What Drugs Interact With Humira
Humira may interact with azathioprine or mercaptopurine. Asacol may also interact with pentamidine, tacrolimus, amphotericin B, antibiotics, antiviral medicines, cancer medicine, or aspirin or other NSAIDs .
Humira may also interact with abatacept, anakinra, infliximab, etanercept, certolizumab pegol, golimumab, or rituximab.
Effectiveness For Plaque Psoriasis
Clinical studies have shown that Humira is effective for treating plaque psoriasis. These studies looked at adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.
In one study, Humira was compared with a placebo . Among people who received 40 mg of Humira every other week, 71% reported that their psoriasis symptoms eased by at least 75%. This is in comparison with the placebo group, in which only 7% of people reported that their symptoms eased by 75% or more.
Rated For Psoriatic Arthritis Report
I started injecting Humira fortnightly 2 months ago combined with 10mg Methotrexate . I have had psoriatic arthritis for many years and was constantly in lots of joint pains. A couple of days after taking the drug I noticed the swelling and pains in my joints reducing and finally seems to have gone altogether. I have not had any side effects so far and have resumed a active pain free life.
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Tips For Good Reviews
- Only rate drugs or treatments you’ve tried.
- In your description, mention the brand, dose, and period of time that you used the drug or treatment.
- Please share your positive and negative experiences with the drug, and compare it with other treatments you have used.
- Do not include any personal information or links in your review.
Humira For Ankylosing Spondylitis
Humira is FDA-approved to treat ankylosing spondylitis thats active in adults. Active means that you have symptoms. The goal of Humira is to reduce the signs and symptoms of AS.
AS is a form of arthritis that primarily affects your spine. It can also cause joint pain and stiffness in other parts of your body. AS results in severe inflammation in your vertebrae, which are the small bones that form your spine. AS can lead to chronic pain, disability, and spinal deformities in severe cases.
Sometimes AS can have periods of flare-ups. These are times when symptoms get worse. There can also be periods of remission. These are times when symptoms ease, become less frequent, or disappear.
Its not entirely known what causes AS. Its believed that incorrect immune system responses may play a role, meaning the immune system becomes active when it shouldnt. Humira treats AS by blocking a protein called TNF. This decreases the activity of your immune system, leading to a reduction in AS symptoms and flare-ups.
Effectiveness for ankylosing spondylitis
Humira has been proven effective for treating AS in adults.
Clinical studies looked at whether Humira was better than a placebo at easing AS symptoms.
Researchers found that 58% of people who took Humira had a 20% improvement in AS symptoms at week 12. In comparison, 21% of people who took placebo had a 20% improvement in AS symptoms.
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When Humira Is No Longer Effective
Some patients can develop resistance to therapy with TNF- blockers. The cause is probably the formation of inactivating antibodies by your own immune system. These bind to the individual spatial structure of the active ingredient.
If such a loss of effectiveness is probable, i.e. other causes for the lack of effectiveness are excluded, patients can switch to a different TNF- blocker with another active ingredient. However, the dosage may need to be adjusted or increased. The monitoring of such therapy always belongs in the hands of a specialist and should also be checked at regular intervals. They can create an individual medication and dosage plan for each patient.
Humira lost its patent protection in autumn 2018. At the end of the patent protection, competition from various manufacturers began, which caused prices to drop. According to data from the GKV drug index 2016, Humira was actually the drug with the highest sales. Now there are several approved successor products with the same active ingredient on the market.
Scheinfeld, N. . Adalimumab: a review of side effects. Expert opinion on drug safety, 4, 637-641. Downloaded on 06.06.2018 from
Frost, H. . Antibody-mediated side effects of recombinant proteins. Toxicology, 209, 155-160. Downloaded on 06.06.2018 from
Dr. med. André Sommer
What Should I Tell My Doctor Before Starting Humira
Tell your doctor about all of your health conditions, including if you:
- Have an infection, are being treated for infection, or have symptoms of an infection
- Get a lot of infections or infections that keep coming back
- Have diabetes
- Have TB or have been in close contact with someone with TB, or were born in, lived in, or traveled where there is more risk for getting TB
- Live or have lived in an area where there is an increased risk for getting certain kinds of fungal infections, such as histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, or blastomycosis. These infections may happen or become more severe if you use HUMIRA. Ask your doctor if you are unsure if you have lived in these areas
- Have or have had hepatitis B
- Are scheduled for major surgery
- Have or have had cancer
- Have numbness or tingling or a nervous system disease such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barré syndrome
- Have or had heart failure
- Have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine. HUMIRA patients may receive vaccines, except for live vaccines. Children should be brought up to date on all vaccines before starting HUMIRA
- Are allergic to rubber, latex, or any HUMIRA ingredients
- Are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or planning to breastfeed
- Have a baby and you were using HUMIRA during your pregnancy. Tell your babys doctor before your baby receives any vaccines
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Adalimumab For Rheumatoid Arthritis
How well does adalimumab work to treat rheumatoid arthritis and how safe is it?To answer this question, scientists analyzed six high quality studies. The studies tested over 2300 people who had rheumatoid arthritis for more than 10 years. People had either injections of adalimumab or fake injections. Some studies also tested people taking methotrexate in combination with adalimumab or the fake injections. This Cochrane Review provides the best evidence we have today.
What is rheumatoid arthritis and how can adalimumab help?Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy tissues. The attack happens mostly in the joints of the feet and hands and causes redness, pain, swelling, and heat around the affected joints. Adalimumab is a “biologic” that is injected into the body to decrease pain and swelling and slow the progress of rheumatoid arthritis. Adalimumab is a new drug that was approved for injection at a dose of 40 mg every other week. It is usually prescribed when other disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs do not work well.
What is the bottom line?There is “Gold” level evidence that in people with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis who do not respond to DMARDs, adalimumab at 40 mg every other week plus methotrexate decreases pain and swelling.
Adalimumab is a fully human anti-TNFalpha monoclonal antibody. Published studies indicate that its use in patients with RA can be effective and safe.
Increased Risk Of Infection
All three medications can raise your risk of getting an infection, and the risk of a serious infection seems to be similar across all three medications. This includes infections like pneumonia, infected joints , and serious bacterial skin infections . And you may also experience milder infections like the common cold and sinus infections, too.
With some of the more serious infections, your provider may screen you ahead of time to see if you are at risk of reactivating or getting sick again with a prior infection, particularly with tuberculosis and hepatitis B.
For example, Xeljanz, Humira, and Enbrel can all make it harder for your body to fight tuberculosis, so you may be at risk of a new infection or reactivating a previous one. This is why you must let your provider know immediately if you have come into contact with someone who has this condition.
All three medications also raise your risk of getting sick with the hepatitis B virus if you were previously infected, which can cause life-threatening liver damage. You may need to have regular blood tests done while using them to make sure you havent reactivated an infection.
In addition, Xeljanz can make it easier for you to have flare-ups of shingles. Its possible to have shingles multiple times or have very serious cases of this condition. Ask your provider if you should receive before starting this medication to help prevent this from happening.
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What About Side Effects
The medicine can cause itching or redness near the injection site. If this happens, the discomfort should be mild. If you have pain, swelling, warmth, or discoloration near the injection site, you should contact your healthcare provider.
Allergic reactions may happen. Call your healthcare provider or 911 if you have any signs of an allergic reaction, such as rashes or hives swollen face, eyelids, lips, or tongue and difficulty breathing.
The most common serious side effect is infection. Adalimumab can lower the bodys ability to fight infection. Be sure to contact your physician if you have any signs of infection, such as fever, fatigue, cough, or red or painful skin. You may have to stop adalimumab while being treated for an infection. You may also have to stop if you are planning a surgery.
You will need to have a negative tuberculosis test before beginning adalimumab therapy. Your doctor will also check your blood to make sure you do not have Hepatitis B or C.
Make sure your doctor knows if you have any symptoms of heart disease, like shortness of breath when you lie down or exert yourself, swelling or edema of your legs, ankles, and feet, or chest pain or heaviness. This class of drugs may cause your heart disease to get worse.
Tell your doctor if you live or have lived in an area where fungal infections are more common. You may be at higher risk of getting a fungal infection while taking adalimumab.
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Rheumatoid Arthritis: Target Adalimumab Level Determined
Adalimumab blood levels of 5 to 8 g/mL had the greatest effect on rheumatoid arthritis disease activity, Dutch researchers report in an article December 10 in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. Patients taking concomitant methotrexate reached the recommended blood levels at lower doses of adalimumab.
Adalimumab trough levels greater than 8 g/mL had no additional beneficial effect on disease activity, according to Gertjan Wolbink, MD, from the Jan van Breemen Research Institute/Reade and the Department of Immunopathology, Sanquin Research and Landsteiner Laboratory Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The researchers’ goal was to determine the concentrationeffect curve of adalimumab in RA to identify a therapeutic range and facilitate the most cost-effective use of this drug, which US researchers have estimated costs $16,978 per patient with RA per year.
The prospective observational cohort study examined clinical efficacy and weekly adalimumab trough levels in 221 consecutive patients treated with 40 mg adalimumab subcutaneously every other week for 28 weeks. Patients were stratified according to whether or not they were taking MTX. Disease activity was measured using the disease activity score in 28 joints, and patients were categorized as good responders, nonresponders, or moderate responders using European League Against Rheumatism response criteria.
Ann Rheum Dis. Published online December 10, 2013. Abstract
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Enbrel Vs Humira: Which One Is Right For You
Posted on
There are many different medications available for people suffering from auto-immune diseases, and its difficult to choose which one is right for you. Today, well focus on two of the main options: Enbrel vs Humira.
In This Article:
Auto-immune illnesses, including Crohns Disease , Rheumatoid Arthritis , Psoriasis, and Hidradentis Suppurativa , are notoriously difficult to treat. Unlike an infection, which occurs due to colonization or invasion of harmful bacteria and viruses, the cause of the disease originates within the patients own body instead.
Essentially, the immune system either functions at an abnormally low rate, or it goes into overdrive, attacking the bodys own tissues instead.
Humira And Other Medications
Below is a list of medications that can interact with Humira. This list doesnt contain all drugs that may interact with Humira.
Before taking Humira, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Tell them about all prescription, over-the-counter, and other drugs you take. Also tell them about any vitamins, herbs, and supplements you use. Sharing this information can help you avoid potential interactions.
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, ask your doctor or pharmacist.
Humira and drugs that weaken your immune system
Taking Humira with certain medications that weaken your immune system can increase your risk for serious infections.*
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
In people with rheumatoid arthritis , certain medications called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are often used to slow down the progress of RA and relieve symptoms. Some DMARDs are biologic drugs, like Humira. Biologics are medications made from living cells. These biologic DMARDs, when used together with Humira, can weaken your immune system. This makes you more likely to develop serious infections.
Using biologic DMARDs, such as abatacept and anakinra , isnt recommended when youre taking Humira.
However, its fine to take Humira with a DMARD called methotrexate , even if you have RA. According to Humiras manufacturer, these two drugs can be safely used together.
Tumor necrosis factor blockers
Examples of TNF blockers include:
- infliximab
- golimumab
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Rated For Crohn’s Disease
So far my experience has been decent. Im 27 and have never had any major health issues. I was diagnosed with chrones in 2018 i think. I was on prednisone for a bit. I swelled up and gained weight and my skin was red. But after Humira everything has been good or the most part . The past year Ive slacked off on taking the injection every other week and take maybe one every two weeks. My gut seems to be doing fairly well, some pain and soft stools. But nothing like i had in 18. Im looking for the side affects, which has brought me to this page. Some things have occurred but that could be because of genetics so not sure of it being this medication related or not. Have noticed that wounds take longer to heal than i remember. I have joint pain and dont sleep the best. There is some depression but i dont know if any of that is relative to the meds. But it has helped with remission of gastrointestinal pain and such. Which didnt occur till a couple years ago.
Humira Drug Class And Form
Humira contains the active drug adalimumab, which is a biologic medication. Biologics are medications made from living cells. Adalimumab belongs to a class of medications known as tumor necrosis factor blockers. TNF is a protein made by your body.
Humira comes in three forms: a single-dose pen, a single-dose prefilled syringe, and a single-dose vial of liquid solution. To learn the strengths of the forms, see the Humira dosage section below.
The drug is given as an injection just under your skin . A healthcare provider can give you Humira injections. But you may be able to give yourself injections at home with the pen or syringe if your doctor approves. Youd need to be trained first. The vial form of Humira can be used only by healthcare providers. You wont be able to use vials yourself.
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Will I Have Withdrawal Symptoms If I Stop Using Humira
Humira itself isnt likely to cause withdrawal symptoms. However, if you stop using Humira, theres a strong possibility that symptoms of your condition will return or worsen.
For example, in clinical studies, 22% of people with hidradenitis suppurativa who stopped taking Humira had a flare-up of their HS symptoms after they ended their treatment.
If you have questions about ending your use of Humira, talk with your doctor. You shouldnt stop taking the drug on your own.
What If I Miss A Dose
You may receive your Humira injections in a doctors office or clinic. Or you may give yourself Humira injections at home.
Regardless of how the drug is given, its important that you dont miss a dose of Humira. Getting consistent doses of the drug helps keep the levels of Humira in your body steady over time. This is important for treating your condition.
If you do miss an appointment to receive your Humira injection, call your doctors office as soon as possible to reschedule.
If you forget to give yourself an injection of Humira, inject your missed dose as soon as you remember. However, if its almost time for your next dose, just skip the missed dose. Then inject your next Humira dose at its regular time. You shouldnt inject two doses of Humira at once to make up for a missed dose. Doing so could raise your risk for serious side effects.
If you are not sure whether you should inject Humira after youve missed a dose, call your doctor or pharmacist.
If you need help remembering to go to your Humira appointments or take your dose of Humira on time, try using a medication reminder. This can include setting an alarm, downloading a reminder app, or setting a timer on your phone. A kitchen timer can work, too.
The dosage of Humira youre prescribed may depend on several factors. These include:
- the type and severity of the condition youre using Humira to treat
- your age
- the form of Humira youre using
- other medications you take
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