Can you take Humira with antibiotics?

Official answer

by Drugs.com

You can take Humira (adalimumab) with an antibiotic if your doctor has prescribed both of these medications for you. There may be some antibiotics that are not safe to take with Humira, so do not start taking any antibiotic without prior approval from your doctor.

Some infections may need to be treated with a different medication than an antibiotic, for example, an antifungal or antiviral medication. Your doctor can determine if you need treatment for an infection while receiving Humira.

If you currently have an infection or are being treated for an infection, you should tell your doctor before starting treatment with Humira.

Does Humira increase my risk of infection?

Humira can lower the ability of your immune system to fight infections or make an infection worse. Humira can cause serious side effects, which may include infections, tuberculosis (a bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs) and infections caused by viruses, fungi, or other types of bacteria. Some infections have been deadly.

Tell your doctor if you think you have an infection before or after starting Humira. Symptoms of an infection may include:

When Humira is used in combination with certain medications it can increase your risk of serious infections or the development of a rare type of cancer. Be sure to tell your doctor about all of the medication you use, including prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Your doctor or pharmacist will review for drug interactions while you are using Humira.

Humira is a medication injected under your skin to treat many different types of diseases where symptoms include pain and inflammation, such as: rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, plaque psoriasis, ulcerative colitis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, hidradenitis suppurativa and uveitis. Humira will not cure these diseases but can help to relieve your symptoms and control your disease worsening.

Tuberculosis

Before starting treatment with Humira, tell your doctor if you have tuberculosis (TB), or have been in close contact with someone with TB (for example, someone in your household). Tell your doctor if you were born in, lived in, or traveled to countries where there is more risk for getting TB. Ask your doctor if you are not sure.

Your doctor will test you for tuberculosis (TB) before starting treatment with Humira. Your doctor will also check you closely for TB during your ongoing treatment with Humira. Symptoms of TB may include a cough, low-grade fever, weight loss, or loss of body fat and muscle.

Fungal infections

Fungal infections are not treated with antibiotics, they are treated with antifungal medications.

Before you start treatment with Humira, tell your doctor if you live, or have lived in certain parts of the country (such as the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys). Ask your doctor if you are not sure. These parts of the country may be associated with an increased risk for getting certain kinds of fungal infections (histoplasmosis, coccidioidomycosis, or blastomycosis). Humira may lead to or worsen these infections.

Hepatitis B virus

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection and can be long-lasting, which may increase your risk for liver failure, liver cancer or cirrhosis.

Humira may lead to reactivation of hepatitis B virus infections if you are a carrier of this virus. In some circumstances, this can be serious or deadly.

Can I get a vaccine with Humira?

Except for live vaccines, you may receive vaccines if your doctor has prescribed Humira for you. Live vaccines contain a weakened live virus. Because Humira can suppress your immune system, it may increase your risk of infection with live vaccines or the live vaccine may not be as effective.

Tell your doctor if you have recently received or are scheduled to receive a vaccine. If you need a live vaccine, your doctor may decide to delay the vaccine, delay the initial start of Humira, or stop your immunosuppressant therapy for a period of time.

Some examples of live vaccines include:

Children should be brought up to date with all vaccines in current immunization guidelines prior to starting Humira.

The flu-shot is not a live virus and you should consider having this vaccination yearly; talk to your doctor about getting this vaccine each fall.

Can I get a COVID vaccine if I use Humira?

Talk to your doctor who prescribed your Humira before getting any vaccination, including the COVID-19 vaccine. You may receive vaccines, except for live vaccines while using Humira. The COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the U.S. are mRNA vaccines and adenovirus vector vaccines and are NOT live vaccines.

The COVID-19 vaccines cannot give you the COVID virus. For the COVID-19 vaccine, the CDC recommends that there should be a minimum interval of 14 days before or after administration with any other vaccines.

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