Adalimumab is a medicine that treats the symptoms of autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's Disease. Possible side effects include rashes, headaches, and nausea. The medication requires patients to inject it, so another common side effect is a reaction at the site of injection.
When a person suffers from an autoimmune disease, the core problem is that the body's immune system is not working properly. Instead of reacting only when attacked by dangerous invaders like bacteria or viruses, the body stays on high alert unnecessarily. This heightened immune sensitivity results in damage to the body.
Inflammation is one of the ways that an immune system clears the body of infection. People with arthritis, anklyosing spondyloidosis, or psoriasis suffer from too much inflammation and experience fever, achy joints, and pain. Patients with Crohn's Disease have inflamed intestinal systems that result in diarrhea, pain, and constricted intestinal passages. Adalimumab acts on the immune system to reduce the overactive inflammatory response and reduce the symptoms associated with the inflammation.
As the patient injects the drug into the body, common adalimumab side effects include reactions at the injection site. Redness, swelling, and bruises are all possible. Other issues at the area of injection include rashes and itchiness.
Gastrointestinal adalimumab side effects that occur commonly are a feeling of nausea and a low level of pain in the stomach area. A patient can also experience headaches or even back pain when taking the drug. These symptoms should go away on their own.
As the drug has a calming effect on the immune system, it can actually increase the chances of the patient getting an infection. Some people who take the medication may, therefore, display adalimumab side effects like a stuffy or runny nose. Sinus infections can also occur, as can urinary tract infections.
As well as these most common adalimumab side effects, more serious problems are associated with the drug. Instead of simply suffering from more mild respiratory tract infections, a patient may develop severe infectious disease, especially if the pathogen was already present in the body, like the tuberculosis bacterium, hepatitis B virus, or a fungus. Dangerous allergic reactions to the drug can also occur, and new immune system reactions like psoriasis or illnesses that have the rashes, joint pain, and problems breathing. Circulatory system issues, like unusual bleeding or swollen ankles, and nervous system problems, like eye disorders or limb weaknesses, can also be caused by adalimumab treatment.