Monoclonal antibodies are produced by cloning of white cell of blood. Humira is such a monoclonal antibody; it is administered for the treatment of various forms of arthritis – like psoriatic-arthritis, rheumatoid-arthritis as well as idiopathic-arthritis among juveniles. This med is injected under your skin. It is categorised under a genre of drugs called tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibiting / blocking meds. In the US, it has needful approvals for clinical use since 2002. But, can you use humira after taking a COVID shot? It is essential to know more in this regard.
Humira is used for treating acute spells of rheumatoid-arthritis among adults. The name of this drug is an acronym; coming from Human Monoclonal Antibody In Rheumatoid-Arthritis (Humira). Your treating doctor may prescribe it as a stand-alone med or with other drugs of the anti-rheumatic (disease modifying) genre. Meds such as methotrexate (an immunity cells suppressant and a chemo agent) are also prescribed along with humira.
An extended use, humira is also taken for decreasing the signs of ankylosing spondylitis among men and women alike. Use of this tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) blocking drug can suppress the symptoms of this form of spondylitis.
In the UK, humira has the needful local approval for the treatment of Crohn’s disease. Its use stands cleared from 2009, to manage acute spells of this ailment. You need to know that Crohn’s disease is a kind of inflammatory bowel disorder (IBD). This condition triggers pain in lower abdomen, loss of body weight as well as traces of blood in stools (arises when the internal swelling turns acute).
Can I take humira after taking COVID vaccine?
Clinical studies indicate that it is a safe practice to take COVID shots if you taking humira. It may turn unsafe if you are altering the dosage strength or schedule of humira. It becomes important to talk to your treating doctor about this in greater detail. However, a few bodies – for instance, the College of Rheumatology in US (ACR) is yet to decide on this.
This indecision stems from a study (of more than 130 respondents) who took immunity suppressing meds found their antibodies at 3x lesser after a COVID shot. But, the vaccine did offer needful protection to most of them who participated in this study. One more clinical study revealed that humira did not have a significant impact on the immunity responses associated with the COVID vaccine.
On the other hand, users of humira who were advised to stop dosages experienced a few adverse effects. Such brief spells of discontinuation led to precipitation of flares into your medical condition. In general, a third dosage of COVID shot is known to produce robust responses from patients who have a compromised immunity system. It is a safe practice to consult with your treating doctor about the use of humira soon after taking a COVID shot(s).
Safety measures associated with the use of humira
While using humira, it is recommended to tell about your pre-existing ailments; especially, those living with hepatic conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver or inflammation (a condition known as hepatitis). In some users, a few risks of cardiac dysfunction have been observed, and in some conditions linked to nervous system are noticed.
Owing to these potential risks, the food and drug administration (FDA) – federal drug clearing authority based in the US – has extended a black-box caution/warning. This caution is mainly to instruct doctors to monitor the users with added care.
Disclaimer
Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug.
Education: Master’s in Clinical Nutrition from Tufts University. Experience: 6 years of experience as a registered dietitian and freelance writer, creating content on nutritional science and weight management for various health websites.
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