Switch to Humira?

Bad cramps, heavy period and a couple of loose bm's this morning. Not happy. 😟

My biopsy is next week, was hoping this blasted period would subside already. Evaluating whether to bother GI. From past experience, my UC gets ugly with a period, so could be that but just having c-diff...I dunno.

Things were going so well. I was OK with 1st thyroid med change, not happy but OK, doc only gave me 6 week supply of new one and then I had to get retested, was still out, so she jacked it down again. I don't think 6 weeks was long enough on the 1st one, med changes take a bit to even out. I've been on latest dosage last month and things are deteriorating. I won't get tested again for at least another month, when my scrip of 60 pills runs out. I'm having trouble following her logic but she's a busy PCP, so it's basically whatever is easiest to offload me.

i posted this meme on my Tumbler, dedicated to my PCP, dark humor fits my mood.

VIEW IMAGE

I think the fibroids gotta go, not even having it biopsied yet. The GYN had said she could justify removing the but that was before I was on Humira.

I'm gonna make another run at the PCP, see if she will at least give me back the 1st med change. I think that one will not be as extreme as dose I'm on now. Lol, playing "let's make a deal" for thyroid meds with my doc.

I think if this blasted period and cramps subside, I'll be OK. Haven't gone since those 2x's this morning. I'm gonna ride it out, my Humira injection is Friday. If that doesn't even things out, then I'll contact my GI.

Glad Humira is working out, enjoy feeling well!

As it happens, hubs and I have to decide about our healthcare options. His company is getting absorbed by a bigger one and then it will be United Healthcare, not Kaiser. We could stay with Kaiser and enroll through my job but it costs more and prescription coverage is not great, especially for specialty drugs like biologics. I like my GI, he's good but not an expert in IBD. I'm not hearing good things about United but I can at least go to Oregon Health Sciences, they have IBD experts at their Digestive Health Center. I can also start over with a new PCP, maybe get a endocrinology referral but again, hearing United is terrible, Doctor can't so much as give a tissue to patient without approval. We have til end of year to decide but until then, 1st, keep my UC under control and deal with fibroid issue. The thyroid med thing is upsetting but I'll deal with other stuff 1st and get my levels tested when this dosage scrip runs out. I can't deal with communicating with doctors anymore than I have to right now.

Today is Wed, yes, my body knows it's almost Humira time, Friday is my injection day. Could be the rain but feeling arthritis(y) today but bm's are still ok. Not as formed as I would like but only a couple of times today and no blood. My period is finally starting to subside, thankfully.

Yes, period finally stopping! I injected my Humira, that will kick in, so things are looking up.

Thanks for advice on 2nd opinion. I may try and get one from endocrinologist I had before being on HMO. She wasn't the most accessable Doctor and kinda had her foot out the door during visits because she probably had so many patients but...she was flexible with how i was doing compared to my test results. She would for sure have given me at least 3 months on 1st med change.

No prob, this forum is buggy sometimes.

Well, it looks like I'll be going with United Health Care from hubs work come the new year. Too many hoops for health care through my work, to keep my Kaiser insurance. You have to go through this health assessment bs before you can enroll. It's a basic physical on sight by a nurse from a health assessment company. Ya, this is legal and based on that, is how much your premiums cost. No thanks. Other than the UC, the Graves, the arthritis, I'm in decent health, lol. I would probably do OK but they draw blood and I don't trust that, don't want to wind up with hella premiums.

It probably depends on which particular plan you are on but reading reviews of United Healthcare in Oregon, they seem to have a lot of complaints regarding claims not being paid or denied for no good reason. I worry that they would deny my Humira, hope not. I found a doc at Oregon Health Sciences, she's accepting new patients and she specializes in IBD for women, so maybe a fresh perspective might be a good thing.

In the meantime...I'll be hoarding everything I can out of the pharmacy, since we've met our deductible, anything I can refill. Flonase, Balsalazide, thyroid meds, rectal cream, suppositories, Zofran, vectrical ointment (psoriasis topical) and Mobic. I can't get any Humira, can only get it when it's due but taking anything else I can get. We pay a ridiculous amount in premiums and have a big deductible, so I'll take it.

Weird, the last couple of days I've had urgency, some mucus going 6 plus times a day. I'm not in pain except I'm going back on Canasa suppositories since I'm a little sore in the rectum. I see the GI Thursday. I want to reduce my other meds but this might complicate things. Can't think what happened. I even had a couple of accidents :(. I don't know what I would have eaten to have caused this... Humira has been going so well. Hope it's not really a set back.

That would happen to me, would have setbacks but they have been less the longer I've been on Humira. How long have you been on it? And how far out are you til next injection? Yeah, it might be best to not decrease any meds, you don't want to chance getting worse. And the dreaded c-diff, doc may test you again for that.

I've been on it just a little over 4 months and I've had my ups and downs. I'm way better than I was but full remission? No. I see my GI next week and my main topic of discussion will be if I should move to weekly injections. I dunno, when I saw the Rhuemy doc, he said he'd prefer going on Remicade over increasing Humira, as it would be safer. I see that quite a few people here, they are on weekly injections. Arghhh. So sick of to having to constantly think about this sh!t.

Hope you get back to going in remission, you were doing so well.

Glad you are still feeling good! Six weeks is not a long time, I think you will continue to improve but expect setbacks here and there.

Humira itself does not cause anxiety but it sure is anxiety inducing. It's such a roller coaster ride, not a good one.😟

For myself, it's constant wondering/worrying if Humira is working. what's this? Why is this happening? Is this drug going to fail me? What will I do next?

Jeez, no wonder my PCP suggested Wellbutrin.

I've taken Lialda and Balsalazide, not sure if I noticed a difference between the two. I was thinking of asking to switch back to Lialda, taking 9 pills of Balsalazide 3x's a daydrives me batty. My GI wants me to stay on the maint drug indefinitely but I'll have a new GI in Jan, so it will be interesting to see what that doc says.

Glad you're back on track, that's always a good thing with UC. 👍

Jeez, I hope you don't have MS either. Sending good vibes for your MRI and yes, it's always something, isn't it? I don't know what the meds would do to that either but hopefully, you won't have to find out.

I just saw my GI last Tues, I'm saying on biweekly Humira. He said it was not common to go weekly but I had to beg to differ. In this forum alone, I read a few accounts of people on weekly Humira.

It's only Sept but I have to think about finding new doctors when I switch insurance in Jan. I hate leaving Kaiser, they make everything so easy and convenient. I had blood labs on the way out of my appointment and results were posted by the time I got home. I'll miss that.

Thanks, I'm doing well on biweekly, so I'll save going weekly for when I need it. My doc didn't say he wouldn't, just said it wasn't common, which I disagreed.