Weaning off pred when using Humira

[Mark in Seattle]

Hi, I just loaded up on Humira yesterday at my dr's office. It was really easy with the pens and I anticipate the pens should be easy. Last night I had some anxiety with heart palpitations and it got me to wondering whether it could be due to taking pred with Humira. I'm currently on 10mg pred/daily. When I google pred with Humira it says it's a "major" bad combination.

http://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/humira-with-prednisone-102-32-1936-0.html

My doc didn't really say anything about the combo at all when I started Humira. I have read though that there are more infections, cancers, etc. when combining pred with Humira.

Just wondering if anyone has had personal experience with this combo and how you handled it, in terms of weaning off pred or otherwise, thanks!

 

[Z_Ghost]

When my GI decied that I should go on Humira I was taking 20mg of Pred.
So he took that down to 10 mg for 7 days of Pred the day I did my first 4 shots of Humira.
I took the Pred for 7 days and I did not seem to have any problems taking both.
So far I am at 6 weeks (5 without Pred) and doing a lot better.

 

[Thermo]

It's more of a bad combination in that it shuts down your immune system so much, which makes you very immunocompromised. The palpations could be related to malabsorption or you might be low on your iron/magnesium levels. Or just a good old fashioned panic attack. I was taking 40mg of steroids while on Humira and didn't have a problem, usually when you are at 10mg most of the side effects start to minimize.

 

[Dunbar]

I went throught a course with both for a couple of months when everything went to hell in a hand basket, went up and down with the pred same as if I wasn't on Humira, no issues, other than I got better.
My understanding of combination therapy and side effects is the timeline and medical history. If you are predisposed to lymphoma ......and you take both for 8 months to 8 years, you could very well develope cancer. And it is like everything else, an individual body response to exposure.
Even with no immune system to speak of, I have had less bronchitis, colds, flu etc than pre-humira. Go figure. Mind you, I wash my hands probably 20 times a day, which I didn't do before.
Heart palpatations and anxiety seem to be a common theme lately, there are more than a few of us here who have been having them. You are not alone. Hope it all kicks in and you're right as rain soon

 

[ChefShazzy]

I've been on Humira twice a week for about two years. Recently flared, so doc put me on 40mg of pred, as well as changed my Humira to weekly... Haven't started the pred taper yet, and haven't noticed anything yet about being on the pred/Humira combo... I'll keep an eye on this thread though, and let you know if I feel any effects.

 

[Mark in Seattle]

Chef, it's interesting to me that your doc put you on pred AND upped your Humira. Usually it seems that doc's like to try one thing at a time to gauge the effect. Have you noticed improvement?

I know that upping the dosage regimen to weekly is a typical strategy when Humira's benefits seem to wane. I wonder if my GI will permit me to do that if/when it wanes for me. My GI mentioned during one of our conversations that at some point the costs need to be considered as well (he apparently has concerns about my insurance company having to pay too much money for a weekly Humira regimen). I'm not sure if by that he means it would be better to switch to a different biologic, like Cimzia or Remicade or what. I'll need to reopen that conversation with him next time we meet so I can get that clarified because to me, moving to weekly dosing makes more sense than switching meds if bi-weekly dosing has a history of benefit.