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Anyone take Humira once a week instead of once every two weeks?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 4/23/2022 12:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hey, folks.

I'm currently on Humira, and it worked well for a year. It seems to be loosing efficacy, though, and I'm slowly slipping back into a flare. I was thinking about asking my doc to prescribe a weekly humira injection instead of a biweekly.

Is weekly humira an option for UC folks?

I really like the convenience of home injection with Humira, and I'm reluctant to switch to Remicade because I don't want to have to drive to an infusion center once a month.
Posted 4/23/2022 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
MB,

Yes, once a week is an option. I haven't been on Remicade in over 10 years so I don't exactly remember but I thought it was somewhere around 8-12 weeks per an infusion.

Have you tried adding enemas? Sometimes you need some additional firepower when treating UC.
Posted 4/23/2022 7:47 PM (GMT 0)
Moved to weekly injections about a month ago and seems to be making a difference.
Posted 4/26/2022 7:46 PM (GMT 0)
Yep, it's an option. When I tried this, I got a really bad side effect, but I believe that is quite rare as I couldn't find it happening to anyone else. It wasn't helping me anyway and my drug levels were normal at every 2 weeks, so I stopped it.
Posted 4/27/2022 12:52 AM (GMT 0)

Sara14 said...
Yep, it's an option. When I tried this, I got a really bad side effect, but I believe that is quite rare as I couldn't find it happening to anyone else. It wasn't helping me anyway and my drug levels were normal at every 2 weeks, so I stopped it.

I always had side-effects from Humira and it got much worse after I went to weekly injections. My GI called it “serum sickness”. We tried Simponi and Cimzia after Humira but I had it with those anti-TNF meds too. My side effects weren’t fun.
Posted 4/27/2022 9:44 AM (GMT 0)
Can I ask what side effects you experienced?
Humira seems to be doing my bowel good but the rest of my body seems to be screaming...joint pain, headaches, dizziness to name a few and I don’t know if it's all related.
Posted 4/27/2022 2:12 PM (GMT 0)

Ms2011 said...
Can I ask what side effects you experienced?
Humira seems to be doing my bowel good but the rest of my body seems to be screaming...joint pain, headaches, dizziness to name a few and I don’t know if it's all related.

I had dry mouth and severe itching from only Humira. I was good on Remicade for 4+ years and then I developed Serum Sickness and had it with all the anti-tnf products after that. Serum sickness caused neurological issues for me and I'd drop things and trip. It was scary but it went away a few months after I discontinued the anti-tnf meds - it's one of the reasons that I went for surgery.
Posted 4/27/2022 4:32 PM (GMT 0)
I was severely dizzy and had an odd sensation of feeling like I was about to pass out, like when you fall asleep for a second while tired and driving. I got all kinds of tests done and everything was "normal." I was scared to even drive and couldn't really function at all. It would start up every morning about an hour after I woke up. First started while just sitting on the couch right after eating dinner. It was terrifying. Went to the ER for it and they found nothing either. Yeah, I feel Humira poisoned me.
Posted 4/27/2022 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
Oh, it also gave me severe migraines, unlike anything I had ever experienced in my life (or since getting off of it), and now Aleve no longer works for my headaches or migraines, it made me need an actual migraine med, when for the first 36 years of my life, Aleve worked for all my migraines and headaches. I wish I had never taken Humira.
Posted 4/28/2022 2:12 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the replies.
My joint pain started about 6 months after starting Humira and I don’t think I've felt right since.
So hard to differentiate between feeling crappy because of UC or because of the medication 🙄
Posted 4/28/2022 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
Yes. I went from 1 shot every other week to 2 shots every other week. It put me in a sustained remission for about 3 years. In fact, my doctor and I agree to try for 2 shots weekly, because I began to build antibodies to the medicine. But the insurance said No. Otherwise, I think I would still be on Humira smiling in remission!
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