Advice on switching to Humira

[Fayne]

I'm currently on remicade for crohn's disease in the terminal ileum. I started remicade Feb 2011 at 5mg/kg. After the loading doses, the remicade seemed to do ok for about 4-5 weeks before I started feeling bad again. In September 2011 I was increased to 10 mg/kg at a 6 week interval. Now I feel that that isn't working.

My GI doctor has discussed switching to Humira. I want to make completely sure that the Remicade isn't working and want to know what to expect.

If anybody was on Remicade before switching to Humira, how did you feel on the Remicade vs Humira. I'm trying to see if I should change.

 

[CyCrohn'sGuy]

Before switching to Humira, I was on Remicade for less than a year and for 8 months I felt great. I put all my weight back on, had energy, could work, could play, could eat....life was good! Then I became immune to it......

I've been on Humira since September 2010, one month after surgery for a perforated ileum, and although symptoms are slowly creeping back, diarrhea, fatigue, bleeding, I generally feel ok and am not in any pain. The thing is I can't quite determine whether its the surgery that was a success or the Humira. I like to think it is a combination of both and the Humira is now maintaing my "remission."

Good luck with it. I sincerely hope it works for you.

Costas

 

[Fayne]

I'm trying to find out if I'm getting immune to it. At first I felt great. Now some of the symptoms are coming back. I don't really feel a difference before or after the infusion.

 

[TeresaPro]

i just switched..haven't really noticed a difference yet,but i suppose time will tell

 

[Miss Gypsy]

Hi Fayne,

Sorry to hear you might be immune to the Remi. I had to switch a month ago because I started getting rashes. My GI switched me to Humira and I just finished the last loading dose (which is the first time I only have to do 1 injection instead of 2 or 4). I'm also on Pred, but slowly tapering. I didn't see improvement right away on Humira, but now I'm starting to get regular poo again (yay!) and I'm only going 1 or 2 times a day. We'll see what happens as I get off the Pred.

I am actually finding the logistics of Humira a lot easier than Remi. The specialty pharmacy is really nice and set me up with financial assistance on their own, rather than making me wrestle with a program like RemiStart. Also, it's nice that the self-injections take just a few minutes rather than hours of my time. I also feel less like a sickie when I can treat at home rather than have to go to a doc's office.

Hope I answered some questions for you. Let me know if you have any more and good luck with everything!

 

[Fayne]

Please keep me updated on how the Humira is working. Currently, I'm not having D but I am going about 10 times a day and have fairly decent amount of pain and urgency. My next Remicade infusion is Janurary 24.

 

[georgiegirl]

Sorry I can't help with your question, I've never been on remi but just started Humira. I just wanted to comment how silly it seems that you can become immune to an immune-suppressant!

 

[Fayne]

Maybe becoming "unresponsive" to Remicade is better.