Cimzia - Part 2

          During my big flare of 2012, my doctor pretty much listed and explained the different treatment options and told me to choose one. Shouldn't that be his job? I originally chose Humira, but insurance wouldn't cover it. So, basically it was insurance who picked how I would be treated and they happened to choose Cimzia because of some deal the insurance company has with the pharmaceutical company that makes the drug.

          I went through blood tests, was tested for tuberculosis and my doctor quizzed me on other health issues to make sure it was safe for me to start Cimzia. This is a serious drug and for good reason. I educated myself on Cimzia by reading the medication guide and the fine print of the prescribing information before starting treatment. After reading what I read, I was scared to start Cimzia. It's a relatively new drug and long term affects are unknown. I knew I would be taking it long term as long as my body doesn't build antibodies and reject it. It's not a drug I can go on and off of as symptoms come and go because then it's a higher risk of my body building antibodies against it. The two things that scare me the most with taking Cimzia are the increased risk of developing serious infections that may lead to death and the chances of getting lymphoma or other cancers may increase.

         Health wise, I was in a rough place when I first started Cimzia. Clearly, the risks of taking the drug were worth it as long as Cimzia could relieve me of the horrible Crohn's symptoms I was experiencing. Well, for the most part Cimzia has helped me, but the side effects are sometimes annoying. Which is worse the side effects of Cimzia or the symptoms of Crohn's? Side effects I've experienced have been minor ones compared to some of the ones listed on the medication guide. Some of the side effects listed are:

• Heart Failure (No, I haven't experienced this)
• Nervous System Problems. (No, I haven't experienced this)
• Allergic Reactions. (No, I haven't experienced this)
• Blood Problems (Yes, I'm anemic, but that could be from the disease)
• Upper respiratory infections (Yes, I've experienced this)
• Rash. (No, I haven't experienced this)
• Urinary tract infections (Yes, I've experienced this)
• Injection site reactions (Yes, I've experienced this)

I tried finding constipation listed as a side effect, but I couldn't find it listed. It could be that I missed it. In any case, I swear constipation is a side effect of Cimzia because this crohnie had never experienced it before taking Cimzia. That's probably more than you ever cared to know about Cimzia.