Hi all, I just discovered this forum and have been reading up on this thread tonight, as I just started my Humira Pen treatment today (4 doses = 160mg).
Ouch.
I have a slim/muscular build with very little fat on my body, which could have contributed to the pain. I tried various spots in my abs, small love handle area, and thighs. They all hurt, even though I let the shots warm up for about a half hour. Icing didn't make much of a difference.
Anyway, hopefully they'll work for me.
Since being diagnosed (post colonoscopy) with Crohn's in June after brutal cramps, frequent and strained bowel movements, and a loss of almost 10% of my body weight, I've been on Prednisone, first at 30mg/day and now down to 10mg/day. I'll taper down to 5mg next week and then go off it the week after. Within 2 days of starting on prednisone, I felt not just normal, but like a million dollars. (Steroid high, I guess.) Per my doctor's predictions, I started eating 5000+ calories a day, and (also per her predictions, based on my body type), unfortunately not gaining an ounce until I tapered down to about 15mg/day. My eating habits are back to normal now with the same diet I'd had before I got sick. I've gained back about half the weight.
Humira was a bitch to get approved for. I'm in the independent market for insurance, because I'm self employed. I'm very much not indigent, but my insurance prescription benefits cap out at a few thousand dollars a year (the individual market plans virtually all do this), so Humira was going to come out of my pocket (to the tune of $2-3k a month, even after their assistance card). I called the Abbott Foundation, and although I was told I was "beyond their normal threshold" over the phone, I was nonetheless approved within several days of applying, and at no cost to me at all. I feel like I got lucky, and for my unexpected success I'm grateful. Maybe my quick mention of large student loan debt impacted the decision?
While I was waiting a month to get the Humira issue worked out, first fruitlessly with my insurance, then with the Foundation, my GI doctor told me to stay on the Prednisone, but didn't give me a lot of updated advice re: tapering. I self decided to bring myself down to 10mg/day (at 5mg taper a week), and she was shocked I was feeling fine and encouraged me to go back up to 20-25 mg/day until the Humira worked out. I declined, as I hate drugs, and I've been feeling mostly fine, with the exception of one loose-ish (but painless) stool once every ten days or so.
I'm hoping I stay healthy (and feeling as good as I have for the past two months) as I switch out of the Prednisone and into Humira. I'm also hoping that after a year of this, my GI doctor will let me switch off of Humira and into a less intense (read: injection-free) treatment.
In any case, I'm just introducing myself here, and I figure I'll be lurking over the next few months as my treatment progresses.
Have a great night.
Ouch.
I have a slim/muscular build with very little fat on my body, which could have contributed to the pain. I tried various spots in my abs, small love handle area, and thighs. They all hurt, even though I let the shots warm up for about a half hour. Icing didn't make much of a difference.
Anyway, hopefully they'll work for me.
Since being diagnosed (post colonoscopy) with Crohn's in June after brutal cramps, frequent and strained bowel movements, and a loss of almost 10% of my body weight, I've been on Prednisone, first at 30mg/day and now down to 10mg/day. I'll taper down to 5mg next week and then go off it the week after. Within 2 days of starting on prednisone, I felt not just normal, but like a million dollars. (Steroid high, I guess.) Per my doctor's predictions, I started eating 5000+ calories a day, and (also per her predictions, based on my body type), unfortunately not gaining an ounce until I tapered down to about 15mg/day. My eating habits are back to normal now with the same diet I'd had before I got sick. I've gained back about half the weight.
Humira was a bitch to get approved for. I'm in the independent market for insurance, because I'm self employed. I'm very much not indigent, but my insurance prescription benefits cap out at a few thousand dollars a year (the individual market plans virtually all do this), so Humira was going to come out of my pocket (to the tune of $2-3k a month, even after their assistance card). I called the Abbott Foundation, and although I was told I was "beyond their normal threshold" over the phone, I was nonetheless approved within several days of applying, and at no cost to me at all. I feel like I got lucky, and for my unexpected success I'm grateful. Maybe my quick mention of large student loan debt impacted the decision?
While I was waiting a month to get the Humira issue worked out, first fruitlessly with my insurance, then with the Foundation, my GI doctor told me to stay on the Prednisone, but didn't give me a lot of updated advice re: tapering. I self decided to bring myself down to 10mg/day (at 5mg taper a week), and she was shocked I was feeling fine and encouraged me to go back up to 20-25 mg/day until the Humira worked out. I declined, as I hate drugs, and I've been feeling mostly fine, with the exception of one loose-ish (but painless) stool once every ten days or so.
I'm hoping I stay healthy (and feeling as good as I have for the past two months) as I switch out of the Prednisone and into Humira. I'm also hoping that after a year of this, my GI doctor will let me switch off of Humira and into a less intense (read: injection-free) treatment.
In any case, I'm just introducing myself here, and I figure I'll be lurking over the next few months as my treatment progresses.
Have a great night.
.
