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Humira

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7 years 3 weeks ago #64645 by meryl36
Humira was created by meryl36
hi,
I"m writing on behalf of my husband who has RA and is currently taking Humira to help control it. He also has a blood cancer that's been pretty indolent for almost 11 years until yesterday. At the oncologist appointment we had yesterday he was told that his platelets have been trending downward for the past 6 mos and are now at 129. I'm wondering if this could be the result of the Humira he's taking. i read that in some rare cases this type of drug could lead to low platelets. If anyone here has any experience with this type of drug I'd love to hear from you.
Thanks in advance,
Meryl
  • Neve24
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  • Neve, 21, diagnosed in 2004 with ITP, relapsed 2013, relapsed 2017, chronic since then; last count, sept. 3rd, 2018: 4000 (on Imuran)
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7 years 3 weeks ago - 7 years 3 weeks ago #64646 by Neve24
Replied by Neve24 on topic Humira
Hi!
Sorry to hear about your husband. Most people on this forum have ITP, which is not treated with Humira.
I haven't seen anyone mention Crohn's or UC or RA on here recently, but maybe someone that has some experience with the drug will chime in soon.

That said, both blood cancers and humira can cause a low platelet count, so it could be either. I assume that with cancer other blood cell types would be abnormal in number too. So if it's only his platelets that have dropped, and this started right after he began his humira treatment, I wouldn't worry much until I spoke with the hematologist for their opinion.

I wish you and your husband all the best and please keep us updated.
Neve
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7 years 3 weeks ago #64647 by meryl36
Replied by meryl36 on topic Humira
Hi Neve,
thanks for the response. I spoke to his doctor & she said it probably wasn't the Humira but that it could possibly be the Methotraxate that he's on so she wants him to stop taking that. He's also going to have a bone marrow biopsy done in Dec so we'll see what that shows.
  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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7 years 3 weeks ago #64648 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Humira
Meryl - We did have one member here a few months ago who suspected that Humira was causing his platelet count to drop. Thrombocytopenia is a listed side effect, so it's possible. Any drug can potentially cause ITP so it's a guessing game if a person is using more than one drug at the same time.
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7 years 3 weeks ago #64652 by meryl36
Replied by meryl36 on topic Humira
hi Sandi,
I'm trying to schedule a bone marrow biopsy for my husband down at MD Anderson in Houston so hopefully after that we'll know if it's the cancer or simply a platelet issue. He's also going to stop the Methotraxate that he's on & see if that helps.
  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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7 years 3 weeks ago #64654 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Humira
Good luck. Let us know how it goes. I've been on Methotrexate - horrible drug!
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7 years 3 weeks ago #64656 by meryl36
Replied by meryl36 on topic Humira
why was it horrible? did you have any side effects? hubby's been on it for over 2 years now
  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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7 years 3 weeks ago #64661 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Humira
Everyone is different. I was sick all the time, caught everything. I also started with IBS, something I'd never had a problem with before. I would get diarrhea that hit so quick I barely made it to the bathroom. I ended up having to quit using it when they found a nodule on my lung. My Pulmonologist said that was a common side effect. All of this started after I began doing injections instead of pills. I was on it for about a year. All of that for nothing...it didn't help anyway.
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7 years 3 weeks ago #64666 by meryl36
Replied by meryl36 on topic Humira
sorry you had so many problems! My hubby had the same stomach issues so switched to injections but I'm not sure it's helping him either. Hopefully now that he's stopped it, the platelets will bounce back.
  • Sandi
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  • Sandi Forum Moderator Diagnosed in 1998, currently in remission. Diagnosed with Lupus in 2006. Last Count - 344k - 6-9-18
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7 years 3 weeks ago #64668 by Sandi
Replied by Sandi on topic Humira
I hope so! Let me know!
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