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Humira or Cimzia?

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 7/23/2012 8:30 PM (GMT 0)
Well I called my doc with my concerns about remicade not really doing jack-crap and so I go in Wednesday to discuss other options (humira or cimzia). I know they are both essentially the same thing, just that cimzia is given at a longer interval, so does it really matter which one I choose? Is one better than the other?

How about traveling with it - Will I be able to travel with the pens?
Posted 7/24/2012 2:26 AM (GMT 0)
Honestly?

I've no idea. I've never looked into Cimzia, so I know very little about it as the third anti-TNF. I don't think it's even available for Crohn's in the UK.

You're most welcome... >_>

*twenty minutes later* Okay, I felt guilty enough to google :-/ ... Did not find out a great deal, tbh. There seems to be no direct comparisons to other anti-TNFs available, but I think you can take it for read that Cimiza has similar efficacy to Remicade and Humira. You only need to take Cimzia once every 4 weeks, after the initial loading doses, as opposed to every 2 weeks with Humira. I can't see any other obvious advantage of choosing Cimzia over Humira, so you literally might as well go 'eenie-meenie-minie-moe-catch-a-monkey-by-the-toe' and pick one that way.

Once again, you're most welcome :p

EDIT: Oh my days. You already mentioned the single, solitary advantage that I mentioned. Just forget this post ever existed, all right...? <_<
Posted 7/24/2012 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
I did Remicade, then Humira and now Cimzia. They are all about the same, guess it just depends on the person. the Cimzia is 2 prefilled syringes every month. Dont think they come in pens like Humira but it does not sting like Humira either so not a big deal.

Good Luck with whatever you try

Deb
Posted 7/30/2012 7:07 PM (GMT 0)
Like porkysgal I've done Remicade, Humira and now taking Cimzia. From what I can tell, they like you to try them in that order. Humira didn't work for me, but it has worked great for others. I didn't like that Humira stings when you inject it, but it's also good that it's in a pen so you never have to see the actual needle. The sting is pretty short-lived though, and an ice pack afterwards can really help. It also injects it for you, so it takes out some of the guesswork. However with Cimzia it used to bother me that I had to see the needle and inject myself. I'm used to it now, and it's nice that it doesn't sting although sometimes I still try to go slow if I accidentally picked a sensitive area.

Both Humira and Cimzia offer copay cards to help with the cost. There are restrictions to both programs, but it's worth looking into it.

It really comes down to whatever works for you. Good luck finding one that works!
Posted 7/31/2012 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
I have tried both. I was on Humira for about a year then it no longer worked so I was prescribed Cimzia. I took Cimzia for 2 to 3 years till it became ineffective so I substituted natural remedies in its place but a few months ago I had a very bad flare thanks to some oral medication for high Cholesterol so I tried Cimzia again and it is working again. Of the two, I preferred Cimzia because it stings less and works better for me although I dont have any complaints with the Humira. I give myself the shot with the prefilled syringe because I do not like the pens.

Good luck with which ever one you choose!
Posted 7/31/2012 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
I've been on Cimzia for almost 2 years now and it's worked well for me. Also, as evergreen 123 said above, they have a co-pay program (http://cimzia.com/savings/). I get my cimzia for free.
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