Humira or Remicade?

So I had a colonoscopy back in February and they found ulcerative colitis in the distal sigmoid colon. The doctor said to eat more fiber so needless to say I saw another doctor. I just had another colonoscopy today because my symptoms have gotten severely worse: moderate/severe abdominal pain that won't go away, lots of blood in toilet, weight loss, extreme urgency. Well the doctor found that my uc has spread to my entire colon. It's bad. If I could post the pictures I would. Well anyways, my doctor wants me to either start humira or remicade and I have to make a decision. I read a lot of information but I want to know if anyone has tried either or both and your experiences with them. Any reviews would be extremely helpful. Thank you in advance!

Other info that may or may not be helpful: I am intolerant to mesalamines. Not sure if it makes a difference.

I am currently on Remicade and it seems to be working very well. I was diagnosed with severe UC and it was over 75% of my colon. I just had my 2nd infusion last week. Like iPoop said though, you want to check with your insurance and see what the coverage is for the 2 choices.

Remicade is a long fusion lasting several hours which you have to get done at some kind of a facility and you have to schedule it. Humira is shots you basically give yourself so it saves you time and can do it at your convenience. Remicade does, however, have a better success rate and has been around longer so the side effects are more understood. If it were my decision I would opt for the Remicade over Humira.

In reading about UC its apparent that everybody reacts differently, but I just wanted to echo some of the above statements. I just had my third infusion as well and so far haven't had any infusion reactions (other than being tired for a few hours post-infusion) and it has been a lifesaver for me (failed steroids, etc.). Because I was just recently diagnosed over the course of a month and in the hospital with severe pain, fearful of all these new and powerful meds, I can understand how it might make you nervous to make a decision, but if the drug ends up working for you as it has been for me, hopefully it'll provide you with some relief!

It has reduced my BMs from many bloody ones a day to one, generally non-bloody, and mostly formed. My doctor didn't mention trying Humira first; it seemed that this would be an option if the Remicade fails. Another bit of info I've learned is that because Remicade is part mouse protein, people can build antibodies to it (as was mentioned previously), and thus it may work for a longer or shorter duration depending on if this happens. However, there are many people who have been on Remicade for years, and with close blood monitoring many seem to be doing fine. I hope that conversing more with your doctor might help you arrive at a better decision, but I know that anecdotes can sometimes be reassuring too!

I've been on Remicade for 4 years. Never tried Humira (wasn't an option, though I don't know if I could jab myself with a needle). I enjoy the 3 hour infusion and usually end up napping. Like Teddy said, it wipes me out for the rest of the day but that is due to the Benadryl, not the Remi. I also was intolerant of mesalamine and 6MP.

My doctor leans heavily towards Remicade. I wanted to possibly stop it due to some issues I was having and he was VERY reluctant, saying how it is the best drug for UC available.

The infusions are easy. You go in, they weigh you, they ask you a lot of questions, then you get hooked up and the medicine goes in through an IV for around three hours. You can go on your computer, listen to music, watch a movie... or nap, definitely. They do frequently check your temp and your blood pressure though. It must be every 15-20 minutes for the first hour, then a little less often as the time goes on.

I actually enjoy the infusions because it gives me a break from everything going on in my life.

Good luck!