Humira works decently enough after being on it since this past December. Now I have to stop it due to infections. I had a yeast infection, and now I'm positive for MRSA. I'm taking antibiotics by pill and intranasal spray, and using a special soap. The rhuemy said to not take Humira during the course of the antibiotic.
I don't know how long the Humira stays in the system. My dose is every other week, and I dosed this past Friday because I did not yet know about the MRSA.
Has anyone else had infections while on biologics?
I've never had a yeast infection, nor MRSA before. :(
In July, I got a teensy-weensy ingrown toenail infection, so onto an anti-biotic and off Enbrel. It cleared up, and I got back on Enbrel before I went too far downhill. Two weeks later, infection again. This time I was off for a month, and I've just gone back on. I am babying my toe (soaks, keeping it clean, polysporin, moisturizers) and hoping to stave off further problems.
I'm not sure my infection was serious enough to cause a normal person to pause Enbrel. But I have a fresh joint replacement -- and it's on the same side -- so we were very cautious.
Being off the Enbrel has been no fun. No fun at all.
Hope you clobber whatever has invaded you, and soon!
The half life of Humira is 14 -20 day's its therapeutic effect is just about the same. Depending on your antibiotic you may not miss a dose at all or may miss one.
You shouldn't lose too much ground. As unpleasent as things must be for you, there may be a silk lining. Often when your body is busy with infection it forgets you have PsA. Some actually go into remission for a bit and others pick up right where they left off.
MRSA appears most commonly in people on steroids (athletes or for medical reasons) and is in hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis units and also community acquired esp locker rooms. At least 2% of the population has it colonized (in noses) and the percent is probably higher in medical personnel. It is easily treated when caught early esp in a healthy host. Keep eating well, exercising taking good care of yourself. I would be asking my GP to check for other conditions such as diabetes, kidney and liver function if you are not on steroids. If there is an underlying condition making you prone to infection I would want to treat it. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Remember this too will pass. <3
In July, I got a teensy-weensy ingrown toenail infection, so onto an anti-biotic and off Enbrel. It cleared up, and I got back on Enbrel before I went too far downhill. Two weeks later, infection again. This time I was off for a month, and I've just gone back on. I am babying my toe (soaks, keeping it clean, polysporin, moisturizers) and hoping to stave off further problems.
I'm not sure my infection was serious enough to cause a normal person to pause Enbrel. But I have a fresh joint replacement -- and it's on the same side -- so we were very cautious.
Being off the Enbrel has been no fun. No fun at all.
Hope you clobber whatever has invaded you, and soon!
The half life of Humira is 14 -20 day's its therapeutic effect is just about the same. Depending on your antibiotic you may not miss a dose at all or may miss one.
You shouldn't lose too much ground. As unpleasent as things must be for you, there may be a silk lining. Often when your body is busy with infection it forgets you have PsA. Some actually go into remission for a bit and others pick up right where they left off.
MRSA??????? Where did you get that? Thanks Lamb. You responded much more quickly, as usual, than the Humira 800 number! The half-life is indeed as you mentioned. As to the source of the MRSA, I'm not certain. For all I know, perhaps I only had yeast until picking up MRSA at the doctor's office! Apparently MRSA can be acquired in non medical settings now. They are calling it Community Based MRSA. It can be anywhere. Sand on a beach in Washington State tested positive for it! I have open sores on my hands and the small of my back, and the yeast area was raw too, so the bug had multiple entry points. I read also that animals can carry MRSA. My older pug dog is prone to yeast due to allergies, though the doctor said my yeast "could not be from my dog". I am considering having a culture taken from my dog, otherwise, I'll have to avoid bathing or petting him without gloves on until my lesions heal up since animals can be carriers of MRSA and not even show symptoms. Some people are carriers without symptoms as well. Who knew! Meanwhile, I'm homeschooling high-school biology and am tempted to see if I can view it under the microscope. First, cheek cells, next up, yeast and MRSA. Ha Ha - I'm a walking petri dish!! :)
Thanks. The dr. did ask about diabetes etc. I'm otherwise healthy except for asthma and PsA, and am not on steroids, but the Humira I'm on can make it harder to fight infections and even make one more prone to them. I read about the community based MRSA. It can show up anywhere. Meanwhile, I'm being extra careful to not share towels and keep my hands clean so I don't spread it. My older son is diabetic and I test his blood sugars at night. Needless to say, I'm extra cautious about the hygiene when I do this now. Thanks for the reply and the prayers. michael in vermont said:
MRSA appears most commonly in people on steroids (athletes or for medical reasons) and is in hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis units and also community acquired esp locker rooms. At least 2% of the population has it colonized (in noses) and the percent is probably higher in medical personnel. It is easily treated when caught early esp in a healthy host. Keep eating well, exercising taking good care of yourself. I would be asking my GP to check for other conditions such as diabetes, kidney and liver function if you are not on steroids. If there is an underlying condition making you prone to infection I would want to treat it. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Remember this too will pass. <3
Thanks Seenie! I'm hopeful that the antibiotics will work by the end of the 2 week course and I'll only be about a week late for the Humira injection. Now that I know what the half-life is, I know I will have half the drug still on board for at least 16 more days. In the meanwhile, Bugs Be Gone!
Seenie said:
In July, I got a teensy-weensy ingrown toenail infection, so onto an anti-biotic and off Enbrel. It cleared up, and I got back on Enbrel before I went too far downhill. Two weeks later, infection again. This time I was off for a month, and I've just gone back on. I am babying my toe (soaks, keeping it clean, polysporin, moisturizers) and hoping to stave off further problems.
I'm not sure my infection was serious enough to cause a normal person to pause Enbrel. But I have a fresh joint replacement -- and it's on the same side -- so we were very cautious.
Being off the Enbrel has been no fun. No fun at all.
Hope you clobber whatever has invaded you, and soon!
MRSA in dogs is almost always colonized (in nose same as humans) by someone else colonized in the house. If you are going to get the dog checked I would also get everyone in the house tested. Biologics and mtx do reduce our over acheiving immune systems but when I read the stats it looks to me as if we, people with PsA on biologics and/or mtx, do not have a particularly higher rate of infection over the general population. Except when you add an untreated illness like diabetes or kidney or liver failure then the rates jump. The dog would need to have his/her colonization treated the same as colonized people by drops in the nose.
Dogs tend to get MRSP and so instead of colonization, which requires close living to pass, they can literally shed it everywhere as they are ill with it. People do not get MRSP so it is moot. Good luck narrowing down who is colonized and who is not.