Humira Concerns

[Crohn's_Guy34]

Hello everyone! I am new to the forum as of today but was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2010. at that time, I was in the hospital for two days and put on Prednizone and Flagyl for 6 week doses. A month later I was in the ER with an abscess that needed to be drained and have been battling Fistulas and diarrhea on and off since. I have been on Asachol HD mostly with Cort Enemas to help keep things at bay. I have had several colonoscopies and my recent one(a couple weeks ago) indicated inflamation in the small bowel closest to the rectum. My doctor has recently suggested that I go on Humira along with Imuran as my symptoms have not reduced and I still experience urgency, bloody stools, and the occasional fistula draining.

I have been taken off the Asachol since it really wan't working and have now been put on Prednisone and Flagyl for 6 weeks.

Does anyone have any advice about Humira and whether the side-effects have happened to them? I am a 28 year old male and the side-effects worry me such as the mention of the development of Lymphoma, lowering your immune system, sever headaches, etc. Taking the shots also does not sound fun, but the potential side-effects worry be more. From what I have been reading, it varies by each individual but wanted to see if anyone else out there had an experience with it. I have an appointment with my doctor in a couple weeks to make the final decsion on it and wanted to get people's thoughts. Thanks for any help you can give!

 

[amrycrohns]

First off the shot sounds scary, but really it is nothing. The loading dose of 4 shots then 2 are well exactly that 4 shots, after that it's one shot every 2 weeks. I cause myself more grief thinking about the shot then the shot actually hurts.

I am also a young male just a tad older then you, I have had some side effects. Nothing major and defaintly nothing worth me stopping the medication. Some headache's, random fevers and just not feeling well for few hours. The major side effects cancer are a really small %. You have to consider the fact that crohn's uncontrolled can also put you at risk for a lot of other things.