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Hi Ho Hi Ho Onto Humira I go

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/9/2013 12:55 AM (GMT 0)
My GI and I have decided that since I have become prednisone dependent, the next step in treatment is humira.

To those that are on, I am anxious, excited, and nervous all at the same time, so my apologies for the inane questions:

 

1)How much do you guys pay? I am paying $75 for a 3 month supply.

2) What dosage were you on when you first started? I am starting with 4 injections (160 mg total) on day one, then 80 mg (2 injections) 2 weeks later then 40 mg (1 injection) every other week.

3) What day of the week is the best to start then take the subsequent injections. I am fearful taking it on a workday, I was thinking of a weekend so I can get a feel of everything.

4) Any crazy side effects?

5) GI suggested that I stay on Lialda. And use proctofoam and bentyl if I need to.

6) Most importantly, how is your treatment doing?

These certainly won't be my last questions, but these are enough to get me started. Thanks for all your help and insight. cool

Posted 3/9/2013 12:56 AM (GMT 0)
lololololol, I love the thread title...*sing it in your head and it gets funnier*
Posted 3/9/2013 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
I pay $90 every 3 months
My loading dose was the same. Started everyother week. Now do weekly.
I give the injections on Thursday
Do it in the AM
Doesn't really matter. I just picked a day.
At the begining I got a few headaches. Maybe a little tired. Not bad at all.
I stay on most of the meds. Never stopped oral meds. Switch off with mesalamine enemas ,canasa and cortifoam .
It hasn't put me into remission. Very close. about 80% better.
I can live with that. Some months a little better.
Have some more questions ask away, glad to help!
Good luck!!!!
Posted 3/9/2013 2:00 AM (GMT 0)
I pay 70 every month. So, you are good on that. Loading dose is the same as I did. I take mine on Monday only because I had to do the loading dose in the dr. office. I also wanted to start on the weekends, but couldn't. It didn't matter, I have no side effects. I never got tired, but I did get headaches, but only for the first 3 injections. I have stayed on my colazal (8 pills a day), nightly enemas and I have just added Wellbutrin (it is a TNF downregulator) because I was losing the benefits of the Humira about 4 days before my next shot. I am hoping the wellbutrin can help with that. I also didn't achieve complete remission. But it was markedly better. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
Posted 3/9/2013 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
1-I pay $3,070 for the first 3 months of the year and then $70 for the remaining 3 month periods in the year.

2-My loading dose was the same. Now on 40 mg biweekly

3-I take mine on Sunday, no particular reason why.

4-I used to get fevers and fatigue after taking an injection but those went away. I did get a really bad case of pneumonia last August that required hospitalization and took 3 months to recover from.

6-Not in remission but hanging in there.

Good luck! I hope this is the drug that gets you in remission.
Posted 3/9/2013 10:48 AM (GMT 0)
I took my 4th injection last night - (hot tip - the tummy is much more comfy to inject than the thigh)

I feel very tired for about 1.5 days and then I have headaches that set on rather sudden and hard. They seem to be subsiding in frequency, though.

I suggest doing it on Friday night (Or the end of you "workweek") - I do mine around dinnertime on Fridays.

It has not changed my UC, but immediately fixed my RA and Psoriasis. I have read that for UC it can take up to 3 months & often the patient ends up on a weekly injection.

My Dr. has me set the pen out for 30 minutes prior to injection (warm up time) and ice the injection site for 20 minutes.

I am still on pile of drugs for the UC & nowhere near remission - but my rheumatologist put me on the Humira & for some reason did not give me a standard loading dose. He only gave me a single injection to start with - I suspect things could be much different had he done the normal way.
Posted 3/9/2013 11:36 AM (GMT 0)
I am on humira. I did the same doses as you. I would do the doses when you can have a couple days off. I have had headaches after injections nothing else. I am on tons of other UC meds still waiting on remission but had to take a month off after six loading shots because they thought I had an infection.
I had trouble injecting in my leg this first time. When I let the leg hang it hurt much less. I also set the pens out for a while before injection and ice the area.
If you are in the US check out the Humira assistance plan. I only pay 5.00 a month for my Humira. I do not know if they have this in other countries.
Posted 3/9/2013 12:12 PM (GMT 0)
Dosing is different for psoriasis . UC dosing is much higher when doing the loading dose. Check The site tells all the dosing there.
Posted 3/9/2013 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
I'm actually not on it for the psoriasis. My Rheumatologist prescribed it for my rheumatoid arthritis, chronic systemic inflammation & my Ulcerative Colitis. The psoriasis going away was just a bonus.

Edited to add:

I just checked the site (thanks btw)  & I was given the typical starting doses for RA....

Post Edited (musicmaker516) : 3/9/2013 11:05:49 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/24/2013 6:24 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks everyone for their input. I received my medicine this past Wednesday and I thought they were shipping my a new colon! Excellent packaging - I decided to start taking it next Sunday (Yeah I am a wuss, but I want to pick a day where I can be home and relax). I assume I should take my loading dose and each subsequent injections in the morning with my Lialda?
Posted 3/24/2013 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
I had MY loading dose done at my GI's office. Did them all at once. Was no big deal. I was. Wuss too. Felt stupid after it was done. I went out that night for dinner. Felt fine !
Posted 3/24/2013 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
Me too, loading dose not a big deal at all. I took 2 shots, waited until the next day and did the other 2 (just to make sure I didn't have any reaction). No big deal. Good luck.
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