Weekly?
- Thread starter Lam123
- Start date
Help Support Crohn's Disease Forum:
theOcean
Moderator
For me: immediately. If you were on it prior to this you should hopefully be noticing it already.
If not: ask for an antibody test. Maybe it's not the biologic for you.
If not: ask for an antibody test. Maybe it's not the biologic for you.
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2013
- Messages
- 800
Originally at the beginning of the flare I was on humira biweekly and prednisone, as soon as I started to taper symptoms got much worse fast. Now I'm tapering with weekly injections and symptoms see to be not too bad. Mild nausea and bit of knee trouble. So I see the dr again aug 18 and need to do blood work, so I guess between now and then I will know whether weekly is doing the trick. If not then I have to try remicade. He have me the possibility of methotrexate, but that drug scares the life out of me!
theOcean
Moderator
Could you try looking at 6mp or Imuran instead of Methotrexate if it scares you?
Also, if you have such trouble with your knees: do you have a rheumatologist? Unfortunately I don't know how it is solely for joints rather than Crohn's... Remicade can be great for a lot of people, though, and seems to be the first medication for the people I've known with arthritis problems. I've heard it's stronger than Humira, but don't really agree just because of personal experience and how I think it varies so much for everyone.
Also, if you have such trouble with your knees: do you have a rheumatologist? Unfortunately I don't know how it is solely for joints rather than Crohn's... Remicade can be great for a lot of people, though, and seems to be the first medication for the people I've known with arthritis problems. I've heard it's stronger than Humira, but don't really agree just because of personal experience and how I think it varies so much for everyone.
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2013
- Messages
- 800
I'm on imuran now with weekly Humira. At my last appt my GI mentioned switching to mtx. I have heard that mtx is not as affective with crohns as it is with colitis, have u heard this? I'm just really scared of losing all my hair. Do people actually go bald on mtx and have to wear a wig?
Thanks for all your help
Thanks for all your help
theOcean
Moderator
I don't know too much about Methotrexate, but know I have severe Crohn's and if not for my fistula my GI would have put me on it instead of 6mp.
Not everyone loses their hair. Some people experience it from prednisone, some people experience it from Humira, or pretty much any of our medications. So it's really up to how your body reacts. What I've been doing recently is taking 1000mcg daily of Biotin to prevent hairloss while on 6mp, and it's worked perfectly! No hairloss whatsoever, when it was terrible on Imuran which is essentially the same medication.
Not everyone loses their hair. Some people experience it from prednisone, some people experience it from Humira, or pretty much any of our medications. So it's really up to how your body reacts. What I've been doing recently is taking 1000mcg daily of Biotin to prevent hairloss while on 6mp, and it's worked perfectly! No hairloss whatsoever, when it was terrible on Imuran which is essentially the same medication.
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2013
- Messages
- 6,750
My daughter has been on both Remicade and Humira (with methotrexate) and both helped her joints a LOT (she has pretty severe arthritis). Methotrexate also helps her a lot but she seems to be particularly sensitive to it and gets very nauseous and dizzy for two days after the shot (she never had hair loss though -- and I've NEVER heard of anyone losing all their hair from the kind of doses used for IBD). Most people are able to tolerate it with no problem.
For what it's worth Humira + MTX was the "magic" combination for my daughter and she really felt best on it (until it stopped working because she refused to take MTX anymore). Some doctors prefer Remicade because they have more flexibility with the dosing.
Good luck!
For what it's worth Humira + MTX was the "magic" combination for my daughter and she really felt best on it (until it stopped working because she refused to take MTX anymore). Some doctors prefer Remicade because they have more flexibility with the dosing.
Good luck!
Methotrexate is widely used to treat RA and that makes it seem like it would be more likely to help with your joint pain. It is used at a very low dose in CD and I have never even heard of someone losing their hair from it. I've heard that about Imuran/AZA but not MTX. Of the two drugs, Imuran has a slight association with increased cancer risk and MTX has not been shown to carry that increased risk. But it may be too soon to tell with MTX since it hasn't been widely used in CD until recently.
MTX can be taken orally but there is a concern that it is not as well absorbed that way. My son takes it orally along with Remicade with no side effects except increased sun sensitivity. He has used it in the past with Humira - same thing regarding side effects.
I second the suggestion that you get a rheumatology consult if you have pain in your joints. Then you can get recommendations from both perspectives.
MTX can be taken orally but there is a concern that it is not as well absorbed that way. My son takes it orally along with Remicade with no side effects except increased sun sensitivity. He has used it in the past with Humira - same thing regarding side effects.
I second the suggestion that you get a rheumatology consult if you have pain in your joints. Then you can get recommendations from both perspectives.
I would definitely go for a rheumatology consult.
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2013
- Messages
- 800
I will, my GI mentioned it before. Every time in the past, my knees only bother me in a flare, once the flare calms the knee are fine. This time is different, the knees aren't horrible, but aren't back to normal yet and I feel like the flare is calming down.
Hi Ocean, is there really a known difference in efficacy between purinethol and Methotrexate for abscess-fistula peri-anal crohns? what is your daily dose of purinethol?
thx
Similar threads
