Cimzia is a prescription medicine used for relieving the signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease. This eMedTV Web page describes how the drug works, explains how often it needs to be taken, and lists some of its potential side effects.
Possibly serious Cimzia side effects that require medical attention include chills, fever, or seizures. As this eMedTV page explains, however, most side effects are mild and do not require medical attention in most cases (such as joint pain).
Hair loss is a rare but possible side effect that has been reported with Cimzia. This eMedTV page provides more information about Cimzia and hair loss, and explains what your healthcare provider may recommend if this side effect occurs.
As this eMedTV segment explains, Cimzia is used for relieving the signs and symptoms of Crohn's disease in adults. This article explains how the medication works, explores possible off-label uses, and discusses the use of this drug in children.
There is only one standard Cimzia dosage, regardless of your age or weight. As this eMedTV article explains, the recommended starting dose is 400 mg every two weeks for three doses, followed by one dose every four weeks (if the drug works for you).
Anakinra and "live" vaccinations may cause potentially negative drug interactions with Cimzia. As this eMedTV segment explains, if you receive a live vaccine while taking Cimzia, you could become infected with the virus or bacteria from the vaccine.
If you have diabetes, let your healthcare provider know before you start taking Cimzia. This eMedTV article lists other conditions to tell your doctor about before using Cimzia. Warnings and precautions on who should not use this drug are also included.
A Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) overdose seems unlikely because the medicine is injected by your doctor. This eMedTV page further explains why an overdose of Cimzia seems unlikely and explores various treatment options that may be used for an overdose.
The full risks of using Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) during pregnancy are not known at this time. As this eMedTV article explains, however, animal studies on Cimzia and pregnancy show that no problems occurred when the drug was given to pregnant rats.
The manufacturer of Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) does not recommend using this drug while breastfeeding. This eMedTV resource offers more information on Cimzia and breastfeeding, and explains whether this medicine passes through breast milk.
Cimzia (certolizumab pegol) is currently not available in generic form. This article on the eMedTV site explains why generic "biologic" drugs such as Cimzia are not allowed to be manufactured and explores whether generic Cimzia will ever be available.
