info@burtsrx.com
What’s the difference between Stelara vs Humira? There are factors to consider to help you decide which is best for you. Read on.
Stelara and Humira are biological medicines used to treat immune system conditions. Both these medicines work great and have their own benefits and risks. Biological Medicines are essentially a class of drugs that are made up of naturally occurring molecules including sugars, proteins, and in certain cases living cells/tissues.
Both Stelara and Humira treat autoimmune diseases including Crohn’s and psoriatic arthritis. A lot of patients are confused about which one of these two meds will work for them. While your doctor can certainly make a better choice, it doesn’t hurt to be well informed.
In this article, we will discuss the details, benefits, and side effects of both so you can make an informed decision for yourself.
Humira – A Brief Introduction
Humira is a brand name for adalimumab. This medicine is used to treat a number of long-term illnesses that can negatively impact your immune system. It works greats for psoriatic arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and issues with the digestive system. This is administered to the body with the help of an injection pen.
Individuals struggling with these conditions typically have higher protein levels that are termed as tumor necrosis factor-alpha that leads to body inflammation. Humira essentially works by attaching itself to the proteins and hinder their working. It dramatically reduces inflammation and the symptoms associated with these conditions.
Stelara – A Brief Introduction
Stelara is a brand name for ustekinumab. It is used to treat autoimmune conditions. This medication essentially targets two proteins; interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interleukin-23 (IL-23) in your body. Excessive production of IL-12 and IL-23 results in excessive inflammation in the human body.
Stelara blocks the activity of these proteins and makes your body healthy.
Stelara vs Humira: The Difference
We have established that both Stelara and Humira work by targeting the proteins and impacting the immune system. However, both are very different in terms of impact, risks, side effects, and more. Let’s dive deeper and look at some of the major differences:
How Stelara and Humira Work?
Both Stelara and Humira work by dampening the activity of your immune system to reduce inflammation. Both the medicines are prescribed by doctors for long-term use.
Crohn’s Disease
Studies show that 6 out of 10 people respond really well to Humira for Crohn’s disease. After continuing the use for a year or more, 1 out of 3 people reported no flare-ups associated with the medicine.
On the other hand, Stelara benefits nearly fifty percent of the people struggling with Crohn’s disease. Once patients start using Stelara, some of them completely stopped the use of steroids to control their symptoms.
Psoriatic Arthritis
As per the clinical trials, about 57 percent of the people on Humira (for six months) showed improvement in their symptoms by 20 percent.
In the case of Psoriatic arthritis, the results were very similar for patients who used Stelara. About 50% of the people showed 20% improvement after using the medication for six months.
Side Effects of Humira and Stelara
The side effects can vary from patient to patient. Some people experience nearly all of the side effects while others don’t experience any. Let’s discuss the most common ones.
Side Effects of Humira
Following are some of the most common side effects of using Humira:
- Headaches are fairly common.
- Skin reactions that include swelling, itching, and sometimes pain.
- Cold, sinus infections, and pneumonia.
- Pain in the stomach.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Skin rash.
- Musculoskeletal pain.
- Mood swings.
- Dehydration.
- Depression and trouble sleeping.
Side Effects of Stelara
Following are some of the most common side effects of Stelara:
- Respiratory infections.
- Vomiting.
- Headaches.
- Yeast infections, mainly vaginal infections.
- Fatigue and tiredness.
- Urinary Tract Infections.
- Itching Sensation around the treatment site.
- Shortness of breath (rare symptom. If occurs, see the doctor right away).
- Lung inflammation (rare symptom. If occurs, see the doctor right away).
- Allergic reactions; feeling faint, swelling, hives, and chest tightness.
- Skin reactions such as redness, itching, and slight swelling.
Risks Associated with Stelara and Humira
Both these medications block the activity of the immune system. This is how they work but it can be risky as it can reduce the natural bodily defenses. It increases the risk of getting a serious infection such as TB or pneumonia. This is the reason health care professionals closely monitor their patients who are taking these medications. Proper monitoring can help with the detection of signs of infections.
Patients who are taking Stelara or Humira are advised to avoid live vaccines.
How to Take Stelara and Humira the Right Way?
Doctors advise patients to take these medications over an extended time frame to see a considerable improvement in their condition. These medications are administered by injections as they cannot be taken orally. Both these meds do not survive in the gut.
In most cases, patients are given an injection pen so they can inject themselves easily. The dose varies from person to person depending on the severity of their condition.
Are There Any Alternatives to These Medications?
Both Humira/Stelara treat mild to moderate symptoms of autoimmune diseases. There are other alternatives to these medications such as steroids, and anti-inflammatory drugs. Doctors prescribe Humira/Stelara only when all other treatments fail to work.
Only a doctor can decide which treatment will work best for you.
Takeaway
Both Humira and Stelara are biological medications used to treat autoimmune diseases. They work by dampening the activity of the immune system and reduce inflammation if used on a long-term basis. All these medications are given to patients under proper monitoring to ensure there are no serious side effects.
These biologics can trigger infections such as TB and pneumonia. The healthcare team monitors the side effects to ensure your health isn’t compromised.
Both medications work well for patients. It is important to take your healthcare provider’s opinion in this regard. Your doctor knows what is best for you and will prescribe you one or the other based on your health condition.
Trust your doctor completely in this regard and make sure you follow all the instructions given by the professionals religiously.