No options left but Humira.

Well according to my GI, I've been through all the medications so nothing is left but Humira. 

What is the success rate of this medication for crohn's?  I have very big concerns with the side effects, especially now that I am considered an older woman.   I've had CD for about 36 plus years.  I read that older women had a higher risk of getting lymphoma and other malignancies from it among other things?  How can I take this med without walking on egg shells every day? I'm scared if I give in to this medication, my doctor won't understand if I should complain about something and say I need to continue be on it, even if it isn't helping? Remicade made me feel like a truck rode over me and had an affect making my muscles weak which I feel to this very day, even though I went off of it shortly after.   Humira is a similar medication?.

I am waiting for a referral made back to my GI who is not very happy with me, because I refused the Humira last time.   He told me in so many words there was nothing more for me and let me walk out of his office with an inflamed bowel, when he could have prescribed a short course of prednisone, but he won't use prednisone as a treatment any longer.   I honestly don't know why I'm even going to this appointment since we have butted heads on Humira?? I don't know what more to say to him, and on the other hand I am holding on to a prayer because I do need help?  What is he going to do with me if the Humira doesn't work, dump me?  Guess in a way I do have to be grateful to him because he treated me for the last 30+ years and he ran out of options,  maybe I'm angry at that, and not so much at him? 

How long does it take for Humira to improve crohn's disease?

 

The way I read this you need a new consultant. It's your body, sadly your disease ... Who is he to be not happy with you. None of the drugs are good for us ... It's a balance of poisons against quality of life... And that is your call. Don't be apologetic about your concerns or worries. He needs to listen to you ... Or you get someone new who will.

As for me ... On humira for about 8 months but mixed with other drugs ... One brief flare up in that time but too early for me to consider humira to have made the difference.

Good luck with your decision... And feel free to change your mind!

Thank you. I've been treated with prednisone over the years and left at a maintenance dose of 5 mg for many years. However, 4 and 1/2 years ago, I decided I didn't want the risks to start rolling in, so weaned myself off successfully by a half a mg at a time with the blessings of my General Doctor. I've been prednisone free, but since then, I've been flaring, picking up flus and viruses/ bacteria, and have more immune problems without any treatment. My bones seem thinner over the course of the last 4 years since I came off, but I blame some of that on active untreated crohn's disease which makes it impossible to let me keep my weight consistent, or my food from running through me? How can the bones remain strong when they aren't fed? It's only recently that they recognize that not only prednisone is a risk factor for osteoporosis in crohn's but now acknowlege that crohn's in itself, even without prednisone is a risk factor for osteoporosis. My adrenal function became borderline after going off, just the last year or so, it is starting to come up on it's own.

I don't expect or want to go back on prednisone as a sole treatment. I know the risks of that medication, but
I still say Humira although it doesn't have as many obvious side effects, it has very serious side effects when they do come. At least with prednisone some preventative measures could be taken. What can be done to prevent the side effects of Humira?

Thank you big betty, it is like you say so frustrating. I feel if I do go on it, I will most likely worry about the potential risks of being on it? The side affects that can be fixed, I'm not worried about, it's the permanent serious ones that I am concerned about. How is that a trade off, to feel better in the intestinal area, then find out you got something serious going on possibly caused by the medicine you are on??

Several years ago, I had almost 3 ft of my small intestine removed. Even so, I had skip crohn's lesions, so they left a little bit of crohn's behind further up because it was too far away from the surgical site. I was in sort of a remission for 9 years but on a low maintenance dose of prednisone, which I gather kept things in check. The diarrhea never went away, but the pain did. The doctor prescribed cholestyramine for the bile acid diarrhea. Even now, I can't really say I have much pain, at least not like the pain caused by the obstructions I use to get. But I do feel enough discomfort lately to know that something is not quite right. Past CT's show I have a long stricture. I still don't have the results of my biopsy report from the colonoscopy that I had around the same time you did. I was at my general doctor the other day and he told me I have to see my GI and told me to cancel the appointment they made for Monday with the other GI who did the colonoscopy through the Colon Check program. He never really told me specifically what was on that report, just said I need to see my GI. Hope it's nothing too serious. So now I am waitng for my reg GI to send me an appointment date.

Thanks Betty, will do.

I am in the same boat…have been fighting not to go Humira for a couple of years now. But was in the hospital for GI bleed with 5 units blood & Hgb 5.5. Doctor said it is time, so I am in the stage of getting approval from Insurance. All I can do is hope for the best at this time. My GI says studies have shown that lymphoma isn't increased with people taking Humira. Wish all of us good luck…..

A year ago this month I started Humira, my GI went over the pros and cons with myself and hubby, he said to y hubby that if I was his wife he would feel confident in putting me on Humira, that the risks were very low for the deadly/serious side effects. I haven't had a single side effect from what I can tell since being on Humira for a year now, in fact it put my CD in remission, I had a c-scope done in August of last year that showed all my inflammation was gone (I have crohn's colitis which was also affecting my rectum at the time aka; proctitis) he said if I didn't respond to Humira he would put me on Remi, and if that didn't work then I'd be facing surgery due to being such a mess inside. Now it's just my stupid alternating IBS that I'm struggling to get a handle on....I wish Humira aided IBS, then I'd probably be laughing.

By the way, I take weekly injections of Humira, and I still don't have a single side effect...the kicker is, I was either allergic or non-responsive to ALL the other meds used to treat IBD. I wouldn't be afraid of Humira, the possible side effects of all the other drugs used to treat IBD aren't pleasant either (I know cuz I had them which is partly why I couldn't take them). My skin has actually become quite nice (much smoother complexion and Humira also took care of the lower back pain issues I was having too).

Sure it could cause heart failure (or other nasty things) but the way I look at is, I'd rather drop dead anyway than continue living in a flare with my IBD like I have been for 23 years with no remission until I started Humira, the impact this disease has had on my physically, mentally and emotionally doesn't make life very appealing to me anyway, so I figured I'd try Humira and although I still struggle due to my IBS, I'm thankful to be in remission with my IBD at least because I was suffering with both conditions at the same time for at least the last 15 yrs when my GI had suspected that I also developed IBS on top of having IBD...of course he was right..sadly. I don't know, maybe because I've never been in remission until Humira I view it differently, I view life very differently since being sick for so long with this hellish disease too.

hello, i have been on Humira for 6 years with only one flare up. It literally save my life. The only side affect I have is my skin is very sore and itchy at time.