Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...

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can humira quit working in a few months?

hawkeye53
hawkeye53
Just wondering for those on biologics can they quit working a couple of months after starting already? I started Humira in January also on methotrexate and plaquinel. It did help some and enough to get off the dreaded prednisone by end of Feb . About 2 weeks ago noticed having increased hand and foot pain as well as increased joint swelling and increased fatigue. Could I be in a flair or has humira already quit working. I have a lot of pain and swelling in joints in feet and hands especially my right one which I know has erosions already started definitely don't want this to worsen as use hands a lot at work and have 3 kids at home to care for. Wondering if should see about restarting prednisone or hang on for another week or so?
lynnedavidson3
lynnedavidson3
I understand your concern, but it is possible to have a flare while taking a biologic medication. I don't have any way of knowing wether Humira has stopped working or not, perhaps a call to your Doc's office might be helpful. Only you and your Doc can make the determination to change meds, or determine if a medication is not working well enough.
With that said, I am on my third biologic in about 2 1/2 years of taking them. My newest biologic is Orencia, I believe it is working very well, and has made my life much better. But, I still have symptoms of RA, and my disease is still progressing, albeit, at a much slower rate than when the RA was not controlled at all.
Take a look at diet, exercise, stress levels, weather. These can have an effect on how you feel. I have found acupuncture, warm water aerobics, and lots of sleep also help. I have been traveling a lot for work in the last couple of weeks, taking me away from my normal routine, and I am feeling worse.
I hope this has helped,
Lynne
deleted_user
deleted_user
Ok-- I'm thinking that its more likely that you stopped the Pred and 2 weeks later you are flaring. Call your rheumy for advice.
Trooper45yrs
Trooper45yrs
Humira worked for me for a couple of years and then seemed to stop working. I went off of it completely to start a new med (Orencia), but since I went off the Humira, I have been getting worse and worse. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you may not realize how much the Humira is actually helping you unless/until you quit it. It is so daunting, how long all of these take to start working. I've been waiting since August to feel better. The only thing that really seems to help me is ibuprofen. Sad, but true. ($10,000 Rx compared to a 20 cent pill).