Starting Humira soon, what to expect?

Normally when you start Humira they give you a loading dose which is 4 injections. Two weeks later you receive two injections, and then just one injections every two weeks after that. Some people have an injection every week, but the norm is one injection every two weeks.

I give myself the injection in the upper thigh. Although you can also inject yourself in the stomach or in the back of the upper arm (triceps). Some people say injections in the stomach are the least painful. I only weigh 145 with very little cushioning in the stomach area so I stick with the thighs.

As far as side effects, I experienced dry mouth for the first couple of weeks, which was not a normal side effect. No big deal really, just drank a few more glasses of water.
After about 6 months I started to develop some hives on my arms. The Dr. told me to take some Benadryl. That seemed to do the trick. Now I take a Benadryl a few days before my injection and a few days after.

The injection hurts a bit, but it's over in a few seconds, and it's only once every two weeks. The area is usually sensitive for a while after the injection.
Some people get really tired after the injection. I take mine right before bed, so I haven't noticed any drowsiness.
Make sure you let the pen come to room temperature before you inject, it reduces the discomfort of the injection.

My Dr. said some people saw their condition improving within a few weeks. For me it's taken more like 4 months, but it does seem to be working.

Hope it works well for you.

been on humira for a cpl years now 3 mayby i dont remember

hives is a common side effect. personally i believe that becouse it does something to lower your immune system or your body ability to fight off things, things that wouldnt normally give you much of a problem cause irritation. for example my family used a laundry soap called purex for lots of years and then 6 months into humira i started getting hives. changed laundry soap and it quiet. i still sometimes get what i call dry spots on my skin kinda like psoriasis but a little lotion its not bad. i have heard of lots of people have different kinds of side effects. like you probably already know everyone is different so different things work differently for different people. try to have a positive attitude about it and a hopeful mindset. search the forums and i am sure you will come up with a gambit of different side effects. i use pens instead of needles. i find as long as i ice the injection spot for a few minutes before the pens dont hurt as bad. i have also found that it doesnt work immediatly and you should give it a couple weeks before deciding it doesnt work. also i still get flares occasionally although usually its only for a day or so and havnt had to go back on prednisone. i recently had a colonoscopy in the last year or so and it came out really good most of my colon is healed and almost no signs of my disease. comparably to 5 years ago when i was in line and had a date scheduled at the mayo clinic for removal. also for me alot of my flares have to do with what i eat. i have a sweet tooth and every couple of days i will sneak a can of mountain dew. i pay for it becouse the tail end hurts something fierce the next day. most of my coalitis is the last 30 cm of my colon though. hope it helps you.

sincerely

heath delashmit

After years of prednisone & other stuff not working I finally tried Humira.

Started it about three years ago.

Wasn't really seeing any results after about four months but then I started a Gluten-Free diet.

Have been in remission ever since.

Still use Humira and still on the Gluten-Free diet.

I haven't noticed any side effects from the Humira.

Good luck. I hope you have the same results I did.

I have my life back.