Blood tests on Humira

[nogutsnoglory]

What blood tests and how often are standard or suggested on Humira? I just switched from 6mp and used to check CBC, iron, b12 and ESR.

 

[CyCrohn'sGuy]

I have blood tests every 6-8 weeks since I have been on Humira. They are the following:

Hb
Hct
Red Blood Cells
E.S.R.
CRP
UREA
CREATININE
sGPT
sGOT
y-GT
ALP
SERUM AMYLASE
Platelets
White Blood Cells
INR

Hope this helps

 

[Mark63]

Hi,

Slightly different in the UK, I have these done every three months with occasional checks for other things.

Mark

FBC Including:
Haemoglobin Estimation
Total White Cell Count
Platelet Count
Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV)
Red Blood Cell Count (RBC)
Packed Cell Volume
Mean Corpuscular Haemoglobin (MCH)
Neutrophil Count
Lymphocyte Count
Monocyte Count
Eosinophil Count
Basophil Count

Renal Function Tests Including:
Serium Sodium
Serium Potassium
Serium Creatinine
Glomerular Filtration Rate

Liver Function Test Including:
Serium Albumin
Serum Total Bilirubin
Serum Alkaline Phosphatase
Serium ALT/SGP

CRP

ESR

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Are those necessary for all on Humira or just for you? On 6mp I did CBC, ESR, Iron, B12 and Folate.

 

[TeresaPro]

i get them done every 2 weeks but that is because they are watching my liver count (due to them going way up when i was on remicade) i am not sure what else they test for but the list seems a mile long!!

 

[Mark63]

Hi nogutsnoglory,

This is a standard set of blood, nothing special to me. It's really four basic tests, Liver Function, Kidney Function and Full Blood Count are must haves to monitor how you are handling the drug and general state of health. CRP and ESR are looking at the inflamatory processes and give an indication of how active the Crohn's is and/or how well the drugs are working.

Mark

 

[suschex]

This concerns me!!! I have been on Humira for almost 12 weeks and my doctor hasn't done any blood tests at all. I saw him on Tuesday and he said since I am in remission now with the Humira, he wants me to have labs in 6 months and see him again in a YEAR...this seems odd to me...does it to any of you????

 

[Ducey99]

Yes! Like Mark said; Liver, Kidney and Full blood count are the standard to see how the drug is effecting your body.

 

[Mark63]

Suzanne,

It's down to you Doctor to decide what tests and how often they are done. There does not seem to be any firm guidance, however six months between basic bloods seems too long to me.

Mark

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Which liver and kidney tests should they run?

 

[flowergirl]

i'm not on humira, i'm on remicade, but i had metabolic panels done after 2 weeks of starting, then 6 weeks later, and next one in 3 months, at which they'll be doing inflammatory markers in addition to the others.

 

[Mark63]

Hi nogutsnoglory,

The manufacturer, Abbott Laboratories, doesn't have any specific guidance that I can find in their published information, they leave it to the Doctor to decide what needs to be monitored. The content of blood panels varies from country to country and lab to lab, so there's little point in breaking it down too far. In addition to your CBC I would think that they would want Liver function and Kidney function tests.

You should have had an opportunity to talk to your Doctor before you started the drug. There would normally be a chest X-ray or TB test and depending how cautious they are a check of your vaccination status for other diseases. You should also have been advised of potential side effects, some of which can be serious. If you are concerned you should speak to you Doctor.

Humira is a powerful and effective drug, but it seems to be well tolerated by most of us. The best thing is to be informed, but not to spend too much time worrying.

Mark

 

[CyCrohn'sGuy]

This concerns me!!! I have been on Humira for almost 12 weeks and my doctor hasn't done any blood tests at all. I saw him on Tuesday and he said since I am in remission now with the Humira, he wants me to have labs in 6 months and see him again in a YEAR...this seems odd to me...does it to any of you????

Absolutely...... after 3 months you should have had at least initial tests done to see how your organs are tolerating Humira..... I would insist on labs.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

I just started so it would be too early to tell. Mainly I wanna see my absorption after surgery and also my liver levels since they were raised last time.

 

[stardreamer22]

I'm no longer on Humira, however when I was I was getting labs every 8 weeks with a full work up every 6 months. I'd ask for labs if they aren't ordering them.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Doctor did kidney and liver as well as others to get a baseline. Thanks for your help guys.