Asacol vs. Humira

• Are Asacol and Humira the Same Thing?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Asacol?
• What Are Possible Side Effects of Humira?
• What Is Asacol?
• What Is Humira?
• What Drugs Interact with Asacol?
• What Drugs Interact with Humira?
• How Should Asacol Be Taken?
• How Should Humira Be Taken?

Asacol (mesalamine) and Humira (adalimumab) are both used to prevent and treat ulcerative colitis (UC). Asacol is an anti-inflammatory drug that also treats proctitis, and proctosigmoiditis. Humira is an injectable protein (antibody) used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis. Humira is also used to treat Crohn's disease after other drugs have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.

Common side effects of Asacol include:

• mild nausea,
• vomiting,
• stomach cramps,
• diarrhea,
• gas,
• fever,
• sore throat,
• flu-like symptoms,
• constipation,
• headache,
• dizziness,
• tired feeling, or
• skin rash.

Common side effects of Humira include:

• injection site reactions (redness, itching, pain, bruising, swelling, or bleeding),
• headache,
• suffy nose,
• sinus pain, or
• stomach pain.

Tell your doctor if you have serious side effects of Humira including:

• fast/irregular/pounding heartbeat,
• stomach pain,
• blood in the stools,
• mental/mood changes,
• severe headache,
• easy bruising or bleeding,
• dark urine,
• yellowing eyes and skin,
• leg pain or swelling,
• numbness or tingling of the arms/hands/legs/feet,
• unsteadiness,
• unexplained muscle weakness,
• difficulty with speaking/chewing/swallowing/facial movements,
• vision changes,
• extreme fatigue,
• joint pain, or
• butterfly-shaped rash on the nose and cheeks.

Asacol (mesalamine) is an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat ulcerative colitis, proctitis, and proctosigmoiditis, and is also used to prevent the symptoms of ulcerative colitis from recurring.

Humira (adalimumab) is an injectable protein (antibody) used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and plaque psoriasis. Humira is also used to treat Crohn's disease after other drugs have been tried without successful treatment of symptoms.

Asacol and Humira may interact with azathioprine or mercaptopurine. Asacol may also interact with pentamidine, tacrolimus, amphotericin B, antibiotics, antiviral medicines, cancer medicine, or aspirin or other NSAIDs (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

Humira may also interact with abatacept, anakinra, infliximab, etanercept, certolizumab pegol, golimumab, or rituximab.

Asacol tablets should be swallowed whole, taking care not to break, cut, or chew the tablets, because the coating is an important part of the delayed-release formulation.

Humira is given by an injection under the skin. Your doctor will tell you how often to take an injection of Humira. This is based on your condition to be treated. Do not inject Humira more often than you were prescribed.

Do not try to inject Humira yourself until you have been shown the right way to give the injections. If your doctor decides that you or a caregiver may be able to give your injections of Humira at home, you should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject Humira.

Do not miss any doses of Humira unless your doctor says it is okay. If you forget to take Humira, inject a dose as soon as you remember. Then, take your next dose at your regular scheduled time. This will put you back on schedule.

In case you are not sure when to inject Humira, call your doctor or pharmacist.

If you take more Humira than you were told to take, call your doctor.