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Cancer and Humira

Anyone on Humira whom have already been diagnosed with cancer?

I am 42 and have been prescribed Humira for my fistula and Crohn's disease.

I'm really concerned about infection, my last chemo was early December 2013 and I'm taking pain medication for body aches from the chemo.

Any helpful suggestions are welcomed.

Thanks!
:ghug:
 
I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it has metastasized. I'm taking herceptin to keep it from spreading. My fistula got better but then I did too much and now it's sore again. Guess I'll start humira this week, I don't want to have surgery.
 
The ocean, the Humira didn't help with your fistula, do you have to have surgery? I heard fabrins glue might be a good option. Where is your fistula? Mine is a perianal.
 

theOcean

Moderator
The ocean, the Humira didn't help with your fistula, do you have to have surgery? I heard fabrins glue might be a good option. Where is your fistula? Mine is a perianal.
My fistula was a day away from bursting by the time I finally went to the hospital to get it looked at. I didn't realize what it was before then. I was on Remicade and prednisone at the time, and they clearly didn't do anything for me. I went to the hospital, got my surgery done, and was just on antibiotics (cipro and flagyl) and prednisone for a little while. A few months later I was taken off of Remicade because of my allergic reactions, and was put on Imuran and Humira instead.

Humira has been absolutely AMAZING for treating my fistula. Remicade barely helped at all, and I could tell the moment it was no longer in my system. Humira has successfully stopped any drainage I had post-surgery, and I've been doing so well I'm able to get my seton out to see if Humira will help it heal and close with no additional surgeries or glue.

Mine is also perianal! Quite bad, though -- it apparently went all the way up to my stomach, and I was so sick from the infection in it in combination with my flare that I nearly died. So if you got yours drained, I feel like it would probably be easier to deal with. :p
 
I also had bad side effects from Remicade, boils that had to be lanced and lots of antibiotics. I was worried I'd get the same from Humira, but it sounds like I might be like you and be ok on it. My fistula is sore but not infected, lots of sits baths and pain meds. I'm worried about it going elsewhere.

Thank you!
 

theOcean

Moderator
Also, I'm sure others on the forum have had success with unnatural methods of plugging the fistula, but my GI told me that was usually ineffective. If infection was still active, it would usually just branch elsewhere and then you'd have to get surgery for it again.
 

theOcean

Moderator
Oh gosh, I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with Remicade, too. :( For me it mostly manifested as skin problems -- eczema, psoriasis, hives. Humira you're much less likely to get reactions to, since it's a human antibody as opposed to Remicade which is mouse antibody.

It sounds like you're doing the right thing for your fistula, though! Sitz baths are incredibly helpful. Just keep an eye on things, and make sure it doesn't get worse. Hopefully you won't need to go the surgery route. :)
 
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