Has anyone experienced anxiety, and weight gain with Humira?

I just started Humira this past Tuesday. Overall I am very happy to start this drug as it seems to have success with a lot of people...and have been on rounds of steroids for two years now.

I know its too soon to worry about weight gain, although after extensive research, it looks like many people do have significant weight gain....although then there are always some who LOSE weight. Almost as soon as I took it - had been in a round of losing 15 of the 20 lbs I had suddenly started gaining from the old steroid I was taking (now on a different brand of steroid that does not seem to have that side effect). But already - common symptom - 'stomach fullness', which basically means pants was wearing all of a sudden hard to close around the waist.
And the consistent weight loss - 2-3 lbs per week, has abruptly stopped. I need to drop another 10 to get to my ideal body mass weight, and take weight off chronic problems in my joints.

Secondly - I finally read as a 'secondary effect', is anxiety. I have had pronounced anxiety every evening since about two days after starting Humira. Of course there is a massive list of possible side effects...perhaps I'm just one of the unlucky ones to get anxiety. I researched other things that may be causing it, and have slowly ruled them all out. It must be the Humira. I hope it passes. I'm already diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and anti-depressants do more harm than good for me.

Again, just curious if anyone else on Humira experienced these, and of course would love to hear positive experiences as well.

Have a good Sunday!

Well, one other cause for the anxiety could be I've relapsed, again, on smoking cigarettes. Being a long term smoker I don't recall it causing this anxiety....but I went from non-smoking to back to smoking compulsively. So perhaps that is it, or the Humira. I mentioned the smoking as see you were able to quit in 2013. Good for you! I know its off-topic but were you able to quit cold turkey? I am going to try again today. However in the past when I've relapsed I would just smoke a few....it wasn't that bad, this time its crazy and its the anxiety caused by whatever, that I think is driving the crazy smoking.

Yes, I didn't do much research. Me and gastro thought I was approved for Remicade and at the 11th hour insurance changed their minds and it was Humira. So just now learning about it. All I have are googling and reading others posts, but seems there is a definite trend towards weight gain - overall.

You could be like a 'little barrel' because of prednisone....my last dose of it gained me 20 lbs. However that was a first, and now on a different steroid. Yes, I am concerned about weight gain now. Very.

Btw...noticing any good results from the Humira yet? I know it takes time...

Well, thanks for your response!
Whats weird is...like you on that vacation, when I've relapsed I usually can contain it....for a while anyway...at about 5 a day. This time is totally different. Whatever this anxiety is, its driving it. Of course in reality I have a lot of stress in my life, or am not managing it well, I don't know. I'm in a lot of transition alas more stress. But there is no way to contain this animal...I'm up to half a pack a day....its gross. I'm still making myself keep up my exercise...nothing great - but almost every day I either power walk for half hour or swim laps for half hour (lucky you - you have a pool, yay)

I'm trying to figure out if I can cold turkey it. I know other people do but not sure I have it in me.

Here's the real scoop. Two years ago got injured and went on disability....the very first day I started the American Lung Assn class...awesome class - 8 weeks. Quit no problem with the support. For a few months. Right when that class started is when I started flaring. I sometimes wonder if quitting contributed to my really going in to a flare as quitting smoking is linked to UC flareups...hard to find info on it...but the doc in the quit smoke group did find research and confirmed it. I relapsed, took the class AGAIN. Several months quit. Relapsed again...that time very contained - the 4-5 cigs a day....took the class 3rd time...with another friend who did it for 3rd time. I know what makes me relapse now...but now the problem is I work now when that class is held. Part of my story - true or false I don't know...is I have been in a flare doing the steroid thing (and started imuron)...the ENTIRE time. So yes, I do feel horrible about smoking again...it feels like s**t, I know its a coping mechanism for stress but yes its making it worse.

Sorry you were so sick you had to be hospitalized! And to top it off that was your cold turkey. How long were you in the hospital? (how long did it take to get over those first few awful days)? I have to say, I don't know how you do it with a smoker in the house. You are one strong lady. But smart too. (and I'm the same with alcohol cigs....don't do it, actually quit coffee too which is no good for UC anyway) We both know that smoking wrecks more havoc on our immune system...our bodies needs all the oxygen it can get to heal.

To answer your ? has my mood altered dramatically since smoking? I was going to answer but realize I don't know. I do feel crummy. But its been a few weeks now, and this anxiety didn't kick in until this past week. I just tried taking some "mood" probiotics...Garden of Life...to see if in some weird way that might help.

I couldn't read how much weight you'd gained...11 lbs? Its so hard to know...I usually don't gain weight with prednisone...just the puffy face and the agitation, until the last round I was on...gained 20 - ZERO change in my diet. I was briefly hospitalized 5 weeks ago (severe dehydration - passed out, daughter found me...so that was just a few hours of IV rehydrating)...THAT doctor put me on a different form of steroid and I lost 15 lbs...

I just emailed my gastro and asked him to please be honest and tell me point blank in his exp. about Humira and weight gain...although the bottom line is will always be different for everyone. But if I start gaining weight, at least I'll know why. I sure hope not.

I'm rather skeptical that Humira could be responsible for weight gain or anxiety.

Our weight can fluctuate a lot due to prednisone, and if we're on both pred and Humira simultaneously then I could see the weight gain occurring as a consequence of the pred. As we feel better we can gain weight because we're healed and we're used to eating more calories than necessary. As when flaring we can eat anything and yet still loose weight. It's a hard habit to break haha.

Anxiety is a UC thing, we all have it to varying degrees regardless of whether we take medications or not.

Thanks all of you for your supportive replies...I'm not saying a lot (very atypical) as am exhausted today from all the anxiety. But still anxious.

Poppie...sure enough, gastro said something like "the only weight gain seen is when people malnoursished"...well, duh...of course we are all malnourished by the time we get to that drug. So does not answer 'what to expect'...Please stay in touch Poppie

ipoop....hi there! when you say anxiety is just part of having UC, do you mean because having UC is inherently stressful in itself, or something else. I am hearing more about the gut/brain biomes...connections...and taking a 'mood' probiotic as one of my probiotics. Just curious. Don't want to overthink it but seems to me a physical anxiety vs a mental anxiety. A friend who is a nutritionist also strongly believes that while my gut is sick....so will be my brain. Pretty identical to the GAPS book I bought years back written by a doctor who only practices now with children with learning disorders - works with their gut, and adults with major digestive disease.. It all starts in the gut.

Bull101- I hear ya! I am on Gaps intro diet since still some diarrhea....I'm getting a TINY better but still there. I will always stay with a grains, sugar, soy, dairy (except very long fermented yogurt or kefir made myself) free diet. Not trying to sound snooty....its just a diet I did years back and got the one and only positive colonoscopy report I've had in decades. So plan to stay on it, and if/when well 'cheat' only a little here and there - for ex. the rare time I go out to eat. And I do exercise. So technically I shouldn't gain any weight. However its interesting with such a rigid diet...I lost 15 of my 20 prednisone pounds but am back to nothing else will budge and I AM overweight...5'3" - 130 lbs...so nothing severe...but not my normal weight.

Well, I ended up talking a lot.

Wow. that sounds really good. I will check it out...thank you very much for sharing that with me. I need something like that.