With the recent news that my Humira stopped working, my doctor's recommendation was to start with a new medicine called Entyvio. It wasn't around when I was first diagnosed, but has still been on the market for a few years {so it's not completely brand new}. I took Humira as a shot at home, but Entyvio is an infusion, so I have to go in to an infusion center to get the medicine.
This past Friday, I had my first infusion. I will have a few "loading doses," to kick off the regimen, so the infusions will be more frequent at first, but then I will level off to every 2 months. It's not quite as convenient as doing it myself at home, but it's less frequent, so I guess that's a good trade off.
Infusion #1...here we go!
As far as Crohn's treatments go, my doctor is very excited about the results he is seeing with Entyvio. He likes the science behind it, and it is the first treatment that is specifically for IBD {Humira is prescribed for a number of different conditions}. One of the good things about Entyvio is that it is more targeted for IBD than Humira, better for my immune system overall. My doctor described it as though my immune system were an octopus. Taking Humira is like cutting off a tentacle to my immune system; taking Entyvio is like cutting off a suction cup. So while I still have to be cautious because there are still immune suppression issues, there seem to be better outcomes with Entyvio.
Like with any synthetic, biologic drug, there are always risks of side effects. For the most part, the ones for Entyvio seem less mild than Humira {?}, but we'll see. So far so good, but we'll see after a few more doses. Remission is possible as early as 6 weeks, most people see it within 6 months to a year. So I'm settling in for the year, but hopeful for sooner!
So this is the start of my Entyvio journey. I'll go back for another "loading" dose in a couple of weeks. I'm hopeful, and I am praying that the Lord grants remission again.
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