Starting humira to close fistula. Need advice!

[littlefreebird]

I've had crohns since I was 10, I'm now 23. 2 years ago I had my large intestine, rectum and anus removed and a permanent ileostomy bag. About 4 months after surgery I noticed a pinhole on my stomach next to my Stoma where output was coming out.now the hole is a lot bigger, I've had scans, X-rays and scopes I've been told my crohns has returned and the hole is a fistula. I will need surgery eventually but they want me to try humira first.
Anyone use humira to try and close a fistula? I'm not having any symptoms from crohns apart from this fistula.
I don't know anything about humira but I hear it's similar to infliximab/ remicade and I was on this for about 6 years.
How often do you inject yourself? How often do you need your blood tested and what are the most common side effects?
Thanks everyone

 

[jjk308]

I use the Humira Pen, a gas powered subcutaneous injection 3 inches from the abdominal centerline once a week. Lots easier than the hypodermic.

It can have the side effects of any immunosuppressant drug but they are much rarer and milder than with general immunosuppressants like Imuran. Problems are fewer with Humira than Remicade because its based solely on human antibodies instead of the partly mouse antibodies of Remicade. I tried Remicade first but developed a reaction after 3 doses.

The FDA approved standard dose is 40mg every other week but I found I got cramping at day 9 and my doctor says that all his patients ended up on a 40mg injection every week.

 

[mish2575]

Humira has not closed my fistulas but Remicade did.
Humira does not work as well for my body as Remicade did before it lost effectiveness.

 

[PsychoJane]

I had the same problem you now have. I was on humira for a year and a half and, for me, the medication worked during half that time, the other half was trying to make it work again (adding methotrexate and getting on the weekly injection regimen). Even if this is not optimistic to read, I figure that since you were on remicade without building antibodies quickly, your chance might be better than mine at having Humira work properly for a longer time. While it worked, it did work great, the fistula pretty much disappeared and the skin grew back over. But since the medication gave up on me, I got surgery to remove them last year.

 

[MikeinBklyn]

I've been on H for 3½ years, no side effects and feel better at 58 than I did at 28.

The Humira closed my perianal fistula in a few days, once I upped the dosage to every ten days. Using the pen it is, clean, inject and go on with life.

I get my blood tested every three months now, more often when I first went on the H.

Blood tests always come back perfect.

Living without the fistula is a blessing and I have to thank Humira for that.

Best of Luck