Switch to Humira?

I have a new GI that I really like. Finally communication and discussion. I havent really maintained a remission since diagnosis. It has not been as bad as my first flare. I can live with it and manage. From 4_5 sometimes more movements but fairly decent control. Blood and pain occasionally. Mucus is very common some diarrhea and constipation. New GI thinks i should simplify by going on Humira and 6mp for now. Drop the rest. Thoughts

I favor an all of your meds approach until you achieve remission. Plus humira.

I took the load shots no problem. Painless and no reaction to shots at all. Amazing.. I'm a baby about shots but I got this. I'm staying on all meds for the next six weeks then I meet with the GI to review. Really want off steriods as soon as I can. Thanks

Just took my second two load shots. Not bad i gave them to myself again. A little sting but minor. I really feel much better. My gut doesn't hurt. It feels good. My stool still has some mucus and 2 to 3 movements a days usually. It's been going good so far. Getting impatient to start dropping meds but will wait the six weeks until I see the doctor.

Thank you

Hi Cadallacwoman, glad your Humira is going well. I'm on it too and it's helped me so much. I did test positive for c-diff but I haven't been sick with diarhea or throwing up, thankfully. I'm hoping the Flagyl I'm on sorts it out without incident, no side effects from that either.

Ya, no problems injecting for me either, stings a little, got a couple of bruises but that's it. Other than a couple of bumps in the road, it's been OK, I continue to improve.

Everybody responds differently. I did really well the first few weeks, then my improvment seemed to slow down. My issue was horrible bouts of gas, which is the same as going to the bathroom, I treated it as such. I did everything to circumvent it, removed a lot of foods from diet, probiotics, peppermint tea, over the counter stuff, nothing worked. It finally started to subside, then I got the c-diff but thankfully, it hasn't been bad and gas has not returned. I'm hanging in, only going 3-4 x's a day, fairly formed bm's. A lot better than the 10-15 x's with straight up liquid d and all around feeling yuck. It's helped my arthritis and psoriasis a lot too. The c-diff is a setback but I'm doing ok, feeling good anyway.

If you get bad, I'd report in with your doc because it's now easier for you to pick up bugs and c-diff, like me. Not even a month isn't long on Humira but if the d continues, definitely get checked out.

I notice you're on thyroid meds too. My UC has completely messed with my levels, as in way too much, so my meds have been jacked around, recently lowered.. Every med change is a pain, I go through major fatigue.

I got a late(er) in life dx too. I figured I was all stocked up on auto immune disease but nope, along came the friggen UC. I had thyroid eye disease too, so that involved a boatload of surgery...with lasting nerve damage on my face, which is hell when I get sinus probs and allergies, which of course, is always. I gained and then lost a bunch of weight, which I'm sure did something to my thyroid levels. That and I'm in menopausal hell, hot flashes all the time. Yep, one day at a time, it's always something though, right? You hopefully are just having a bump in the road though.

Glad you did the cultures, check back in when you know. Lol, we may be Humira and c-diff sisters. 😄

Oh, so glad we are not c-diff sisters! Good to hear things are evening out for you. You never know with food with us huh? I love watermelon, so refreshing when it's hot but too much is not a good situation for me...it is a food with water in the name of it. 😬 I haven't had any issues with blueberries, thankfully.

I haven't tackled the hot flash issue with my PCP yet. She's a very caring doctor, very nice but she has totally effed me up by changing my thyroid meds, just based on my levels. It was too much change and I'm paying for it, fatigue and oh joy, the arrival,of a period after not having one for 3 months.. I did see a Gyn about a uterine fibroid I have, so I may talk to her about HRT. The hot flashes drive me batty. When I first started Humira, I got a fever after my second loading doses, so, then with the hot flashes, I was obsessively taking my temperature.

Yes, I'll be definitely be talking to GYN. I have to inquire about fibroids on a ct-scan I recently had.

Is HRT safe being on Humira or just having a bunch of other crap wrong with me in general? The hot flashes seemed to have subsided today but they'll be back. And it sucks having a period after not having one for 3 months.

Yes, it's always great right after Humira shot. Lol, I feel like I should smoke a cig post injection. I do pretty good but by the end of the 2 weeks, my body knows it's Humira time. Sheesh, was so scared of it at first, now I'm like a junkie waiting for next fix.

My GI considered possibility of moving me to an injection a week but the Rhuemy I saw said he would rather see me go on Remicade, said it would be safer. Who's right? Flock if I know, I'm hanging out OK on Humira, so I'm sticking with that for now. The best thing that's happened is no getting up multiple times to go to the bathroom, my bowels seem to know its nighty night time. I finished Flagyl and for last few days, I've been going only a couple of times a day, woo hoo!

Always something, this period I have is heavy and I know came about because of lowering my thyroid meds and I have fibroids. I should have had them taken out, I may have to look into that now. HRT makes periods stop? I'm on board. Does it cause weight gain?

Yes, definitely get off the steroids for sure. I won't do them, unless I'm at death's door and I have no choice. I'm still on Balasalzide and my GI wants me to stay on it for now, so I will, no bad side effects or anything, so not complaining.

Put in an email to GYN about heavy period and to my primary care, making it quite clear that my current thyroid med dosage blows! She's very nice but won't budge because of my test results being out of range and a endocrinologist referral is a no go. 😡

Well shyte, the email to GYN has netted me an appointment for a biopsy of fibroid. 😞

I'm on an HMO, Kaiser, so I have to use all their docs. To go out of network, I'd have to pay it all out of pocket. My PCP referred my case to endocrinology and they kicked it back that they would do same thing, change my dose. Pissed me off, when I saw PCP last, she assured we would get to bottom of thyroid issue and now I realize, she just snowed me to shut me up. Subsequently, she called me and blah, blah, your getting too much medication and it causes this, this and that symptoms...none of which I had. But no problem, I've been to hell and back getting my UC in remission but let's eff it up with thyroid med changes that have brought on fatigue, brain fog, heavy periods, my hair is falling out again. Ugh, sorry just venting but, the whole thing chaps my hyde. 😡