Switching from Remicade to Humira

[sfgirl]

In a few weeks it will be time for remicade but my doctor will be switching me to humira instead. I've looked up information about it such as what it is and how it works but I would like to get information from people who are actually taking it or have actually switched. Will it work better? Does it take a while to start working? Does it hurt? I've read that it's better to leave it out a half hour before taking it but I don't know how true that is.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Curious why your dr is switching you? They are in the same class as remicade but remicade is the gold standard. You can have it by pen which stings or syringe. It is good to leave it out 30 min before to let it goto room temperature.

 

[sfgirl]

I had a resection back in June but never got any better so after lots of testing and dr visits they found that my body has developed immunity to remicade and possibly pentasa. Remicade used to make me feel amazing and I could even tell when I was due because I could tell it was wearing off but now it does nothing for me at all.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

Gotcha. I hope Humira will bring you back to the amazing feeling. it was a disaster for me but a miracle for many.

 

[sfgirl]

I'm hoping so too. I'm just always afraid of new meds and not a fan of stabbing myself.

 

[nogutsnoglory]

It's always scary starting new stuff. The sting is not pleasant I'm not gonna lie but atleast you don't have to do an infusion now. I think if it puts you in remission it will seem like a minor and we'll worth effort twice a month. Keep us posted!

 

[sfgirl]

Yes if I finally go into remission it will be very well worth the stabbing and the sting. I was diagnosed in 2008 and I haven't been in remission yet. As great as the remicade made me feel I still had a stricture which kept my crohn's active and I have an abscess or fistula every time I turned around.

 

[theOcean]

Late, but I was severely allergic to Remicade but took it for awhile -- it helped a tiny bit, but then I switched to Humira and was amazed at what a difference it made. Humira has helped me incredibly, and is the miracle drug that Remicade never was for me.

I also had a fistula before I was put on it, and it's helped with that immensely.

 

[jonique]

In a few weeks it will be time for remicade but my doctor will be switching me to humira instead. I've looked up information about it such as what it is and how it works but I would like to get information from people who are actually taking it or have actually switched. Will it work better? Does it take a while to start working? Does it hurt? I've read that it's better to leave it out a half hour before taking it but I don't know how true that is.

Hi SFgirl, I'm doing the opposite to you, switching from Humira to Remicade. i have been taking Humira for nearly two years but i have developed antibodies and it stopped working. I start Remicade next week and am nervous about the infusion and possible allergic reaction.

For the humira, i used to take the pen out of the fridge and a take some Tylenol about 30 minutes before injection. I would do the injection just before i went to bed because it feels a little uncomfortable for a few minutes after, while the medicine is sitting under the skin. I used to inject in my stomach and I'll admit that it does sting, although it got better the longer I was on it. i would squeeze some stomach fat, then squeeze my eyes shut, press the button, count to ten and remove. i would then put a light pressure on it. In the early days, i got an allergic reaction at the injection site so i also took an antihistamine before and put cortisone cream on to stop the itching. the reaction stopped after about 3 months. i noticed a benefit after a couple of weeks.

As others have said, if it helps you, it is worth the short term discomfort of the injection. I found it quite helpful for quite some time.

Good luck!!

 

[sfgirl]

I'm really hoping it will be a miracle drug for me as well theocean.

Jonique I loved remicade in the beginning. I never had any type of allergic reactions at all and I would do it on a Friday so I could have a 3 day weekend (I never went to work after just in case). I would be like the energizer bunny for the first couple of days afterwards I would have so much energy. I hope it works out for you!

 

[sfgirl]

So far so good on the humira. I did my starter dose at the dr office on Friday and I haven't had any side effects except for blurry vision for a few hours and my heart was racing. I did not even the burning (except for like 2 seconds).