Posted 6/12/2013 3:38 AM (GMT 0)
The short story:
I developed lung issues that lead to requiring surgery. My doctors believe my issues were due to drug-induced lupus from Humira. I've modified my lifestyle to manage my Crohn's symptoms without medication because I'm absolutely terrified to try another TNF blocker mediation (Cimzia).
Has anyone experienced a similar situation? Should I consider Cimzia or push for other meds or should I wait until managing without medication becomes ineffective? Would Cimzia also help manage lupus symptoms?
The long story:
I was on Humira for almost 3 years. For 1 of those years, I was taking weekly Humira. I was also on methotrexate. In February, I had pain in my chest and found out that I had fluid built up around my lung, causing it to collapse. I had this fluid drained 3 times and was on prednisone. The fluid didn't provide much hints as to the cause and kept building back up. I had surgery at the end of March to eliminate the cavity around my lung so the fluid couldn't build up as well as to take biopsies. During recovery, I developed a pimple/hives/red scaly rash whenever I went for a long walk in the sun. Blood tests confirmed that I had developed lupus.
Don't get me wrong, Humira is an excellent drug and helped me maintain remission and manage my Crohn's symptoms. Since then, I've been using alprazolam (zanax) to manage my stress levels and have modified my diet so I've had my Crohn's symptoms under control without being medicated. My GI doctor has suggested putting me on Cimzia, but I'm absolutely terrified to try another medication.