What is adalimumab?
Adalimumab reduces the effects of a substance in the body that can cause inflammation.
Adalimumab is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis. It is also used to treat Crohn's disease after other drugs have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.
Adalimumab may also be used for purposes not listed in this medication guide.
What is the most important information I should know about adalimumab?
Some people using adalimumab have developed a rare fast-growing type of lymphoma (cancer). This condition affects the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, and it can be fatal. This has occurred mainly in teenagers and young adults using adalimumab or similar medicines to treat Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of the following symptoms: fever, night sweats, itching, loss of appetite, weight loss, tiredness, feeling full after eating only a small amount, pain in your upper stomach that may spread to your shoulder, nausea, easy bruising or bleeding, pale skin, feeling light-headed or short of breath, rapid heart rate, dark urine, clay-colored stools, or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes).
Adalimumab can lower blood cells that help your body fight infections. Your blood may need to be tested often. Avoid being near people who are sick or have infections. Avoid activities that may increase your risk of bleeding injury. Serious and sometimes fatal infections may occur during treatment with adalimumab. Contact your doctor right away if you have signs of infection such as: fever, chills, sore throat, cough, or flu symptoms.
Before you start treatment with adalimumab, your doctor may perform tests to make sure you do not have tuberculosis or other infections.
Some infections are more likely to occur in certain areas of the world. Tell your doctor where you live and where you have recently traveled or plan to travel to during treatment.
Do not receive a "live" vaccine while you are being treated with adalimumab.
What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using adalimumab?
You should not use this medication if you are allergic to adalimumab, or if you are also being treated with abatacept (Orencia) or anakinra (Kineret).
Some people using adalimumab have developed a rare fast-growing type of lymphoma (cancer). This condition affects the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, and it can be fatal. This has occurred mainly in teenagers and young adults using adalimumab or similar medicines to treat Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.
However, people with autoimmune disorders (including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, ankylosing spondylitis, and psoriasis) may have a higher risk of lymphoma. Talk to your doctor about your individual risk.
Before using adalimumab, tell your doctor if you have ever had tuberculosis, if anyone in your household has tuberculosis, or if you have recently traveled to an area where tuberculosis is common.
To make sure you can safely use adalimumab, tell your doctor if you have any of these other conditions:
an active or recent infection;
open sores or skin wounds;
hepatitis B;
congestive heart failure;
lupus;
an allergy to latex rubber;
a disease that affects the nerves or muscles, such as multiple sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barre syndrome;
if you have recently been vaccinated with BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin); or
if you are scheduled to receive any vaccines.
FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.
Your name may need to be listed on a Humira pregnancy registry when you start using this medication.
It is not known whether adalimumab passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. You should not breast-feed while you are using adalimumab.
Children using this medication should be current on all childhood immunizations before starting treatment with adalimumab.
Using this medication may increase your risk of certain types of cancer, such as breast, colon, prostate, or lung cancer, lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes), or melanoma (a tumor that usually affects the skin). This risk may be greater in children and young adults. You may also develop an autoimmune disorder such as a lupus-like syndrome. Talk with your doctor about your specific risk.