how long should I wait for humira to work/not?

I only just started Humira myself so I really can't give you any advice on my own personal experience yet as I really haven't noticed a whole lot of difference other than my guts feel more settled than before I started in (I've only just had my first 4 injections last week) but I think you should definitely be discussing the issues you're having with your GI and ask him/her how long you should try it for...IBD is so individual with everything so it's really hard to give a definitive answer...you could very easily wake up one day and feel 100% or it can happen slowly. Good luck :)

6 months is a joke :/

Biologics are fast-acting medications. They may take up to 12 weeks to become fully effective, but they kick in fast: that's why Remicade is sometimes used as an acute treatment for UC patients who are in hospital due to a severe flare-up.

I'm sorry to say that if Humira has made no difference by now, it probably never will. If you have the option, try doubling the dose to 1 shot every week. If that doesn't work, then you might have to try Cimzia :-/ Make sure you're on 6MP or azathioprine at the same time, since that reduces the likelihood of forming antibodies which stop the biologic from working. Plus they can also help treat Crohn's in their own right.

I'd wait another month or two, perhaps, but not six months. I was on Remicade for a year and it was a complete waste of time. I tried Humira, but only gave that about 2 months. The odds were against me, but a second or third biologic is far more likely to work if the previous ones did.

You still need to give it time , I felt the same way I thought it wouldn't work and I would just give it up. Its a very slow process compared to remicade. I've been on humira know for about 7 months and I can really feel the improvement. Healing is a slow process, try and be patient. I don't think you should give it up after 12 weeks, my doc said it can take up to 6 months. And that's how long its taken me. If you stick it out you'll know for sure if it will work or not. I hope you see some improvement soon, stay strong and good luck

Nice cup of tea - I don't think 2 months of humira will do anything, the minimum time of seeing improvement is double that. Remicade is an enormous dose compared to humira, so it stands to reason that it would work faster.

When I last saw my GI in January and I chose Humira (he asked me to chose between the two, Remi obviously being the other one) he booked me to go back and see him in May so obviously within 4 months he expects to hear better news from me when I see him again (and it seems to me that 4 months is the "window" he uses for biologics) of course if any of my blood work from now until then reveals and concerns he will call me back to see him sooner.

Everyone responds to meds differently, I don't believe there is a set in stone rule when it comes to meds, not even biologics even if they do tend to work quicker than traditional meds, everyone's response time to biologics will vary.

I agree that 6 months is far fetched to start seeing improvement in most of us. Maybe to get full effects, but I'd hope most of us would start seeing some improvement before that. I was on Humira for 6 months, had initial improvement but it was short lived. He just kept saying give it more time. Finally I got him to switch because of migraines but I think he would have just kept me going and going. I know someone right now that is well over 6 months with no improvement and they haven't switched her yet. Not quite sure what some doctors are waiting for, a miracle I suppose!

Rango16 said...
i felt improvement at 4 months

If you feel improvement, then obviously it's worth sticking with it.

If you go to all the trouble of getting onto a biologic, then you might as well stay on it for 6 months or whatever, if you can live with an ineffective treatment for that long (this is assuming no improvement is seen, of course).

But any improvement at the 4-6 month is unlikely to be attributable to the biologic, imo. I mean, where is the cut-off point? They seem to be getting longer and longer.

PS: Jen has nailed it as well. There are too many doctors who are happy to keep their patients on meds which blatantly aren't working, because it suits them rather than the patients. This is wrong. It may be time-consuming and difficult trying to find a treatment which does work, but that's their freaking job.

PPS: I feel like I was a tad abrasive, so if I was, sorry. I guess this is one of those topics which hits a sore spot of mine.

Post Edited (NiceCupOfTea) : 2/18/2014 10:34:59 AM (GMT-7)