Gallbladder problems due to Humira and/or Methotrexate?

Hi Hatmaker and welcome to the Psoriasis forum. I am on Humira for crohns disease and have been several years now. I guess I get a two for one since I also have several forms of psoriasis. I have not heard of either of these meds causing gallbladder issues. I use to hang out on the crohns forum here a lot and saw people on both of these meds over the years and none of them ever had issues like this.

I had to have my gallbladder removed in 2002 and that was before any of these meds. I did not have stones, it just was not working properly. I don't know that anyone could say positively these medications are the culprit, because the gallbladder can just start causing a person problems without being on any medications of any kind. I have read that is it common for people that have crohns disease have gallbladder issues, how did they decide that one I am sure is through studies. But there again, people without crohns have to have their gallbladders taken out too, lol. Have you done any research on the internet to check any of this out? That may be a place for you to start. Was it ever mentioned on any of your print-outs that comes with the meds? You should be able to resume the meds if you do have to have it taken out. I am minus mine and everything is ok.

Let me know if you come up with anything on this. Take care and keep us posted.....Susie

Hi again, I know sometimes if the liver gets involved they will take the person off of the offending medication for a bit and sometimes resume the medications and really keep an eye on things. Of course, this is all up to your dr and what he finds on the labs.

I am glad that you insisted on the HIDA SCAN, that is what showed my gallbladder was not functioning correctly. I will tell anyone that may be having gallbladder issues to insist on the HIDA Scan. I know you already know this but try not to stress so much over things, that stress can trigger outbreaks. I consider myself a newbie with psoriasis, three years since I was dx'd and I had it severely before a dermatologist saw me. My group of drs that I see for various reasons all kept scratching their heads & butts and did not have a clue. I have been hospitalized with cellulitis infections on my feet and legs and I am just now starting to get a little control over this mess. I have different types and its a mess. So far none of the high dollar ointments my dermatologist uses have done a thing for me. It takes one with a steroid in it to help and then you have to worry about the skin thinning which I already have. I have the thick plaque psoriasis on my elbows and arms and would you believe I just started using olive oil on it and it may be helping a little, nothing else has so far.

Something none of the drs can answer is why it attacks one side of my body heavier than the other. Have you had this happen? For some reason it hits the right side of my body much worse than the left. No answer so far as to why.

Oh my a new tat! My dermatologist tells his patients no tats. I am really surprised at you getting one.

Please do keep me posted here on how things are going with you and ket me know about the results of your labs. Take care....Susie

Hatmaker I hope you will let me know about your labs. I know how stressed you are with the waiting. I am surprised that the dr hasn't chewed on you over the tats, lol. You know it probably was timing that is messing with your most recent one. It may heal fine, you never know, thats one thing I have learned.

I will make this one short, I am having some issues with my laptop, for some reason I can be in the middle of a sentence and either lose it or it will show up in the middle of another sentence or maybe 3 lines below!!! I have no clue what is causing this either, lol. Take care...Susie

Hi Susie,

I saw my PCP yesterday and my HIDA scan was negative. All is fine; completely normal. He actually thinks it might be abdominal wall muscle pain (?), due or related to my lower back pain. I have my serious doubts about that. Part of his argument was about my lack of movement. Well, I've lost over 65 pounds and I'm moving more than I have in 15 years. This has been over the course of about 7-8 months, so it's not been a shock to my system and it's not caused by increased activity either.

I asked him what more we could do to rule out other things, just to make me feel better and so we can say we did everything and be done with it. He ordered a CT scan. He also mentioned a possible colonoscopy (I'm coming up on 47 next week). Then come to find out the ultrasound tech completely neglected my entire pelvis during that test, so the CT is a good idea after all.

After the CT (and possibly a colonoscopy), I'm done. No more medical investigations. This is just too much. All these negative tests and all the wasted negative energy, time, and worry. It's weighing on my husband and me. And if they haven't found anything in all the main places they've looked, well, then I guess I'm safe. Or at least relatively healthy with nothing to worry about. That's one way of looking at it anyway.

My CT still hasn't been scheduled as my PCP is doing it his own way instead of just giving me a rx to schedule it myself. I saw the derm today and he just handed my a rx for it to speed things along.

The bad news is my derm will NOT give me my either of my meds back! They fear the MTX might be having an effect on my liver. They want me to return after my CT scan to reassess then. Heavy sigh....And yes, my flare-up is getting worse. The clobetasol is helping, but with me it's tiny spots popping up everywhere and it's difficult to get the topical in every little spot on every part of my body. I know, it doesn't sound very bad, but believe me, I know how the progression is and this is just the beginning. UGH.

I'm giving my PCP through today to call me with a CT appt. If I don't hear from them by 3:30 today, I'm going to step on his toes and just schedule it myself with the script the derm wrote me. He probably won't be happy about it, but the test could have been done by now and it's not even scheduled yet. Who knows what they are doing. I plan on being pro-active and advocating for myself, whether my PCP likes it or not.

The humira wasn't keeping my psoriasis stable and quite often they administer both Humira along with MTX and that keep it under control, as it did for me. The Humira alone just doesn't do it.

And it's another two weeks until I MIGHT get the meds back. To be completely honest with you, Susie, there's a part of me that just wants to go back on the meds anyway! I know, that would be bad. But my liver enzymes are fine. I know, I should just do what he says and wait it out. I guess it's my vanity. It's hard when I know that these meds will keep my skin clear. I remember so clearly the children pointing and asking me or their parents what's wrong with "her" legs??? Kids can be so cruel. I don't want to have to deal with that again.

I HATE PSORIASIS!!!!!

Hi Susie,

Here's the latest update. I finally got the CT last week and guess what? It's NORMAL!!!! Son of a *****! Yes, like everyone says, "that's good!". But it means still no answers, which pisses me off. So, this morning I took my methotrexate and injected my Humira. I'm done. I've been off my meds for a month now and the pain is WORSE, not better, so that tells me it's not the meds doing this, whatever it is. Also, since all these tests are negative, that tells me it's nothing emergent. So I say no more tests.

I can only hope that since my psoriasis is getting worse by the day that my derm might raise my MTX or Humira to get rid of this the flare up sooner. Fingers crossed.

Hey Susie,

I hope this finds you well. New development here - or new symptom I should say. I've had a fever for the last 3 days! Unexplained, I might add. No flu symptoms or any other symptoms, for that matter. I'm not positive, but I think my lymph nodes are swollen as well. Other than the aches and pains that go with having a fever, I don't feel sick and have no visible signs of infection.

I have to admit, I worry about being on MTX and Humira, what with the rare side effects they can cause (ie Lymphoma).

I also wonder if the plain fact of all this is finally getting to me and my mind is just racing at every possibility.

My doc is out of town this week so I can't do anything right now anyway. And my temp hasn't risen above 101 yet. If it does, I'll reassess then.

Of course having a fever just makes my fibro pain doubly bad! I'm SO bloody tired of feeling like crap!!!!

But I'm so grateful I have somewhere to go to vent - thanks to you.

My spouse has all of those things you mentioned going on with him right at this very moment. He takes the drugs you mentioned. Had the same problems you mentioned. Same negative test results. I personally believe it's from Humira exacerbated by methotrexate, but I don't have the proper medical training to make that call. Just a gut feeling from reading the possible side effects of the drug and the process of elimination.

A really cocky doctor started my husband on remicade when they found Ankylosing Spondylitis, and that drug nearly killed him. At climax, it rendered him unconscious and put him one point away from officially being in renal failure. This was back in 2013. He only stayed on remicade for two or three infusions. Next came Enbrel supplemented by methotrexate. That biologic made him too tired, but at least it didn't newly kill him. The methotrexate made him really sick. He eventually started experiencing kidney/renal issues once again. Next was Humira with a lesser dose of methotrexate. Cocktail started a year ago this past March.

Sometime mid or late last year, he started experiencing gastric issues. Over the following months symptoms grew progressively worse. He went to the ER around October for pains in is right side and back. The physician ran a workup and nothing came back. Gallbladder clear. Contributed his back pain to his autoimmune disorder and side pain to an unknown. December got a whole lot worse. He spent nearly week and a half in the hospital after a being admitted by the ER. Initial tests by ER again revealed nothing. While admitted they did a battery of tests and they also did an ultrasound, colonoscopy, endoscopy and hidas? scan. Again nothing. They ran these tests because all signs screamed gallbladder. (The gallbladder area is where his pain is at, and he has the radiating and reflecting pain; symptoms commonly associated with a bad gallbladder, as you know, I'm sure.)

Two days ago it got super bad. He couldn't stop vomiting and his painkillers were no longer touching the pain. ER admitted him and intended to take the gallbladder out, but the surgeon got spooked citing my husband's laundry list of medicines as possibly complicating/making the surgery too high a risk. He's 35 so age wasn't a factor. The surgeon ordered another ultrasound and hidas? scan. Husband did it. Nada. Then the surgeon wanted to do a Cat scan (maybe ct can't remember atm) and another endoscopy. By then he'd had enough of being jerked around and went AMA. (Several doctors agreed it was clearly a bad gallbladder even though it came back clear and there was no point to do another endoscopy silver one was done for months ago; the surgeon wanted proof via imaging.)

Side note.. You referenced the liver. He tested positive for autoimmune hepatitis last month. He also has fatty liver, which they found during December. We still need to see his rheumatologist to find out the implications for autoimmune hepatitis. Also, the GI specialist we got a second opinion from while in the hospital a couple days ago said he should not be on methotrexate, explaining methotrexate can scar the liver and cause cirrhosis which would make this a whole lot worse since things are already this bad.

They've suspended his Humira and methotrexate until this is sorted.

Send me your contact info if you'd like to chat.