What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before using adalimumab?
Before you start using adalimumab, tell your doctor if you have signs of infection --fever, chills, sweats, muscle aches, tiredness, cough, bloody mucus, skin sores, diarrhea, burning when you urinate, or feeling constantly tired.
Adalimumab should not be given to a child younger than 2 years old (or 6 years old if treating Crohn's disease). Children using adalimumab should be current on all childhood immunizations before starting treatment.
Tell your doctor if you have ever had:
- tuberculosis (or if anyone in your household has tuberculosis);
- a chronic infection;
- cancer;
- hepatitis B (adalimumab can cause hepatitis B to come back or get worse);
- diabetes;
- heart failure;
- any numbness or tingling, or a nerve-muscle disorder such as multiple sclerosis or Guillain-Barre syndrome;
- an allergy to latex rubber;
- if you are scheduled to have major surgery; or
- if you have recently received or are scheduled to receive any vaccine.
Tell your doctor where you live and if you have recently traveled or plan to travel. You may be exposed to infections that are common to certain areas of the world.
Adalimumab may cause a rare type of lymphoma (cancer) of the liver, spleen, and bone marrow that can be fatal. This has occurred mainly in teenagers and young men with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. However, anyone with an inflammatory autoimmune disorder may have a higher risk of lymphoma. Talk with your doctor about your own risk.
It is not known whether this medicine will harm an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Make sure any doctor caring for your newborn baby knows if you used adalimumab while you were pregnant.
It may not be safe to breastfeed a baby while you are using this medicine. Ask your doctor about any risks.