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Anyone have experience with Humira?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/5/2021 3:02 PM (GMT 0)
I’ve been an active member of HW since prostate cancer surgery in 2015. I’ve just been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Decending and transverse colon. I have also experienced some pancreatitis from time to time for many years. I do not drink, and I eat mostly a mostly “decent” diet. I am retired and live on a boat in FL.

Due to my pancreatitis issues, my doctor is hesitant to start me on “first line” treatments for my UC. He believes Humira would be a good drug for me.

I appreciate any comments on my situation and comments from anyone who has experience with this drug.

Thanks a lot...

island time

Post Edited (island time) : 4/5/2021 3:35:11 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/5/2021 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
IT, there are a few people on here that are having success with Humira, they may or may not post the board is running slow lately. I have crohns & was on Humira for 18 months & did well until it triggered my psoriasis. I have always had a weird response to meds long before crohns entered the picture. I loved the convenience of giving myself a shot over being hooked up to an IV for hours once a month.

It can be a slow starter so please give it a fair chance. I see people sometimes going on biologics thinking they will see relief immediately & I have never had that happen.

Good luck.
Posted 4/5/2021 6:53 PM (GMT 0)

straydog said...
IT, there are a few people on here that are having success with Humira, they may or may not post the board is running slow lately. I have crohns & was on Humira for 18 months & did well until it triggered my psoriasis. I have always had a weird response to meds long before crohns entered the picture. I loved the convenience of giving myself a shot over being hooked up to an IV for hours once a month.

It can be a slow starter so please give it a fair chance. I see people sometimes going on biologics thinking they will see relief immediately & I have never had that happen.

Good luck.

Thank you for your informative reply straydog. Ive had stomach issues and abdominal aches and pains for about as long as I can remember. However...several weeks ago my bowel movements changed in such a way (4-6 movements/day and urgent) that I knew I needed some tests. The colonoscopy revealed the diagnosis. So far, I’m not feeling all that much worse physically than usual. The trouble I’m having is fatigue and no appetite).

From what I’ve read, that drug is a fairly serious drug so, I thought I’d get some feedback. I too seem to be sensitive to a lot of meds. A little bit of a shocker that I’m going to be giving myself shots. (Only SICK people have to do that LOL 😊). Anyway...

I did ask my doctor (I trust him), “What happens if we just let this ride with no treatment?” He said, “That’s not an option. It’ll get worse. Heck, you could end up with cancer.”

That pretty much got my attention and that I’m going to have to do this. Thanks again for your reply. (Maybe it’s not the poison I had imagined). I do understand it may be a while before any results are seen. Thank again. 😊

Post Edited (island time) : 4/5/2021 12:57:23 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/5/2021 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
I am glad you trust your dr & yes he did tell you the truth. Your gi's nurse should show you how to give yourself the shot, mine did. I did the loading doses in the office with her & I gave myself the last shot. I am scared to death of shots & needles, lol. On shot day I took my pen out & let it set on the counter for almost 30 minutes, dr approved this to get the chill off. I never got the courage to give the shot in my stomach, only my thighs. I made it much worse with imagination than it actually was.
Posted 4/13/2021 10:21 PM (GMT 0)
IT,
I was on Humira for 4 months and had to come off due to what was deemed 'Humira induced psoriasis.' I had a nasty breakout throughout my body which took approx. 6 months to clear. Thankfully no re-emergence. It did help my UC while I was on it and kept me in low-flare / remission for 10 months. BTW, I found the least painful spot for administering the shot was the side part of my upper thigh/butt. Find the least muscular part and it will help minimize the pain. Good luck and hope it works for you!
Posted 4/14/2021 1:10 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your input with your experience HardEvidence. I’m happy that both you and straydog did get some benefit from it. Seems to be a drug that helps if the side effects doesn’t drive one off of it. My doctor should have approval from my insurance company later in the week.

He said Humira has an ambassador of some sort (nurse) who goes to the patient and shows them how to inject it. He said we could take advantage of that, considering my living arrangements. We shall see. I’ll keep you all posted on it Lol. (Gotta have people who can share and understand) 😊

Thanks for the injection tip HardEvidence. That’s not an insignificant piece of information!! Lol. 👍😊
Posted 4/14/2021 1:56 PM (GMT 0)
IT, the injection is really easy to do, it's prefilled. I have a huge needle phobia & was scared to death of the idea of self injecting, lol. Humira is now citrate free & no longer stings like it use to. When I was on it, it was not citrate free & stung for a few minutes.

I hope your insurance approves it. If you are using private insurance go to Humira's website & see if you qualify for their co-pay assistance program. I paid $35 for a 3 month supply.

Take care.
Posted 4/14/2021 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Island Time, I've been on Humira since summer 2015, and apart from some initial hair loss (well I think it was more a case of faster regrowth than loss as I had a lot of 'baby' hairs) I haven't noticed any side effects, even after stepping up from fortnightly injections to weekly ones. My psoriasis hasn't flared on Humira, and I have less joint pain. Unfortunately Humira is no longer keeping me in remission, but I had a good run, and I have no regrets about taking it. I say this as someone who tried to use natural alternatives in the early days of my UC diagnosis, and resisted going onto stronger meds for a long time (because a family member had some serious side effects from Azathioprine and I couldn't try Humira without failing on Aza first due to NHS regulations on spending).

I had more side effects with Azathioprine and 6-MP, partly because I have low TPMT levels. I remember feeling weirdly depressed while on Aza / 6-MP, and didn't stay on these drugs for more than about 6 to 9 months.

I find the epipen style Humira injections easy to administer, and pain free if I inject into my stomach and pinch the skin when I inject. Whether the stomach or thigh is better for you depends on where you store fat and muscle. I injected one of my loading doses in my thigh and swore loudly in the hospital!

I do remember the fear of injecting myself before I first did it, but that fear subsided really quickly after actually doing it for the first time.

You'll probably find injecting becomes a part of your routine that you don't think twice about.

Post Edited (UCyousee) : 4/14/2021 8:23:12 AM (GMT-6)

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