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Crohn's and Humira while studying abroad

Hello,

I have recently started a study abroad program with my graduate school. I have moved around quite frequently and always notice that I need an extra week or so to settle in because my stomach gets pretty upset when I first change locations. Has anyone else experienced this?

I've noticed that doing light yoga and other low intensity exercises really help me as well. I'm currently having a rough couple of days after the move and just want to know if anyone else has had any similar experiences and if they have found ways to mitigate this. I've been trying to meditate and relax because I think anxiety may cause my Crohn's to flare up a bit. I just hope I start feeling better soon. I really don't like staying inside all day when I would like to be exploring the city with my friends.

I started Humira about 2.5 months ago and found that it really helped for the first few weeks but then started to help a little less (possibly due to the decrease in milligrams after the starter kit?). I still feel better than when I was on no medication but am still hoping that it will really help me a lot like it did initially. I am thinking of asking my doctor if I should inject Humira once every 10 days instead of every two weeks but also want to wait it out a bit longer to see if the Humira starts to work as well as it did with the 4 pen starter kit. Does anyone have any advice regarding how long it takes for Humira to start working to its full capacity and how I long I should wait until increasing the prescription frequency?

I like Humira so far and definitely feel that it has been helping me but I just really hope it starts working as well as it did on the first injection so that I can really take advantage of studying abroad and finishing graduate school.

Thank you for reading this and sharing any advice or personal experiences.
 

my little penguin

Moderator
Staff member
Humira can take up to 4-5 months to be fully effective.
Ds started on kiddie dose first ( he was at the max weight for kiddie dose ) when that didn't work he switched to 40 mg every two weeks
It was only upped to every 10 days after he was dx with juvenile spondyloarthritis the Rheumo upped the humira frequency and added mtx
Good luck
 
Hi Stacia, I travel with work and find the symptoms you describe to be pretty similar. An upset in my routine raises stress levels I think (nothing major, just requires extra moving and energy) which translates for me into tiredness and cramps. I live in Geneva at the moment with work and find the difference in diet really interesting. The food is cleaner and closer to the source which actually has really helped me. I wouldn't have thought before that my diet used a lot of prepared ingredients but now I see it did. I think going back to basics at times like this helps. Of course, if you are moving eating out seems to happen more. I try to stick to a simple menu out too.


Best of luck with your course and your travels. Having had this for the last 21 years (Im now 30) I love that I can say I never let it hold me back from anything. Im on a two year contract in GVA but I know that 1 year will be the most I should do. I dehydrate really quickly due to short bowel syndrome and the weather here is too hot. My project role is too stressful and demanding (im seeing skin symptoms I never have before arise) and I also miss my family and my sense of community. All these things are factors in my happiness and ultimately my overall quality of life. Still, I did a year and it feels great to know that. Stick with it. :)
 
Thank you so much for your advice! It is a relief to hear that you have had similar experiences with travel and have been able to continue pursuing your career abroad. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Geneva and continue feeling well. Thank you so much for your kind words of encouragement!
 
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