry as the disease itself! I think being a Mom or a Grandmom are all of the same! Either way, it hurts to see your own in pain.

I'm still trying to get more info on this Beck Protocol. The only thing that turns me off it, is the statement made by Physicist Robt. Beck, about "garlic and beta carotine" being poisonous? Any herbal/natural health books I've read, praise garlic and beta carotine.

And the videos on the anti-MAP lead me to believe these particular scientists and researchers are saying MAP bacteria is into our entire earth's food chain, not just milk and beef. They claim it is even in our water, foul, birds, domestic and wild animals. Even our fruits and veges??? Interesting concept.... I'm glad Dave Critchton was healed using the 3 antibiotics to kill the MAP bacteria but ..... what is preventing him from being re-infected? I apologize... I am analytical by nature! Any medical breakthoughs interest me, however far-fetching they may be. Look how far "genome" and "stem cell" scientific research has come. You just never know what might work!
Posted 4/27/2009 1:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Nana sorry it took me so long to get back to you i have never heard of this beck before i guess its worth looking into though i'm going check it out when i'm done here responding to my e-mail.Don't give grandson #1 sunflower seeds there really hard on the bowel and you can't digest them i don't think even people with normal digestions can seeds are a big no no.Heathly foods are great for us that is for sure i try to not eat any meat at all just chicken and fish,moose,deer i know those last 2 things on my list are meat but they don;t effect me the same way as beef or pork do beef just about does me in all together. I hope your grandson is doing alot better and the young fellow to? Thanks for the INFO on BECK Nana i will look that up and i'm going to the surgen tommorrow i will also ask him see what he has to say about the whole thing. Talk to ya soon Nana stay well. Your Friend Jenn smilewinkgrin
Posted 4/27/2009 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
My g'son is hanging in there, Jenn. Beef upsets him too. He couldn't take the soy milk so has gone back to 2% milk. How are you doing?
Posted 4/27/2009 4:08 AM (GMT 0)

WorrywartNana said...
My g'son is hanging in there, Jenn. Beef upsets him too. He couldn't take the soy milk so has gone back to 2% milk. How are you doing?

Good evening Nana I'm not doing great had the diarrhea for the past 5 days there is a little blood but I'm not worried about it right now i go see my surgeon tomorrow morning at 9:15am to get my date to go to the operating room to get my new port put in so that will be by the end of April for sure might even do me on Tuesday cause i need it in right away cause i don't have my central any more so i have been missing all my regular MEDS through IV plus my blood transfusions which i get at least once a month depending on my levels and i get mt iron ever Wednesday so I'm late with a lot of them,tomorrow is also Humira day and monthly blood work day and after all that i have to go see my family doctor to get my test results back from my last set of blood work.Lately i had bad diarrhea and bad pain in my lower back that comes from the pain in my belly but all is well that ends well right. Its been so nice getting to know you Nana maybe someday we will cross paths. Tell your grandson best of luck for me and say hi to grandson #2 for me talk to ya tomorrow Nana. Your Friend Jenn smilewinkgrin

Posted 4/27/2009 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, Jenn. You've certainly got a juggling act for the next little while - how on earth do you set your priorities! Everything needs to be attended to, like yesterday..... I hope you have a bunch of loving family members helping you through all this, dear. Post when you go for surgery so I can send positive thought & prayers your way, besides the zillions already heading your direction.

My grandson is just starting out on his CD journey and I pray he is spared some of the trips you've been forced to endure, Jenn. It's my belief that life's journeys builds & molds our character & stamina. And, if my grandson has but a "pinch" of your strength & spirit at the age of 30, he will do just fine in life!

Hugs
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