IMPORTANT WARNING:
Using adalimumab may decrease your ability to fight infection and increase the chance that you will develop a serious or life-threatening infection. Tell your doctor if you have any type of infection now, including minor infections (such as open cuts or sores), or if you have any signs of infection such as fever, cough, or flu-like symptoms. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had infections that come and go (such as cold sores) or chronic infections that do not go away, or if you often get any type of infection such as bladder infections. Also tell your doctor if you have or have ever had hepatitis B (a viral infection that affects the liver). Tell your doctor if you have any condition that affects your immune system or if you are taking medications that suppress the immune system such as azathioprine (Imuran), cyclosporine (Neoral, Sandimmune), sirolimus (Rapamune), and tacrolimus (Prograf). If you experience any of the following symptoms during or shortly after your treatment with adalimumab, call your doctor immediately: sore throat; cough; fever; weight loss; extreme tiredness; flu-like symptoms; warm, red, or painful skin; painful, difficult, or frequent urination; or other signs of infection. Adalimumab may increase the risk that you will get some types of infections that are most common in certain parts of the United States and the world. Tell your doctor all the places you previously lived and all the places you recently visited or plan to visit while using adalimumab. You may already be infected with tuberculosis but not have any symptoms of the disease. In this case, adalimumab may make your infection more serious and cause you to develop symptoms. Tell your doctor if you have or have ever had tuberculosis or have been around someone who has or has ever had tuberculosis. Before you begin your treatment, your doctor will perform a skin test to see if you have tuberculosis. If you do have tuberculosis, your doctor will treat this infection with antibiotics before you begin using adalimumab. Talk to your doctor about the risks of using adalimumab. |
Why is this medication prescribed?
Adalimumab is used alone or with other medications to relieve the symptoms of certain autoimmune disorders (conditions in which the immune system attacks healthy parts of the body and causes pain, swelling, and damage) including:
- rheumatoid arthritis (a condition in which the body attacks its own joints, causing pain, swelling, and loss of function)
- Crohn's disease (a condition in which the body attacks the lining of the digestive tract, causing pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fever) that has not improved when treated with other medications,
- ankylosing spondylitis (a condition in which the body attacks the joints of the spine and other areas causing pain and joint damage),
- psoriatic arthritis (a condition that causes joint pain and swelling and scales on the skin).
Adalimumab is in a class of medications called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors. It works by blocking the action of TNF, a substance in the body that causes inflammation.
How should this medicine be used?
Adalimumab comes as a solution (liquid) to inject subcutaneously (under the skin). It is usually injected once every other week. If you are using adalimumab to treat Crohn's disease, your doctor may tell you to inject the medication more often at the beginning of your treatment. If you are using adalimumab to treat rheumatoid arthritis, your doctor may tell you to inject the medication once a week. To help you remember to inject adalimumab, mark the days you are scheduled to inject it on your calendar. Follow the directions on your prescription label carefully, and ask your doctor or pharmacist to explain any part you do not understand. Use adalimumab exactly as directed. Do not use more or less of it or use it more often than prescribed by your doctor.
You will receive your first dose of adalimumab in your doctor's office. After that, you can inject adalimumab yourself or have a friend or relative perform the injections. Before you use adalimumab yourself the first time, read the written instructions that come with it. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to show you or the person who will be injecting the medication how to inject it.
Adalimumab comes in prefilled syringes and dosing pens. Use each syringe or pen only once and inject all the solution in the syringe or pen. Even if there is still some solution left in the syringe or pen after you inject, do not inject again. Dispose of used syringes and pens in a puncture-resistant container. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about how to dispose of the puncture-resistant container.
Be careful not to drop or crush the prefilled syringes or dosing pens. These devices are made of glass or contain glass and may break if they are dropped.
You can inject adalimumab anywhere on the front of your thighs or stomach except your navel and the area 2 inches around it. To reduce the chances of soreness or redness, use a different site for each injection. Give each injection at least 1 inch away from a spot that you have already used. Keep a list of the places where you have given injections so that you will not inject in these places again. Do not inject into an area where the skin is tender, bruised, red, or hard or where you have scars or stretch marks.
Always look at adalimumab solution before injecting it. Check that the expiration date has not passed, that the syringe or dosing pen contains the correct amount of liquid, and that the liquid is clear and colorless. Do not use a syringe or dosing pen if it is expired, if it does not contain the correct amount of liquid, or if the liquid is cloudy or contains flakes.
Adalimumab may help control your condition but will not cure it. Continue to use adalimumab even if you feel well. Do not stop using adalimumab without talking to your doctor.
Other uses for this medicine
This medication may be prescribed for other uses; ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.
What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?
Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Store it in the refrigerator and protect it from light. Do not freeze it. If you are traveling and need to take adalimumab with you, keep it in a cooler with an ice pack and do not expose it to light. Throw away any medication that is outdated or no longer needed or that has been frozen. Talk to your pharmacist about the proper disposal of your medication.
In case of emergency/overdose
In case of overdose, call your local poison control center at 1-800-222-1222. If the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call local emergency services at 911.
What other information should I know?
Keep all appointments with your doctor.
Do not let anyone else use your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.
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