Humira & the Mystery of the Muscle Pains...

[Rosemarie]

Something I've been wondering... How many of you (who have been on Humira injections for at least 6 months) have noted a big increase in muscle weakness and joint pain?
I'm starting to feel like I've got arthritis instead of crohns! I've also noticed my nails are harder, I don't bruise as easy as I used to, and I've got this weird heart flutter. Might be related to a small murmer I had as a kid, but it hasn't happened at all untill I used Humira.
Has anyone else developed a weird new symptom other then the muscle/joint pains?

 

[Kev]

Hi rosemarie.. Just wondering, is humira the only drug you are currently taking?

 

[Rosemarie]

Yep =) Thankfully...

 

[My Butt Hurts]

Hi Rosemarie.
I've been on Humira for 10 weeks (which is not what you asked for, I know) but I know that a many Crohn's sufferers have joint pain. It's just one of the many "may or may not have" symptoms. Your joint pain may or may not be related to the Humira. For example, I had terrible joint pain in one ankle about a year ago. It felt like I sprained it, but I knew I didn't. It went away and came back a few months ago in both ankles, then in my toes. For no reason at all, it comes and goes. Right now I have tingly sensations and burning, but no pain. I also have a heart flutter, but I think that's been on and off since my hyperthyroid diagnosis, which is normal now - but the heart still feels like it skips a few beats once in a while. Noticed it a bit more on Prednisone, but I don't think related to the Humira. It's like a butterfly is stuck in it. Don't know about the weak muscles. Good luck with everything.

 

[Wiles]

It's been a while since I was on humira; but I think increased joint/muscle pain was one of the things you should tell your doctor. I'd tell them about the heart flutter too.

I didn't experience any side effects while on humira. In fact my joint pain that I've always had gotten better while I was taking it.

 

[Kev]

I've no personal experience with Humira, but isn't there a Humira hotline that one can call with questions like this? And, when is your next GI visit? Might be a good idea to move that up, talk to him/her about the joint pains and the heart flutter. I also recall, reading on one of the other posts here recently, about a 'better' way of treating IBD.. It was a combo of drugs (I know, I know.. the thought of taking MORE drugs doesn't fill me with warm N fuzzies either).. BUT... the success rate of this new 'combo' treatment is a real eye opener. It involved either remicade or humira... taken with AZA or Metho... I can't recall which.. (despite my health improving, my memory remains pretty unreliable).
Essentially, it sort of reverses the 'traditional' ramp up approach, where dr's start a treatment with the least powerful drugs, and slowly work their way up to stronger N stronger drugs till things turn around. This new approach is just the opposite. It takes two of the strongest drugs, and attempts to 'whammy' the disease. Thing of it is, this latter method seems to have GREAT results. If one adopts a fatalistic viewpoint, saying.. "Well, sooner or later I'm going to be on those drugs anyway"... then perhaps this top down approach is the best.