Hi All,
After a prolonged flare and continued inflammation my GI doctor is recommending I start a biologic and I am really scared. I think part of it is accepting that my UC is gotten worse, but I am also really nervous about side effects and everything else. I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around the fact that this is my life now.
Anyway, my insurance will most likely only cover Humira to start but my doctor has also mentioned Entyvio. I feel like so much of what I read online is negative because people mostly post on the internet to complain. Can anyone share their real experiences with me? I don't know anyone in real life on either medication and I'm struggling here.
Thank you!
Kelsey
Reply posted for kelseyco.
Hi. I hope you feel better soon. I was on sulfasalazine for several months, and it was working wonderfully. Then I had an allergic reaction to it and my IBD specialist put me on Humira. I was scared senseless of all the possible side effects, but I talked to my doctor, and he reassured me on each and every point I brought up. Once I got used to the idea of going on a biologic (that was a hard decision to make), I was prescribed the citrate free auto pen. It was very easy, and there was no pain or burning during the injection. My side effects were joint pain and headaches during the loading doses, but those went away when I started the maintenance doses. Otherwise, Humira worked well for me while I was on it. I also recommend that you enroll in Humira's co-pay program, which is very helpful with the portion of the medication cost that your insurance may not cover. Good luck!!
Reply posted for kelseyco.
I started Humira back in August and i've definitely seen improvements from where my symptoms were. I havent reached complete remission but I am so much better than I was when I started. When I first started it with the initial dose (which is 4x the normal dose) it kind of shocked my body a bit and I experienced really bad joint pain all over for about 4 days. Tylenol and Motrin helped. But I haven't experienced any of side effects since then.
It took a bit longer than I was expecting for the Humira to actually start kicking in, but there were a lot of things involved in that, like my envrionment and certain stresses.
I'd say, if your insurance can cover it, try Humira. It probably can't make anything worse, but if there's even a slight chance that it could make things better, it would be worth it. I can't say anything for Entyvio, but humira has defiinitely improved my symptoms exponentially. Also, if youre nervous about the needle, get the injector pen and try to get the citric free formula. It won't burn going in and the pen is super easy to use and you never even see the needle.
I hope some of this helps :) and I hope whatever you choose to do works for you!!
Reply posted for kelseyco.
I’ve used remicade for two years, entyvio for one. No side effects from either one, but I also haven’t seen any improvement.
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