Question
I was diagnosed with RA last year. I took Enbrel for about 4 months and experienced a significant reduction in RA symptoms. My rheumatologist suggested that I take Methotrexate with the Enbrel. I decided against that option due to the potential side effects of Methotrexate. As an alternative, my rheumatologist started me on Humira by itself. I’ve taken Humira for about 3 months. I find that the Humira is not as effective as the Enbrel. My rheumatologist indicated that some patients experiece further symptom relief if they increase their Humira dosage from 40 mg every two weeks to 40 mg every week. Does the medical literature indicate that some patients experience a significant decrease in RA symptoms when they increase their Humira dosage from 40 mg every two weeks to 40 mg every week? Would increasing the Humira dosage to once per week significantly increase the possibility of side effects?
Answer
There is information to suggest that some patients will do better on weekly Humira. There does not appear to be a signficant increase in side effects when increasing the dose to weekly. Both Enbrel and Humira are more effective when used in combination with methotrexate.
