Mother with newly diagnosed Crohn's in 30 year old son

I'm really sorry for what your son is going through. It sounds like he has been through soooo much in such a short time.

If he has zero income he should have no problem getting the assistance. When I got it, I spoke with someone on the phone initially to answer questions about income and then monthly someone would call and process the refill and then they would send it by UPS. I don't remember how long between the application and the approval, but I want to say about 2 weeks. I think if it's an emergency they might be able to push it through faster. You might be able to call and ask about that.

Since this is all so new to you, I'd like to throw out there that nutrition can make a huge difference. He might not be able to handle any dietary changes right now, but when he gets a little more stable he might want to check out the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. When I was at my worst I started the diet and within 7 days the blood, bloating, gas, and abdominal cramping subsided. It took a little longer for the diarrhea to stop, but I was able to get stable and avoid surgery. I still took all of my meds, but the diet made up for what the meds couldn't do. I know everyone is different, but many of us have had success with SCD, so I just thought I'd throw that out there for whatever that's worth.

I hope you get approved for the Humira quickly and that he can get on a path to recovery.

Thanks gumby44 and Stef17. I will look into that book on SCD for sure. I gave him The Maker's Diet to read also.

My heart sank when I read the 2 weeks to wait! The nurse told us it could be as soon as this week. I hope he doesn't have to wait that long.

The hospital helped him fill out an application for Obama Care (!) so we will see what that brings. He's not eligible for Medicaid (TNCare in Tennessee) because he has no children in the home.

I am so grateful to have found a place to talk and exchange information and encouragement. Thanks again you guys!

Hi, sorry to hear about your son. I have been on Humira for 4 years now. I started taking it while at my previous employer. Their Rx drug plan wasn't the greatest. After my doctor called the script into my specialty pharmacy, the pharmacy called me. They asked for my shipping information and all. When it came time for payment, the woman said to me "with your drug plan your copay is 350.00. Your copay is 10% for injectables. I said ok figuring that the cost of the drug was 350.00 and my copay would be 35.00. She said "No, your copay is 350.00. The cost of the drug is 3500.00" I immediately told her to cancel the order as I was unable to afford this. The woman then told me that there is a copay assistance program from the manufacturer. She enrolled me on the spot! My copay is 5.00 a month. You can even transfer the assistance from one Rx plan to another. When I started my new job in August 2012, I got the information from my old specialty pharmacy and transferred it to my new one.

I don't see any reason why your son shouldn't get the assistance.

That's great news! Hope it helps him quickly!

Hi mom I recently started Humira through the help program took me a long time to get it, paperwork and Dr's office, phone calls and approval was very stressful. Took over 6mos to get it, now I'm waiting for my first refill it's four days late, I will call today to see what the delay is. Hopeful this doesn't happen to you/him.

My first dose was 4 shots then 2 shots every 2 weeks a total of 8 shots all together so far, now I wait... I've handle it just fine so far. Is it helping, it has help as far as how many times I go to the bathroom a day but now I'm constipated and filled with gas, I guess that's normal after years of going 10-15 times a day to 4-5 times a day you would feel constipated. LOL

I'm on it to help heal a fistula, not sure how long it takes to heal but after 8 weeks it's still there. :-(

Hope your RX arrive soon if your having problems it's possible your Dr's office can help rush things along my problem was the paperwork was not completed correctly and it was sent back to the Dr's office a few times, which was put in a bin to be worked on when they could get to it. Call the help line to see what the hold up is they are very helpful!!

Good luck and best wishes

Hey mama, just an FYI about the Humira - it stings when it's going in. It's not the needle that hurts, but it's the actual medicine. It has a preservative in it that burns/stings. I didn't know that and wasn't prepared for it when I got my first shots. I let out a scream that the neighbors could hear. Lol. Some people say it feels like a bee sting and that it's no big deal, but I'm a wimp and I hated it. So, give your son the heads up. I'm sure he'll say it's worth it to feel better, but it's not your ordinary needle poke.

Update on my son: We did his first round of Humira a week ago today. He seems stable but doesn't feel a whole lot better. However, compared to where he was a month ago, he's doing quite well. Not sure if it was the steroids finally kicking in before the Humira arrived or what, but here we go.

I gave him the first shot and instructed him; he did the next three on his own and did great. No side effects so far. Really proud of him for reading up on the disease and becoming informed. He really wants to do well.

Thanks everybody for your replies and support, will keep you posted!

Hi all, just an update on my son. He's had two doses of Humira so far but is still suffering with pain and now bloating. He thought he may have a blockage and has taken laxatives twice in the past couple of weeks. Still liquid stool too. I told him to stop the laxatives and introduce a small amount of fiber. He's now eating a "regular" diet which is a huge improvement. I do have concerns about his being discouraged...

I read elsewhere on the forum about a young man who took licorice root extract, adrenal glad support supplements and vitamin C with great results. He also smokes marijuana with good results too, but I can't support that in my son, who has a history with addiction (sober for 5 years). Has anyone else heard of the supplements I listed working?

thanks a lot!

Thanks, Octobergirl. But he's not on steroids anymore... not since starting the Humira.