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Ana positive after humira

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Posted 8/22/2012 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
So I'm normally on the crohn's forums bt I had a question and I was hoping you all could help me. I was on humira for crohn's and seen no good difference. I was itchy all over body and scalp, 5months later I'm still getting weird rashes all over my legs, hands, pretty much everywhere. My entire body aches and hurts all the time but the back of my legs ache all the time. I stopped humira and switched to remicade. while on remicade this continued and I'm so tired all the time. I went to rhemutologist 2weeks ago, they did a bunch of blood work and went back today and all she told me was I need to take coq10 because I'm showing defecient. They also said that I was Ana positive and I needed to take a certain medication to make it so I can keep taking remicade. I ave a very long list of bloodwork to go back for that are lots of autoimmune diseases and vitamin levels. I know that humira and remicade warn against lupus type reactions. Do you think this is drug-induced lupus?
Posted 8/22/2012 9:15 PM (GMT 0)
It's possible. The only way to find out is to go without the medicine and see if it changes.
Posted 8/23/2012 12:21 AM (GMT 0)
That's a question for your Dr. 1) Did she diagnose you with Lupus? It doesn't sound like it. 2) Does the Dr say it's drug-induced Lupus? Doesn't sound like that either. 3) Or does your current Humira or Remicade treatment look like it's leading toward Lupus-like symptoms?

It seems to me that most of the symtoms you mention can be regular symptoms of Crohns, please check with that forum to see if that is true.

The meds most often associated with drug-induced Lupus are:
* procainamide (Pronestyl)
* hydralazine (Apresoline)
* quinidine (Quinaglute).
Here is the link to the Lupus Organization discussion on the topic: www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_aboutaffects.aspx?articleid=377&zoneid=17 For other medications, the risk is less than 1% that they will induce Lupus.

Please do not stop your medications on your own to test for changes. Only your Dr who is familiar with all your conditions and all your medications is qualified to make those decisions. Stopping some medications abruptly can be extremely dangerous, even life-threatening.

Best wishes for prompt control of your symptoms!
Posted 8/23/2012 12:45 AM (GMT 0)
Ooops! I forgot to mention have your doctor's permission before stopping meds.

Thanks, Lynnwood.
Posted 8/23/2012 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
nono lol. no problems, Joy.
Posted 8/27/2012 11:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I to have crohns and have been on both Remicade and Humira.  Approx. 7 or 8 years ago I was on remicade and it helped my crohns alot for about 2 years, then I developed Remicade induced Lupus.  The joint pain was unbearable, compares to that of an abscess.  I discontinued the remicade and within one year my ANA was normal as well as my DNA.  Only after the lupus was gone was I allowed to start Humira.  I have been on it now for 5 years.  I to developed a rash on my chest that wouldn't go away.  My big toe in numb (has been for a few years now) and I have nose sores.  The joint pain will probably be next as I have noticed it is starting to jump from my left shoulder to my right foot etc..  This caused me to return to my rheumy and my ANA is positive again and my DNA is at 23 now (normal is between 1 and 4).  I see her again this week to get results of other tests I had done. 

I learnt last time that MTX and prednisone are the only meds that helped me.  I am on pred always now as I an steroid dependant.

|Do not rule out Humira induced lupus as you have many of the same symptoms I have or had in the past.

All the best,

Julia

 

Posted 9/9/2012 3:17 AM (GMT 0)
The rhemu is looking into humira induced lupus right now. I'm going back for more bloodwork in a couple weeks. Besides the coq10 the doctor started me on hydroxychloroquine (the gerenic of plaquenil). I have to be on these for these for a few weeks before they want me to go back for the long list of bloodwork. I stopped the humira that gave me all the problems back in feb. I'm on remicade now but only on my 4th dose. All of this started before the remicade.
Posted 9/15/2012 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
I was on Remicade for 2.5 years and then it stopped working for me. I switched to Humira and at the 2.5 month period, I woke the day after a Humira injection in the worse pain of my life. I also had a low grade fever. I was diagnosed with drug induced lupus from the Humira. I stopped it immediately. It took a year on plaquinel with no biologics to clear up the problem. For six months I had a fever and unbelievable fatigue. I was so fatigued I would have to rest after walking 50 feet from my bedroom to the kitchen. It was like trying to walk through chest deep snow.

Here's the good news. It went away and now I have been on Simponi for over 3 years to deal with the ankylosing spondylitis and Crohn's. Simponi is another biologic.
Posted 9/15/2012 3:42 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for the reply. I have so much going on with my son right now that my health problems are really being put on the back burner. I'm taking the meds they want me to and I should know more in October.
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