Hi there
I'm just new to this forum and new to having either SLE or a DILE. It was interesting finding and reading through this thread.
Well here's another drug to add to the list of ones that can possibly cause DILE - Humira (Adalimumab). It's another TNF blocker used for RA. Same family of drugs as Remicade and Enbrel which have already been noted in this thread. I've had severe RA for 17 years, received Remicade for a couple of years when it was first on the market. It lost it's punch and I went on Enbrel for another few years. The last 4 or 5 years, I have been on Humira at twice the regular dose (because that's the level it took to control the RA). I've just recently developed cardiac and pulmonary symptoms too (which can also happen with RA but more rarely than in SLE) and was hospitalized for over a week with pleuropericarditis, cholecystitis and also some inflammation in my liver. So, SLE became a suspect and my ANA and DNA double strand have come back positive, however, my rheumatologist is hopeful that this is actually a DILE caused by the Humira. " HUMIRA can cause serious side effects including allergic reactions, hepatitis B virus reactivation, nervous system problems, blood problems, heart failure, certain immune reactions (including a lupus-like syndrome), and new or worsening psoriasis."
I've only been off Humira for 3 weeks and am still feeling pretty lousy from the pericarditis so it's too early to say whether he'll be right or not. In the meantime, my RA needs to be treated with something other than the big doses of steroids I've been receiving, so it's on to Rituxan which carries it's own list of risks and adverse effects. I have to admit it's all pretty frustrating and scary at the same time. I truly hope this is a DILE as the RA in of itself is quite enough to deal with. Time will tell.
I'm just new to this forum and new to having either SLE or a DILE. It was interesting finding and reading through this thread.
Well here's another drug to add to the list of ones that can possibly cause DILE - Humira (Adalimumab). It's another TNF blocker used for RA. Same family of drugs as Remicade and Enbrel which have already been noted in this thread. I've had severe RA for 17 years, received Remicade for a couple of years when it was first on the market. It lost it's punch and I went on Enbrel for another few years. The last 4 or 5 years, I have been on Humira at twice the regular dose (because that's the level it took to control the RA). I've just recently developed cardiac and pulmonary symptoms too (which can also happen with RA but more rarely than in SLE) and was hospitalized for over a week with pleuropericarditis, cholecystitis and also some inflammation in my liver. So, SLE became a suspect and my ANA and DNA double strand have come back positive, however, my rheumatologist is hopeful that this is actually a DILE caused by the Humira. " HUMIRA can cause serious side effects including allergic reactions, hepatitis B virus reactivation, nervous system problems, blood problems, heart failure, certain immune reactions (including a lupus-like syndrome), and new or worsening psoriasis."
I've only been off Humira for 3 weeks and am still feeling pretty lousy from the pericarditis so it's too early to say whether he'll be right or not. In the meantime, my RA needs to be treated with something other than the big doses of steroids I've been receiving, so it's on to Rituxan which carries it's own list of risks and adverse effects. I have to admit it's all pretty frustrating and scary at the same time. I truly hope this is a DILE as the RA in of itself is quite enough to deal with. Time will tell.
