Author: Alex Thompson

What is Humira and what is it used for?

Humira was studied in adults with moderate to severe UC that was active. These people had either tried or were currently taking other drugs for UC called immunosuppressants. Some people were also taking drugs known as aminosalicylates. The use of Humira in children ages 12 years and older was based on clinical studies of adults. The safety and effectiveness of the drug is estimated to be the same in children as in adults.

But Humira is used to treat some chronic (long-term) conditions, and having a chronic condition has been linked to anxiety. It has also caused existing tumors (masses of cancerous tissue) to grow. In fact, Humira has a boxed warning about risk of cancer. For more information, see the “Side effect specifics” section below.

Humira for rheumatoid arthritis (RA)

For more information, see the “Side effect specifics” section above. Taking Humira can increase your risk for serious bacterial, fungal, and viral infections, including tuberculosis (TB). This is because the drug affects your immune system, and can lower your body’s ability to fight infections.

This way, you wouldn’t have to go to your doctor’s office to receive your doses. No, Humira is given as a subcutaneous injection (an injection under your skin). An IV infusion is when a drug is injected directly into a vein over a period of time.

This class of drugs may cause your heart disease to get worse. If you have a history of liver damage or liver disease, make sure to discuss this with your doctor before starting Humira. It’s possible for TNF blockers such as Humira to cause severe liver damage.

Skin-related side effects

If you do develop liver problems, your doctor may have you stop taking Humira and try a different medication for your condition. In very rare cases, Humira may cause liver problems, including liver damage and sudden liver failure. But liver problems have rarely been reported in people using the drug since it was approved. This wasn’t reported as a side effect in clinical trials of the drug.

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1. While employers and their health insurers bear most of those costs, some patients have extremely high out-of-pocket costs, or co-pays.
2. (Humira is a TNF blocker drug.) It’s not known if Humira is effective in people who couldn’t take TNF blockers or whose condition didn’t improve with them.
3. Plaque psoriasis is a condition in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the body, causing inflammation (swelling).
4. But, if you experience a reaction that doesn’t go away or bothers you, talk with your doctor.
5. Lymphomas (cancers of the white blood cells) and other cancers have occurred in people who took Humira, including children and teens.

The main symptoms are painful skin breakouts that can occur in areas such as the armpits, groin, and inner thighs. These breakouts are often painful and can take numerous forms, including pimple-like red bumps, cysts or nodules, and boils. The breakouts can be triggered or worsened by things like stress, heat, and hormonal changes. An injection site reaction is common while taking Humira.

Humira for ankylosing spondylitis (AS)

This helps prevent others, including children and pets, from taking the drug by accident. It also helps keep the drug from harming the environment. The expiration date helps guarantee that the medication is effective during this time.

For more information on how to properly give yourself a Humira injection, please visit the drug manufacturer’s website. If you have questions about which form of Humira is right for you or how to give yourself injections, talk with your doctor. If you have questions about taking Humira with other medications, talk with your doctor. For more information on the conditions Humira can be used to treat in children, refer to the individual sections above. Lupus is a type of autoimmune disease (a condition in which your immune system attacks your body’s own cells by mistake).

The vial form of Humira can be used only by healthcare professionals. Humira has a half-life (the time it takes a drug to lose half of its biological activity) of 10 to 20 days. You must continue your regular visits to the rheumatologist. Your doctor will monitor you for any improvements in your disease and for any signs of infections. Lymphoma and other malignancies, some fatal, have been reported in children and adolescent patients treated with TNF blockers, including adalimumab.

And you may wonder if Humira can be prescribed for certain other conditions. This decreases the activity of your immune system, leading to healing of damage to the eye and improved vision. At week 52, 23% to 33% of children had a remission of their CD symptoms. And 28% to 42% of children found that their symptoms eased significantly. The goal of Humira is to ease the signs and symptoms of CD and help you reach remission, which is a time when you don’t have symptoms.

However, according to the manufacturer of Humira, the drug should be used during pregnancy only if needed. It’s not known whether Humira is safe to take during pregnancy. Humira itself isn’t likely to cause withdrawal symptoms.