Humira and imuran
Common Questions and Answers about Humira and imuran
humira
My BD has been maintained by Humira 40Mg weekly and Imuran 200Mg daily for over a year. Prior to that Humira was bi-weekly for about 8 months and Enbrel was used for about 8 months prior to it. All in combination with Imuran 150Mg or 200Mg. During this time I have had uveitis (lasted for about 4 months) followed by gastritis (8 months), followed by strep throat leading to chronic tonsilitis and re-occuring bronchitis flares for 6 months that triggered asthma and now back to uveitis...
I had UC for ten years until I perforated and had my colon removed and a J-pouch built 16 years ago. My son has UC and moved onto the Imuran last year. He did have some acne with the prednisone too. He has been in a wonderful remission this past year and is so enjoying feeling healthy. The only change he continues to make is to leave dairy alone as he realizes he is lacto intolerant. I hope you will get the same success. How I wish this was available to me back when I was ill.
For the first month and I half I was moody and tired all the time. I felt so hungry and I ended up gaining about 60lbs, apparently most of it was water from the prednisone. Everything has precautions, but I think if you're doctor is willing to try it, it's worth it. I think it's a lot better then prednisone since the weight and insecurities don't play a factor as much.
You also have to remember that Humira may not be the cure all medication.
I am currently taking prednisone (5 mg per day and tapering), plaquenil, imuran, humira (every 10 days), celebrex (100 mg twice a day), elavil (low dose for insomnia and chronic pain relief), and a couple meds for GERD & Barret's esophagus too. I've never been a pill popper before aug 2010, but I am convinced all these meds are truly needed since I now can use my hands again without major pain and stiffness (still have some but it's MUCH better than last year).
However over the last year I have noticed times where I would get sudden onsets of severe abdominal cramping, diarrhea (normailly always constipated), and nausea. I would be running back and forth to the bathroom every five to ten minutes and this would last for a period of two to four hours. After I would have a very tender abdomen and feel like anything I ate could trigger another "attack". In the last few months I have noticed that these attacks have been coming more often.
As you go up in drugs, the impact and potential side effects go up (e.g. next step would be something like Imuran, then Humira). Have you gotten any blood tests recently? C-Reactive counts, Sedimentary rate, and White Blood Cell counts can be markers of imflammation or a change in something. Vitamin D will probably be low if you're not absorbing anything in your gut (i.e. frequent diarrehea).
Personally, if you're at 15x a day, I would go find a different GI.
statistically 1 out of every 2-3 of us has hsv1 and 1 out of every 4-5 has hsv2 - a lot of folks who take humira, are already going to have herpes whether they know it or not! Of course you also can contract herpes simplex, either orally or genitally, while taking humira too.
It also can cause shingles to occur - you'd have to have had chicken pox in the past before starting humira in order to have a shingles reactivation.
I realize you all are busy, but I would be immensely grateful if you would give a few thoughts regarding some matters of great concern to me.
I have autoimmune hepatitis - 22 YO male. Never drank alcohol, taken drugs, or done anything that would have exposed me to hepatitis C (blood tests confirmed).
Per my biopsy of about 18 months ago, I am in stage 2 bridging fibrosis - although my LFTs have been elevated since then.
for 8 years or so. However, I am hoping to get pregnant and so my Dr. slowly weaned me off the imuran and now I am on prednisone 20mg. My last dose of immuarn was tuesday--25mg (down from 100mg). Now my dr. wants me to wait 2-3 months to start trying to get pregnant! Does anyone know anything about that--that it takes 2-3 months for imuran to get out of the body? Has anyone had any experience with trying to get pregnant and/or having a baby with AIH and being on either of these meds??
The response is correct....you are not supposed to drink alcoholic beverages while taking methotrexate...I was on the same dose as you and my rheumy said no alcohol...some rheumies will allow a certain number of drinks per year...like 1 drink on a special occasion...recommend you contact your rheumy if not already done, as s/he should have provided this direction to you...it's to avoid liver damage...I've since been put on other RA meds, but still can't drink...
13 years ago I was diagnosed with genital herpes which I contracted from my now ex. I married 8 years ago to a good man with a bad case of Psoriasis. About 6 months ago he was diagnosed with Psoriatic arthritis after having his hands and body start crippling his abailities in daily living, and began taking Humira as treatment. Recently he has decided that we can no longer be intimate and we need to separate.
There are enough other sites and posts of the same complaint and also in the first 6 months on Humira. It was about my 3rd injection I think when I started having tooth pain in my upper front teeth. Within a couple of days, my bottom front teeth stated hurting. I skipped a week of Humira under Dr advice incase I was fighting a sinus infection. Symptoms got better. Then I started back on my Humira last night and my teeth are killing me again.
I am a 27 year old female who has autoimmune hepatitis and colitis. I have been on imuran (azothiaprine) for about 4 years and that has held my liver enzymes in complete check and I've been fine. I would now very much like to become pregnant, but my high-risk OBGYN has warned me of the risks of being on imuran while trying to concieve.
I would also recommend you see a rheumatologist to get a proper diagnosis. Pain in the sacrum is one of the key indicators of Ankylosing Spondylitis so you may have that. Plus it seems that AS and IBS often go hand in hand.
I have ankylosing spondylitis and irritable bowel syndrome. I've been following a low starch diet (Carol Sinclair's IBS Low Starch Diet) and it has really helped.
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