Humira Club Support Group

Crohn's Disease Forum

Help Support Crohn's Disease Forum:

Has the cream and shampoo helped you? I will find out tomorrow from my doctor what the next step is.

I have not had joint pain, but I have read where others have.
 
Of course. So they are calling it an allergy, but not to humira? I hope your get your joint pain gets figured out. I thought Humira was also given for arthritis as well as Crohn's.
 
Joint aches and little red bumps are also associated with Crohn's. I forget the precise details, but I've read about it before.
 
About a year ago I started having severe joint pain after being on Humira for about 7 months. I am 52 and would get out of bed like a crippled "old person". If I drove my car for over 1/2 hour I could barely get out of the car. I also was sent to a rheum., he did some blood work and my c relative protien was very high. He upped my dosage of humira and that seemed to help. Now I only have joint pain off and on. I have found that working out at the gym helps. I just baby my knees. Good luck!
 
I got my results from all of my red bumps and I have a staph infection. My mom was sick and in the hospital for three months, my doctor says with my low immune system I more than likely picked it up there. I have contacted my GI to find out if I continue my shot of Humira and if it is ok to start the penicillin. Hoping for an answer from her quickly...yeah right.
 
Hi guys, I would love to join this group. I am starting Humira in two weeks, and was wondering what infections people have battled since starting this medication? Did anything underlying get out of control for anyone? Thanks for any responses!
 
My daughter didn't have any negative affects on Humira except for fatigue & headaches. They were manageable. We scheduled Humira before bed and it seemed to help. No additional illnesses, a couple of colds last year but no biggie. Hope it goes well for you!
 
SupportiveMom said:
My daughter didn't have any negative affects on Humira except for fatigue & headaches. They were manageable. We scheduled Humira before bed and it seemed to help. No additional illnesses, a couple of colds last year but no biggie. Hope it goes well for you!
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Thank you :)
 
Oops, I just injected a months worth of humira in one sitting (80mg). I forgot its not the initial loading dose anymore! Ugh! Well hope it helps me...

Update: guts are rumbling like mad. I'm worried.....
 
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Titanette.. That stinks. Didn't know staph infection means off humira
Jaja I wonder what this will mean for your next dosage? Hopefully they can get you a replacement for the one in2 weeks? I hope your stomach calms down.
 
My guts are still really loud and I just woke up. I've been sleeping since last night 11pm! Never felt this sleepy in my life. I'm guessing my next one won't be until October now. Thanks for writing me. <3
 
My stomach is rumbling really loud after starting Humira. No pain so it doesn't bother me that much. I had (or still have) staph infection on skin before starting but it has stayed in control. In fact it has been getting better after starting humira. No need for antibiotic creams or local cortisone creams.
 
hi all! im back after a long absence! since 4 years my therapy ih humira and now i stay well!!humira is perfect for me! but unfortunately in recent months there have been a new problem: kidney stones!
but the situation is still much better than a few years ago
 
Hi everyone,
I was just officially Dx with Crohn's today and my doctor and I decided that my treatment plan will be Entocort for 6-8 weeks then taper off and also Humira, which I should be starting in about a week or so. I think we are doing Humira right off the bat primarily because of the extent and severity of disease (it's all along my upper GI tract, small bowel, and distal colon). Apparently I'll be scheduling surgery sooner or later if we don't do some sort of intense treatment, so we decided Humira would be the best choice for me right now. No surgery for me, thank you very much! :)

I'm glad this group exists for me to join. It's a great resource.
I'm going to read up on Humira now!
 
I wish you the best of luck!!!!! i was in the same boat as you in june/july. im still trying to get the flare under control. the humira might not be working for me, ill know next week. ive learned to measure progress by monthly, its hard not to get discouraged
 
I think it's safe to say Humira has kicked in for me. Today is injection day and I haven't even done it. Quite the contrast from counting down the hours like I have the last few months!
 
Hi everyone,

Seeking some support today. Humira is doing the opposite of what I hoped it would do for me. My condition has worsened since my last dose. I now have explosive diarrhea, urgency, high fevers, severe abdominal pain, wheezing in my chest. I know this has nothing to do with the two pens I injected bc I called Humira and they said it takes a lot of Humira to overdose according to their trials.
 
Ja ja, how are you today? Any better? Could you have the flu or something unrelated to Humira? Crossing my fingers you bounce back quickly.
 
SupportiveMom said:
Ja ja, how are you today? Any better? Could you have the flu or something unrelated to Humira? Crossing my fingers you bounce back quickly.
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Thank you. :( I'm not doing well. Went to the doctor today and having my stool checked. Humira exasperated some preexisting condition. Question is which one. The symptoms like explosive diarrhea/pain are not typical for me.....check back soon.
 
Juuh said:
My stomach is rumbling really loud after starting Humira. No pain so it doesn't bother me that much. I had (or still have) staph infection on skin before starting but it has stayed in control. In fact it has been getting better after starting humira. No need for antibiotic creams or local cortisone creams.
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How are you feeling?
 
I'm going to have to stop humira for a couple of weeks because of a leg operation, as there are questions whether it is working or not, it will be a good test.
Hoping to get the bloodtest concerning antibodies back as well, as that will definitely decide whether I'll stop completely or not.
 
So I just started Humira on mon. night and this is kind of weird wondering if anyone else had this but its like every other day i wake up feeling amazing have a great day then Boom next day feel like I've been hit by a truck no joke had a great day all together yesterday then wake up today and can barely get out of bed everything hurts didn't do to much yesteday or anything and can't figure out whats going on low grade fever today nothing to worry about
 
Just got insurance approval for Humira and am currently taking Entocort which we will taper after starting humira. My GI office is 3 hours away and not sure how comfortable my PCP's office feels about injection training since he stated that he doesn't know that much about Humira. Does anyone know if a nurse from humira will come to the house to train me how to do the injections? Thought I read that somewhere? Anyhow anyone else have a Humira nurse come to your house for training?? Thanks
 
When I started Humira, a home health nurse came to my house for the initial 4-pen dose, and AbbVie (the Humira company) called me before my injections for the first three months to make sure I was comfortable doing them myself.
 
I think that the Humira company sent a nurse after clearing it with my insurance. You can always call and ask for sure; they've always been very nice and helpful every time I've called them. :thumright:
 
i just started mine and Humira has started a newer program my GI doctors office just had to fax them a paper and Humira pays for what they call an ambassador called me and came to my house and they are basically on call anytime you may need to ask them a question or anything my lady that came was sooo nice and made me feel easier about doing it less intimidating she stayed while I did all 4 shots and went over everything before hand and answered any questions i had only thing was she couldn't do the actual shots for me just coached me through the entire thing
 
I had a partial obstruction and flare last week & my GI upped me to 80mg every two weeks. I'm pretty bummed about having to double my dose. It took a good while for me to accept having to take it in the first place. I really hope she lets me try 40mg again in 6 mos or a year.
 
got the results of prometheus back, i am continuing humira, my next dose will be at the 3 month mark and it is just starting to kick in for me.
 
Hello! Thursday I will be on Humira for 18 weeks. I am happy to report much improved in the pain and diarrhea department- took I would say, 12 wks.
As far as side effects: something weird is happening to skin on my legs, but not severe (psoriasis?) also I DO have fatigue the day after the dose. Does anyone feel crushing fatigue just BEFORE the dose like I do today?
Could it be Crohns fatigue because I need the shot?
All in all I am glad I gave it a chance those 12 weeks! :)
 
Thanks Napali Coast. I have requested your message moved to its own thread so more people see the webinar info as not everyone looks at this thread.

Thank you for sharing.
 
I'm having "mystery symptoms" going on, which I suspected were residual lyme disease or a coinfection. Results from a specialist were negative, but I'm feeling worse anyway. I'm wondering if anyone here has any thoughts, any similar experiences.

I'm having problems with short-term memory, "brain fog," feeling too hot/feverish at times when the ambient temperature doesn't fit (but not running an actual fever when I've been able to check. Very fatigued, increasing joint pain (knees constantly, some back, left elbow and shoulder, fingers), some muscle pain (mostly neck), maybe a little nerve pain, tingling in face accompanied by redness, sometimes a faint white splotchiness on my palms. Occasional little muscle spasms and cramps/charlie horses. Left side seems to be hit more than the right.

The nurse at work noted that the redness in my face was similar to the butterfly rash of lupus. So that's added to my list of things to investigate, along with chronic fatigue and MS, since it's looking like lyme isn't actually the cause for me. I've been on Humira for 2 years.
 
margaretpierce said:
Hello! Thursday I will be on Humira for 18 weeks. I am happy to report much improved in the pain and diarrhea department- took I would say, 12 wks.
As far as side effects: something weird is happening to skin on my legs, but not severe (psoriasis?) also I DO have fatigue the day after the dose. Does anyone feel crushing fatigue just BEFORE the dose like I do today?
Could it be Crohns fatigue because I need the shot?
All in all I am glad I gave it a chance those 12 weeks! :)
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could it be erythema nodosum? red-like bumps on legs?
 
SupportiveMom said:
Thanks Napali Coast. I have requested your message moved to its own thread so more people see the webinar info as not everyone looks at this thread.

Thank you for sharing.
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Napali Coast: I have created a thread in the main treatment forum titled:

Know Your IBD: A Webcast Series for Patients

Dusty. :)
 
I've been having extreme joint pain while on Humira. Doctors first thought it was a Crohn's manifestation. Went to a rheumatologist and there is absolutely nothing wrong with my joints (yay!). Anyone else had this problem?

Pretty sure it is the Humira so I'm not going to be taking it again...
 
Luthien,

It is both the Crohn's and TNF blocker(s) that can cause severe joint pain. I have experienced both. You know your body best - if the joint pain subsides when your Humira trough is reduced….then you know it is the Humira. However, I would proceed cautiously, because once you give up the Humira it is highly unlikely you will ever be able to return to it based on your body building-up antibodies.

Great news that you have no permanent joint damage - nonetheless, not many realize just how debilitating severe joint pain can be.

How long have you been on Humira?
 
I've been on it about 4 months, they just upped my dose to once a week and after I took it a week apart I nearly couldn't walk.
I've never had the joint pain before this so I'm thinking it is likely the drugs rather than the Crohn's
 
That is great news. I personally encountered those issues when my body rejected Remicade (built up antibodies). Thus, my change to Humira. My doctor has advised me to look out for those same issues with Humira.

The good news is - you have never had the 'joint pain side effect' from Crohn's. For me, that outragous pain was the reason I deceided to move forward with using TNF blockers. I discovered when my Crohn's was flaring, my joint pain became excruciating. Unfortunately, it took me awhile to connect the two - I guess I was in denial even after my doctor said they msot likely were related. I was told... control the Crohn's and you'll control the severe joint pain. However, later, I was able to differentiate between the TNF caused joint pain…and my Crohn's caused joint pain. No one know's our bodies better than us….

Are you currently flaring? If yes, was that the reason for the Humira increase?
 
They thought I may have built up antibodies to the Humira, I told my doctor the blood test was going to be too expensive for me to do though so no official numbers on that.

I went straight to TNF blockers after my diagnosis, after surgery and a few months on prednisone. I wasn't diagnosed until after surgery, so I don't know what normal really feels like without drugs. The Humira dose was increased because around day 12 (of 14) I would start to get some Crohn's symptoms back, and I would just feel all around icky until my next injection.
 
my blood pressure is a bit low probably from the anemia tho. i had joint pain from the crohns and frankenscence extract pills have been keeping it under control, the joint damage to my feet has been done tho
 
I know what you mean…the Prometheus blood test can be expensive, however, they work with your insurance company and will appeal the claim with them as well. The cost for the test (they do not charge up front) is as little as $50… and worst case scenerio, (insurance denies the claim) no more than $250. Again, only if your insurance denies the claim. Many insurance companies are coming around and are accepting the claims. For those insurance companies that do not, after all apeals have been exhausted (they do all the work) Prometheus will never charge more than the $250 and considerably less based on your income level.

My Prometheus test revealed, I had built-up approximately 12.0 antibodies with a 0 trough.

I am sorry to hear about the surgery. Several years back, I had a blockage and was prepared for surgery and by the grace of God - the NG (tube down the nose into the stomach) helped relieve the blockage.

I appalud you for taking the bull by the horns and starting the TNF blockers right away…. It is a great feeling when you know the drug is working and you get relief.

Has your doctor suggetsed maybe starting you on a small dose of Imuran? This helps with keeping the antibodies at bay.
 
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Yeah I'm a college student so any extra money is pretty much non-existent right now. Otherwise I would be doing any/all tests right now to help.

My doctor had originally suggested Imuran along with the Humira, but he never followed through on that, I guess because I did okay on the Humira at first. I'm also very against medications in general, so getting me to take more drugs is quite difficult.
 
I am with you - I never wanted to pull the trigger on the TNF blockers or other drugs either. In fact, I just learned from my doctor that Imuran (small dose 50mg) helps keep the antibodies at bay.

I hope your next GI appointment goes well and that you can get a handle on the Humira/ joint pain.

You are obviously a fighter - a very smart fighter!
 
You can have joint pain develop later with crohn's.
DS had no joint pain for over a year but later started started with joint pain prior to humira.
After a year and half this progressed to juvenile spondyloarthritis .

Not saying this is happening in your case but often it takes time to show up despite pain.

https://www.rheumatology.org/Practi...itions/Spondylarthritis_(Spondylarthropathy)/


But something to be aware - it does present differently than regular RA.
 
I'll try again with a simpler question, my thoughts aren't coming as easy as normal...

Does anybody have experience with a Humira reaction, specifically the drug-induced lupus stuff? Is that something that happens only soon after starting, or is it something that can happen at any time (say after being on Humira for 2 years)?
 
I started my loading dose of Humira today. Can I join the Humira club!? I am also taking Budesinide, 6mp and Lyaldia. I am hoping to wean off meds and just be giving myself Humira shots every other week. I am looking forward to finally being controlled! From what I have read on the forum Humira seems to be mostly positive besides the needle poke! :) I can do this though :)
 
Luthien said:
I've been on it about 4 months, they just upped my dose to once a week and after I took it a week apart I nearly couldn't walk.
I've never had the joint pain before this so I'm thinking it is likely the drugs rather than the Crohn's
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I have had Crohn's for 20 years and never had any joint pain until I recently tried Azathioprine. It was one of the side effects that made me stop taking it. It took a few weeks, but now the joint pain is gone. I am supposed to try Humira now. I am holding off, I am really prone to side effects...
 
Hi everyone,I've been on humara for 4 months and I'm losing hope,diagnosed with crohn's one year ago,humara took away the spasms but still have daily pain,thinking about surgery,any suggestions!
 
maggieil31 said:
Hi everyone,I've been on humara for 4 months and I'm losing hope,diagnosed with crohn's one year ago,humara took away the spasms but still have daily pain,thinking about surgery,any suggestions!
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What other medications are you on? I think taking something to control the inflammation generally reduces pain.
 
Hi,
Getting ready to start Humira next week. I am not good with needles.
Just wondering how painful the injections are? How did you do on load day?
Also, how many are having bad side effects.
Thank you
 
I don't find the injections to be painful. In my opinion, a yellow jacket sting hurts 50x more. Just let the pen sit out for about 30 minutes before doing the injection. If the medicine is too cold, it will definitely burn and sting. Good luck!
 
I just started on Humira on Friday. I took the loading dose with a nurse at my GI's doctor's office. He likes his patients that are starting on Humira to see his nurse who helps with the loading dose. She showed me how to use the injection pen, then gave me the first two injections in my left thigh. I then did the other two myself in my right thigh. Honestly, I was really nervous about how painful it would be, but it's really not so bad. Either I have a very high tolerance for pain, or most people who take Humira have a very low tolerance for pain, because everything I read said how painful it was, but to me, it felt like a slight stinging/burning sensation for about 10 seconds. I know it's only been a few days, but so far no adverse reactions or side effects that I've noticed. The nurse told me to take the pens out of the fridge and leave them out for my drive to the office, which is about 20 minutes from my house. She said that bringing it up to room temp. helps with how painful they are.
 
Hi everyone

Did my loading dose of 160mg two days ago using the pens which I injected myself after training by the nurse at my home. It hurt more on my thigh but only when the solution was going in (between 4 and 8 seconds). It didn't hurt on my tummy but maybe I have more fat there! On the whole it was really easy to do, much easier than injecting Methotrexate!

So far only side effects is a largish bruise on my tummy, mild headache a couple of times (but no need to take any meds to get rid of it), bit of a runny nose, some muscle pains mainly in my arms and I slept a lot 24 hours afterwards. Again, much easier than any other med I have taken for Crohn's so far. Here's hoping that it works!

The Healthcare at Home service is really good and the nurse was great - spent two hours with me answering all my questions and reassuring me. It really was a breeze.

I have tried to be honest here as I know some people can get really upset about taking these strong meds (I am one of them!) and sometimes it is easier to focus on the negatives rather than the positives.

Good luck to anyone starting soon.

Carol
 
maggieil31 said:
Hi everyone,I've been on humara for 4 months and I'm losing hope,diagnosed with crohn's one year ago,humara took away the spasms but still have daily pain,thinking about surgery,any suggestions!
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Oh be careful maggiel31, once you start down the surgery route its odds on that you will have more. Try & stick with it before you opt for surgery. 4mths isn't that long as such & there are other things that can be tried like a short burst of Budesonide or if its really bad Remicade.
Hope this helps & good luck
Rgds
Grant
 
i am on humira and 25mg of methotrexate weekly now. my feet are extremely swollen. i still need to gain 30lbs to be back at my healthy weight, my feet wont go down at least until then. its hard to walk, but i am actually finally starting to feel better. it took 6 months and i am still anemic.
 
4 years for me, had one surgery since but really that was because it took so long for the NHS to act after my suspicions were confirmed that I had another stricture. I went onto Humira after the stricture diagnosis.
I changed from the pens to syringes after about a year, found the pens rather painfull tbh. Syringes less so.
Rgds
Grant
 
2 years 7 months for me now :). I just did my jab last night. Still using pens and cold packs on area of jab. I'm still able to work full time, yay! But it's not easy. I rest heaps, basically if I'm not working I'm resting. Happy Holidays everyone :)
 
dreamintwilight said:
I have not yet started on Hmira. I'm still in the process of being diagnosed. But my GI doc mentioned starting on a biologic once it was diagnosed and Humira is the one that is covered by my insurance plan. I assume I'll start on that.

I've read a lot about people saying the loading doses are the worst. What's so bad about them as compared to the other times?

Also...does anyone know if the shots compare to allergy shots? I get those monthly and was curious if the pain was similar to those.

I am a very petite and thin person naturally and probably could be considered underweight right now since I lost about 7 pounds in the hospital. I worry I won't be able to find a "fatty" enough spot to inject the shots. The idea of injections in the arm sound more appealing than the leg or the stomach, perhaps because I am used to it already.

I know my worry is premature since I am not even slated to start Humira yet, but was just looking to gain more knowledge about it. Thanks :)
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Some people have problems tolerating the Humira shots because it feels like a bee sting. I know for a fact Abbvie is working on a way to ease that pain, but I dont know where they are in that process. When and if you do go on humira, I'd plan on having 2 days with no work or plans. The reason is ( in my case) your going to feel like you have no energy and tired. When I went on Humira 2 years ago I was weighing around 135. It was hard for me to pinch some fat. :)

I recently went to Chicago for a checkup and now I am overweight. lol
I was told to loose 10 pounds in 6 months. case in point is that Humira is worth it- if you can tolerate it.
 
...I gained 70...after losing 40 my last flair. I dread the days I have to stab myself. Luckily I have my gf to count down from 3 and then 10 for me so I don't think about it.
 
I find that I have plenty of energy on injection days, even when I did the loading doses. I wonder if it's adrenaline? We all probably have somewhat screwed up adrenal systems thanks to auto immune disease and steroids so maybe it affects us all differently?
 
I know the humira shots are hard for some, but don't be afraid to give it a try, especially if your Crohn's is severe. They hurt, sure, but it's over quickly. It's nothing like the pain I was in when I was in the hospital, so for me, that perspective helps. I aim for a flabbier spot, away from stretch marks, and if I'm feeling sensitive, I ice it beforehand. The ice dulls almost all of the pain of it for me, but I usually don't bother because it's an extra step to deal with.
 
My doc did the loading dose different to what ive seen.... she had me do one shot each, on day 1, day 2, day 14, day 15, day 28, and day 29. I trust her judgment and shes been good all around for me, ive just never seen the loading done that way?

Will take the last 2 on 31 dec and 1 jan, then go to 1 shot every 2 weeks
 
Most loading doses in adults are done a certain way because that has been proven in most studies to work well.
That said my kiddo didn't not have a loading dose of Humira since he was switching from remicade.
This of course resulting in it taking much longer for Humira to become effective
 
Doc said she has seen good results in some patients with 2 shots on consecutive days once a month in adults, but since i felt like i was seeing some effects from the loading shots but only for about 2 weeks before that started to fade, she felt better with me doing 1 shot every other week, which seems to be more common.... *shrug* whatever, i will do the shots on whatever schedule works if they help! lol
 
Hello- looking for feedback. I've been on remicade for a while and doc switched me to humira. I did the starting 4 shots two days ago in the morning. Later in the day...almost midnight I developed hives on my elbows, wrists, knees, and some on my neck. No redness or hives near the injection sites. I have since taken benadryl and pepsid and all is pretty much well. Does anyone else have this problem? I had no other problems besides that.
 
Grant said:
Oh be careful maggiel31, once you start down the surgery route its odds on that you will have more. Try & stick with it before you opt for surgery. 4mths isn't that long as such & there are other things that can be tried like a short burst of Budesonide or if its really bad Remicade.
Hope this helps & good luck
Rgds
Grant
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I'm living proof once you start getting surgery, it just never stops. I'm at 19 now! They're so many biologics try another one, but don't give up cause it took me awhile to figure out what meds work best for me.
 
I'm getting Humira today and start injecting on Monday. I'm quite active at the moment, so will be interested to see how quickly it works. Has anyone had experiences of a (relatively) quick improvement?
 
My daughter had her loading doses 2 weeks ago and her second one this week. I saw immediate improvement (next day) and she has been doing very well ever since. By "very well" I mean formed bm's, good energy, and no noticeable side effects beyond being tired for about 1/2 day after injections.

I hope it works well paulphi.
 
Thanks Pilgrim. That sounds very positive, so I hope I will see an improvement soon.

I've tried all sorts of medication before, but this definitely has had the best reviews.

I can handle a little bit of tiredness if there is a marked improvement elsewhere.
 
Hey humi's
I'm new to the forum and I posted over in the "your story" section and was advised to post here.

I was first diagnosed with Crohn's in September 99. In October 99' I was then diagnosed with non Hodgkin's lymphoma. Thankfully I underwent successful chemotherapy and was in remission from the lymphoma in May 2000.
In June 2002 I had a bowel resection and my Crohn's has been fine since then. However I got a colonoscopy earlier this month and it showed the Crohn's is active again.

My GI reckons humira is best option going forward but obviously I'm not so keen with the past history of non Hodgkin's lymphoma. My question is has anybody who previously had lymphoma ever gone on humira and if so how did they get on? It sounds like a massive risk to me but my GI seems to think I'm out of options.
I currently take 4 grams of pentasa a day and one sachet of questran in the morning.

Any information is greatly appreciated.
Thanks Paul
 
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What a tough situation to be in Irishbucka! My heart goes out to you. I can't imagine having to make that decision, but I would definitely talk to your Oncologist, and get a better idea what your odds are. Please keep us posted!
 
Hi Paul,

I'm also sorry to hear of your situation. I've been on Pentasa after resection surgery and the inflammation came back within 7 months so my new GI put me on Humira. I've been reading a little about fecal transplants as a possible treatment for Crohn's. Since it doesn't have the side effects of Humira you might want to talk to your Dr. about trying it if it's available... can't hurt.

Good luck,
Alan
 
Cheers for the replies guys. I've got a meeting set up with them on the 27th of this month so hopefully get all the info I need then. My GI has over 300 patients on humira with no problems and a couple of them previously had lymphoma. I've got about a million questions before I make a decision.
Thanks again.

Paul
 
Thanks Alan,

I had a small bowel resection in 2002, but didn't really help. had Crohns for 20 years and tried every drug under the sun, so Humira is the last in a long line. Only on day 4, so no results yet,but need to give it time. Heard good things, so I'll give this a shot. Never heard of fecal transplants, but sound interesting. I'm from the UK, so not sure how well it is publicised over here.

Hope your Humira is working
Paul
 
Hi Paul,

I've been on Humira for over a year and I've gone from (moderate to severe) to what I consider mild. In the past I've suplimented the Humira with Budesonide and more recently Cipro with some bad effect. I am only using the Humira now. I guess it takes some time for it to kick in.

I read about the Fecal Transplants in an article in The New Yorker Magazine Dec. 1 2014 edition. The author is Emily Eakin. She mentioned a Sydney Australia gastro named Thomas Borody as one of the early proponents of this treatment. In the USA the FDA has not yet recommended this procedure but tests are being conducted. If my Crohn's takes a turn for the worse I think I will look into this treatment as it doesn't seem to have the risk that the biologics do. I hope Humira works for you...Good luck managing your Crohn's!

Regards,
Alan
 
It's my last day before to start the treatment (I'm starting methotrexate tomorrow and humira friday). I'm a little bit anxious, because I had very bad sides effects with Imuran and 6mp a few years ago. But with 3 surgeries in the last 15 years ... I've no other choice to try everything to stop the disease :-S

By the way, the first bill from the drugstore is impressive. 3276$ for the first 4 shots.
 
Does Quebec have a program that will help to offset the cost of your medication? Ontario has a program that you can enroll in which simply takes your income and then covers your medication costs at the cost of 5% of your income. You pay that 5% in quarterly amounts. With a med that costs tens of thousands per year, it is a big help for most middle income earners.

Maybe worth looking into if there is a similar program in your province.
 
Pilgrim said:
Does Quebec have a program that will help to offset the cost of your medication? Ontario has a program that you can enroll in which simply takes your income and then covers your medication costs at the cost of 5% of your income. You pay that 5% in quarterly amounts. With a med that costs tens of thousands per year, it is a big help for most middle income earners.

Maybe worth looking into if there is a similar program in your province.
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There is a public drug insurance in Quebec, if you don't have a private one.
The maximum annual contribution is ~1000$ (http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citiz...e/Pages/amount-to-pay-prescription-drugs.aspx)

But I'm on a private insurance, so I just have to pay 500$ max / year
 
Hello everyone! I'm new to the forums. I was diagnosed in April 2013 with Crohn's Disease and I have tried many medications that didn't seem to do much of anything. Anyways, I just took my loading dose of Humira last night... all 4 of those suckers! They hurt! I am a bit of a baby when it comes to needles, but I am looking for any help anyone can provide as far as tips to help with the pain. I tried icing the area and leaving the medicine out for at least 30 minutes to let it warm up to room temp. I even tried orajel. I think the burn of the medicine was what hurt the most. The needle didn't even really hurt. The one we did in my leg was HORRIBLE. I have to do the follow-up 2 pens in 2 weeks and I want to try and be prepared if I can. Not looking forward to that at all!
Thanks in advance!
 
Matrix said:
There is a public drug insurance in Quebec, if you don't have a private one.
The maximum annual contribution is ~1000$ (http://www.ramq.gouv.qc.ca/en/citiz...e/Pages/amount-to-pay-prescription-drugs.aspx)

But I'm on a private insurance, so I just have to pay 500$ max / year
Click to expand...

That's a good situation, in either instance! We have private insurance but were denied coverage for Humira based on her age (she is below the age of 13 which is where Health Canada gives it's approval). Obviously, you don't have that problem.:biggrin:

I find it interesting to learn about the differences in the health care systems between the provinces, and other provincial programs. Thank you for sharing that info.
 
emersotn said:
Hello everyone! I'm new to the forums. I was diagnosed in April 2013 with Crohn's Disease and I have tried many medications that didn't seem to do much of anything. Anyways, I just took my loading dose of Humira last night... all 4 of those suckers! They hurt! I am a bit of a baby when it comes to needles, but I am looking for any help anyone can provide as far as tips to help with the pain. I tried icing the area and leaving the medicine out for at least 30 minutes to let it warm up to room temp. I even tried orajel. I think the burn of the medicine was what hurt the most. The needle didn't even really hurt. The one we did in my leg was HORRIBLE. I have to do the follow-up 2 pens in 2 weeks and I want to try and be prepared if I can. Not looking forward to that at all!
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I had a lot of people tell us two things: a. take your med out of the fridge overnight to warm up to room temp before injecting and b. 30 minutes of icing the area you will inject.

That said, the Humira nurse I spoke to said that really it is the serum that stings, not the needle. So, she didn't think there was going to be much that really helped the stinging. She agreed with not using the med cold.

We did our daughters 3rd injection this week. It was the best yet, because she was really anxious about it (all Humira users, I think, dread the sting) so I made her laugh for about 10 minutes before hand. We didn't spend a lot of time leading up to the shot. Just had some good laughs then got it over with.

I guess this is to say - I think that maybe anything to reduce the anxiety might help lessen the perception of the pain. It will feel even worse if you are stressed about it.
 
Hi All,

I've been using Humira for over a year and I find using it while watching something interesting on TV makes the 10 seconds go pretty fast. Sometimes it stings more than others but it's over pretty fast.

Best of luck,
Alan
 
Pilgrim said:
That's a good situation, in either instance! We have private insurance but were denied coverage for Humira based on her age (she is below the age of 13 which is where Health Canada gives it's approval). Obviously, you don't have that problem.:biggrin:

I find it interesting to learn about the differences in the health care systems between the provinces, and other provincial programs. Thank you for sharing that info.
Click to expand...

I didn't know about the "minimum" age,
So... you have to pay it yourself with the provincial program, until she reachs 13 ?
 
No, that was our private insurance that denied us on the basis of her age. At that point then we applied to our provincial (ON) program which will cover us after we put in 4% of our family income. It's a lot of money for us, but not nearly what the cost of the med really is, so we are grateful.

The provincial program simply has a list of meds they cover and so we are covered. Voila!
 

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