Humira how long does it work

[Try4Resilience]

After 5 years on Humira young adult son has inflammation.
Is it common that Humira stops working so soon? I thought he could be on Humira for a decade plus.

 

[my little penguin]

Kids and younger adults tend to burn through therapies quicker due to their rapidly “learning “ immune system vs older adults.
My kiddo lasted on humira for slightly over 5 years .

what frequency is your son at ?
My kiddo was at
Every 14 days
Every 10 days
Every 7 days
And finally every 5 days before switching meds

he has been on Stelara for the past 4 plus years .

did they add mtx to increase effectiveness or een ??

 

[Try4Resilience]

Every 14 days. Trying to be positive that he got to adulthood = growth as when he started age 14 he was thin and lethargic and had not grown for two years back then. Now we have evidence for moderate inflammation but no outside symptoms. Just waiting for humira blood levels results. If low = increase Humira frequency. If normal doc wants to add mesalamine. Don't know what mtx or een is. We got lucky so far. Thank you so much for responding. (Also I read somewhere people are worried COVID vaccine might trigger inflammation after years of stability. Thoughts on that?)

 

[my little penguin]

Mtx -methotrexate
Mesamalmine is primarily used in ulcerative colitis since it just treats the top layer of the intestine.
Crohns affects all layers of the intestine

typically they add methotrexate to help boost the humira .

always good to get a second opinion (fresh eyes ) at a different hospital when adding /switching meds
Even if it’s just records review

If your only at every 14 days that is good
You have a ways to go to up the dose frequency

Remember he probably gained weight during that 5 year timeframe so his mg/kg has gone down
Humira is only at 40 mg syringe for adults
So the mg /kg dosing doesn’t change as he grew /gained weight and would be getting less med for body weight- this is different then remicade which keeps dose stable as the kid grows

 

[my little penguin]

https://researchforme.unc.edu/index.php/en/study-details?rcid=2157
COVID vaccine and ibd study my kiddo is in
He has gotten three shots so far
No real issues with crohns

 

[Try4Resilience]

Right good point. He was like 110 lbs or something when started and now is 170 lbs
But, I thought adult dose also starts at one dose per 14 days. Perhaps it's his body that needs more. Hopefully blood levels will help.
I don't want him on a mix of drugs as that rare Leukemia becomes more likely I heard.

 

[my little penguin]

The rate of lymphoma increases with 6-mp/aza or imuran but not methotrexate.
When combined with a biologic or when 6-mp aza imuran are taken alone
That is why they no longer recommend that for young males with crohns and use methotrexate (mtx) instead

adult dose dose start at 40 mg /14 days
But that’s not the same as growing teens /young adults
Remember crohns kids tend to grow gain longer than their peers sometimes up to two years later due to growth delays from crohns

 

[Lam123]

Every 14 days. Trying to be positive that he got to adulthood = growth as when he started age 14 he was thin and lethargic and had not grown for two years back then. Now we have evidence for moderate inflammation but no outside symptoms. Just waiting for humira blood levels results. If low = increase Humira frequency. If normal doc wants to add mesalamine. Don't know what mtx or een is. We got lucky so far. Thank you so much for responding. (Also I read somewhere people are worried COVID vaccine might trigger inflammation after years of stability. Thoughts on that?)

Hi, I am taking humira, around the 5 year make I had to switch to weekly injections.