Just Humira me for a Minute Here...

Two entries within two weeks of each other, I'm on a roll now! I hope everyone had an awesome Thanksgiving.

I know what you're wondering... 'Ok, Ally... what Turkey Trot or Road Race did you spend your Thanksgiving morning running, before stuffing your face?' I can honestly say that I've never run a Thanksgiving day race, and I spent the day sleeping in. I don't know why, but something about getting up early to run in the cold on one of the few weekdays that I have off from work... just doesn't appeal to me. Also, the 'big' Thanksgiving Race around here is the (world-famous?) Manchester Road Race... which, from everything I've heard, unless you're in the elite heat, you end up walking the first mile or more because of the sheer number of people. Don't get me wrong, I'm always tempted... but sleeping in has always won out. This year it was about 10℉ outside. My electric blanket told me that I made the right decision.

So anyways, as mentioned in my last entry, my GI and I were discussing the possibility that I had built up antibodies to the medication that I'm on. You've probably heard of it... it has at least 10 indications and a TV commercial for every one of them. Of course, the TV commercials were both a blessing and a curse, because they helped me know what to focus on when I was reading up on the product... but the list of adverse reactions at the end of the commercial includes Tuberculosis, cancer, death... so naturally my mom was a little apprehensive when I told her that my doctor was prescribing Humira.

I'd been prescribed a couple of products for my Crohn's before this, but since my Crohn's never affected my day-to-day life until recently, they felt like a waste. Knowing what I know now about pharmaceuticals (my job involves training pharmaceutical reps), I'm ashamed of how little time and energy I put into researching the products I had been put on.

Dr C., the GI who gave me the original diagnosis, put me on a product called PENTASA. Indicated for mild to moderately active Ulcerative Colitis (note: close, but not Crohn's), it was 4 horse pills (for real, these things were HUGE) that I had to take 4 times a day. Yes, 16 pills a day. It didn't take long before I didn't bother with them anymore.

When I moved on to my next GI, Dr. B., he listened to my concerns (taking that many pills for an issue that didn't particularly bother me all that much), and suggested Lialda. Sort of like the 'big sister' of PENTASA, Lialda was the same drug (mesalamine, also indicated for UC), but I only needed to take 2 horse pills once a day. Dr. B. had suggested that I could either take the medication regularly to prevent any flareups... or take it if I felt a flareup coming on, to reduce the issue. So naturally, those pills also ended up in the back of my medicine cabinet, forgotten.

For years I went without issue, only the occasional symptom popping up. Early 2017 was when I noticed that my original symptom, blood and pain when I went to the bathroom, was occurring regularly, and not going away.  I made an appointment with Dr. Y, who prescribed me BY FAR the most unusual prescription yet. I'm not kidding when I say that he prescribed a nitroglycerin enema. I think I stuck with it for a week before the headaches and lack of any noticeable improvement made me decide that it wasn't worth it.

I started Humira in March of this year. The goal with Humira is remission in 3 months. I did notice a sharp improvement right away, but never complete remission, as I'd still experience the occasional bout of urgency or abdominal cramping. The week before my first appointment since starting Humira, I was noticing a lot of blood when going to the bathroom. Dr. J. and I discussed possible causes: I'd eaten quinoa (the hard little pieces didn't digest well); I was stressed; I wasn't able to exercise regularly. We agreed to run some labs to see if I'd built up antibodies to Humira, which isn't unheard of (and if it does happen, its usually within the first year).

And that's where I am now. I have my next appointment with Dr. J this coming Monday, where I'll find out the results. If I haven't built up antibodies, she'd like to see how I respond to taking Humira once a week, as opposed to once every other week. If I have, then we'll have to discuss my other options. Most likely an infusion, which means an office visit for an IV hookup every couple of months.

But for now, we wait. And eat Thanksgiving leftovers. Mmm, leftovers.