What Blood Tests Will I Need Before Or During Humira Treatment
Youll need several tests before starting Humira treatment and while you take the drug, including:
- Tuberculosis . Before you start taking Humira, your doctor will check you for TB. While you take the medication, theyll monitor you for any symptoms of infection. This is because Humira can weaken your immune system and make you more likely to develop an infection.*
- Hepatitis B. Your doctor will also want to see if you have the hepatitis B virus . Humira can cause HBV to become reactivated in people who previously had active HBV. Your doctor may keep testing you for HBV while you take Humira and for several months after you stop your treatment.
- Liver function. While you take Humira, your doctor will likely order blood tests to make sure your liver is working properly. Humira can cause liver damage and sudden liver failure in rare cases.
- Humira level. During your treatment with Humira, your doctor may also order lab tests to check the level of Humira in your blood. Although more research is needed, keeping Humira levels in the blood within a specific range may be ideal for treatment.
- Humira antibodies. In addition, your doctor may order a blood test that checks for antibodies to Humira. People who form antibodies against Humira are less likely to respond well to the drug.
If you have questions about what tests youll need before and during your Humira treatment, check with your doctor.
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.
for risk of serious infections. A boxed warning is the most serious warning from the Food and Drug Administration . For more information, see FDA warnings at the beginning of this article.
Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs
In people with rheumatoid arthritis , certain medications called disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are often used to slow down the progression 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.
Tumor necrosis factor blockers
Examples of TNF blockers include:
Does Humira Cause Eye
Its possible. Although Humira is not known to specifically cause eye-related side effects, it may cause other side effects that can affect your eyes. For example, Humira can cause nervous system problems. Symptoms of some nervous system problems may include changes in your vision.
Humira can also cause liver damage. One symptom of liver damage is jaundice, which can cause the whites of your eyes to become yellow.
Some people may have an allergic reaction to Humira. In certain cases, allergic reactions may cause your eyes to swell.
If you notice any vision changes or other changes in your eyes while using Humira, call your doctor right away.
Learn more about some of the side effects Humira may cause.
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What Side Effects Are Possible With This Medication
Many medications can cause side effects. A side effect is an unwanted response to a medication when it is taken in normal doses. Side effects can be mild or severe, temporary or permanent.
The side effects listed below are not experienced by everyone who takes this medication. If you are concerned about side effects, discuss the risks and benefits of this medication with your doctor.
The following side effects have been reported by at least 1% of people taking this medication. Many of these side effects can be managed, and some may go away on their own over time.
Contact your doctor if you experience these side effects and they are severe or bothersome. Your pharmacist may be able to advise you on managing side effects.
- injection site reactions
Stop taking the medication and seek immediate medical attention if any of the following occur:
- signs of a severe allergic reaction
- signs of a blood clot in the arm or leg or lungs
- symptoms of a severe infection
- swelling of the hands or feet with shortness of breath
Some people may experience side effects other than those listed. Check with your doctor if you notice any symptom that worries you while you are taking this medication.
Coping With Chronic Fatigue In Rheumatoid Arthritis
For some people with rheumatoid arthritis , chronic fatigue can be as debilitating as joint pain. A person might sleep for 8 hours and wake up feeling like he or she never slept. This exhaustion can affect mental concentration and lead a person to feel frustrated and helpless.
Unfortunately, there is no quick fix for eliminating chronic fatigue. Managing fatigue often requires a multi-pronged approach that incorporates both medical treatment and lifestyle changes.
See Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fatigue
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Pharmacologic Treatment Of Fatigue
Pharmacological treatment of fatigue in RA has been primarily studied by treating disease activity and/or pain. Treating to a target and achieving rapid remission or very low disease state in ERA predicts lower fatigue early and later . Effective treatment in RA will only partially reduce fatigue if it is related to the disease activity in RA.
Virtually all treatments in RA will reduce fatigue, including conventional synthetic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs , targeted synthetic DMARDs, biologic DMARDs and corticosteroids. The average effect of treatment on fatigue in active RA with various advanced therapies is meaningful but not large. Treatment of disease activity in RA has a small impact on fatigue, whereas physical inactivity, poor sleep and depressed mood explain most of the fatigue. Often fatigue is an exploratory outcome in trials. Medications can cause or exacerbate fatigue. A strong predictor of nonadherence to methotrexate was fatigue .
Improvement in fatigue has been related to the line of therapy in a review of abatacept trials. Abatacept improved fatigue more than placebo, and improvements in fatigue were higher in ERA compared with biologic exposed patients. More than 1500 patients from the three trials were analysed, and the authors concluded that improvement in fatigue and other outcomes such as pain, sleep and remission had poor agreement and earlier lines of therapy had more responsiveness with respect to fatigue in patients treatd with abatacept.
Concordance With Active Disease
RA disease activity and fatigue are correlated in many studies, but often the associations are weak. When patients with RA flare, usually pain and fatigue increase. For instance, fatigue was associated with flare in RA patients with the TNF inhibitor dose decreased, but other variables had more impact in the analyses such as baseline DAS28 and mental health.
The mean fatigue in RA patients studied cross-sectionally was 4/10, with 40% having severe fatigue. Associations with fatigue are not necessarily consistent between studies. High fatigue in one study was associated with females, disease activity, function, treatment and multimorbidity . However, significant fatigue in RA in another study was associated with self-rated poor health, pain and anxiety/depression but not physical capacity/function.
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What Ulcerative Colitis Fatigue Feels Like
Fatigue is beyond just a passing feeling of being tired, explains Dr. Katkov. People with ulcerative colitis can experience malaise, a profound kind of fatigue that makes it difficult to carry out normal activities, he says.
Tina Haupert, a nutrition coach living in the South Shore of Massachusetts who was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2011, agrees. Before addressing her UC fatigue with dietary changes and exercise, she pretty much always felt tired.
According to research by the British organization Crohns and Colitis UK, people with IBD often describe their tiredness with words such as: brain fog, zombie mode, feeling woozy or fuzzy, completely wiped out, and overwhelming heaviness.
The group also found that IBD fatigue tends to be unpredictable it can come on suddenly, without warning, and vary from day to day. It can also affect memory and concentration, interfere with work, make it harder to exercise and socialize, and take a hefty emotional toll, leading to reduced confidence and depression, they report.
Experts agree that making sure fatigue doesnt interfere with quality of life, the ability to work, and the capacity to have a normal social life is central to the goal of treating a chronic condition like ulcerative colitis. We dont want to settle for a lower quality of life than what can be achieved with aggressive treatment, Katkov says.
Preventing And Coping With Fatigue
Living successfully means finding ways to cope with fatigue. Follow these tips to keep fatigue at bay:
Sleep: Get plenty of sleepat least seven to eight hours each night. Healthy sleep habits can help prevent fatigue and pain. For optimal sleep:
- Keep your bedroom quiet, dark, and relatively cool.
- Avoid alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, exercise, and large meals before bedtime.
- Avoid television, your phone and computers for at least an hour before bedtime.
- Create a soothing bedtime ritual, such as a warm bath or meditation before bed.
Rest: Get plenty of rest throughout the day. Build down time into your day a simple 15-20-minute break can reenergize you. Take naps if you need them.
Time Management: Plan ahead. Set priorities for the day and create a realistic timeline for accomplishing them.
Pace Yourself: Overdoing it is a surefire way to exacerbate pain and fatigue. Instead, pace yourself and try not to take on too much.
Fatigue Journal: Keep a record of your activities and the associated energy levels. This will help you to track the activities that zap your energy and either avoid them or plan accordingly.
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How To Minimize Weight Gain On Humira
It is known that significant weight gain can occur as a side effect of Humira. If you want to minimize your chances of gaining weight on Humira , you may want to consider implementing some of the strategies listed below. Understand that you should never implement any of these strategies without first consulting a medical professional to ensure that theyre safe in accordance with your current medical status.
When To Talk With Your Doctor
Side effects from Humira arent common. And, theyre usually mild when they do occur. Most mild side effects of the drug go away with time and dont require medical attention. But in rare cases, Humira can cause serious side effects. You should talk with your doctor if you experience symptoms of any side effects during treatment.
If youd like to learn more about Humira, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They can help answer any questions you have about side effects from taking the drug.
Besides talking with your doctor, you can do some research on your own. These articles might help:
- More information about Humira. For details about other aspects of Humira, refer to this article.
- Dosage details. For information about Humiras dosage, see this article.
- Drug comparison. To learn how Humira compares with other drugs, read the comparison articles on these medications: Cosentyx, Cimzia, Enbrel, and Stelara.
- Details on your condition. For details on your condition, our inflammatory bowel disease hub and rheumatoid arthritis hub may be helpful. You can also see our lists of:
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Humira Hangover And Extreme Fatigue Does Humira Make You Tired
Today were going to address a common question among ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease patients: Does Humira make you tired? Humira is a drug that inflammatory bowel disease patients try in order to get their symptoms under control. As with any medication, one of the first questions a patient will have is what the side effects may be. People with ulcerative colitis and Crohns disease often worry about fatigue as a possible side effect because their condition already makes them exhausted.
Humira, also known as adalimumab, is part of a category called biologic drugs, which are made from, or include components of, living organisms. The drug comes either as a pen or as a prefilled syringe. Patients generally inject Humira under the skin themselves once every two weeks. The medication is usually only prescribed to people who have tried other treatments unsuccessfully. Its used not only for IBD but also for several other autoimmune diseases, including ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.
Many people who take Humira have no side effects. And when problems do arise, they are typically mild and disappear on their own, according to a patient information sheet from Guys and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust. Serious issues are less common.
So what about Humira and fatigue? Does this medication have the potential to sap your energy?
How Will I Know If Humira Isnt Working For My Condition
Youll know Humira isnt working for your condition if your symptoms dont ease or ease so little that your daily life is still affected by your condition. If Humira is working, you should notice symptom relief within the first few months of taking the drug.
If you have questions about how well Humira is working for you, talk with your doctor.
no longer assigns pregnancy categories to describe the level of risk related to using prescription drugs during pregnancy. However, according to the manufacturer of Humira, the drug should be used during pregnancy only if needed.
Its not known whether Humira is safe to take during pregnancy.
One study looked at data in pregnant women with rheumatoid arthritis or Crohns disease . A total of 221 women took Humira, and 106 women didnt take the drug. The researchers noted that 10% of women who took Humira had major birth defects, compared with 7.5% of the women who didnt take the drug.
Due to the small number of people in the study, these results arent enough to state for certain that Humira causes major birth defects. This is because factors other than Humira between the two groups could be responsible for the differences in the rate of birth defects.
If youre pregnant or plan on becoming pregnant, talk with your doctor before taking Humira. Theyll review the risks and benefits of the drug with you.
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Is Anxiety A Side Effect Of Humira
No, anxiety isnt a side effect of Humira. This wasnt reported as a side effect in clinical trials of the drug. But Humira is used to treat some chronic conditions, and having a chronic condition has been linked to anxiety.
If you have questions about anxiety or side effects of Humira, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Humira Dosing For Approved Indications
Humira is indicated and highly effective in treating a variety of disorders. For many, Humira use has significantly improved their quality of life. Dosing is not the same in everyone or for every disorder it is used for. Dosing in children, when approved, is weight based. Below is a table comparing dosages approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the most common possible uses of Humira. Your doctor will prescribe your dose of Humira based on your diagnosis.
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Reviewing Ra Medications And Chronic Fatigue
Patients who are experiencing fatigue can ask their healthcare provider to review their complete lists of medications and supplements. Patients are advised to report all medications and supplements, keeping these points in mind:
- Many over-the-counter cold and allergy medications can cause drowsiness or dizziness.
- Certain over-the-counter, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can cause sleepiness or dizziness.2,3
- Many medications used to treat other conditions, such as depression, allergies, high blood pressure, and diabetes, can also cause fatigue.
Information about the patients chronic fatigue, RA, and medication prescriptions should be shared with all members of the health care team, such as physician specialists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, counselors, and pharmacists.
What Drugs And Food Should I Avoid While Taking Humira
Do not inject adalimumab into skin that is bruised, red, tender, or hard.
Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Tell your doctor at once if you develop signs of infection.
Do not receive a “live” vaccine while using adalimumab. The vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect you from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella , polio, rotavirus, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella , or zoster .
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Does Humira Cause Side Effects That Could Affect My Skin
Yes, Humira could cause side effects that affect your skin. Because Humira is given as an injection under your skin, it can cause an injection site reaction.
Injection site reactions may include symptoms such as:
- redness or discoloration
- swelling or pain
Another side effect of Humira is a rash. For more information, see the Side effects explained section below.
If you have any concerns about skin-related side effects from Humira, talk with your doctor. For more information about how often these side effects may have occurred in studies of Humira, see the prescribing information.
