Humira (adalimumab) is a prescription drug that’s used to treat certain types of arthritis and inflammation-related conditions. This drug can interact with other medications and certain vaccines. For example, Humira can interact with infliximab and etanercept.
Some of the conditions Humira is used to treat include:
This is not a full list of conditions Humira is approved to treat. Humira may be used in adults and certain children, depending on the condition it’s prescribed to treat.
An interaction can occur because one substance causes another substance to have a different effect than expected. Interactions can also occur if you have certain health conditions.
Keep reading to learn about Humira’s possible interactions. And for more information about Humira, including details about its uses, see this article.
Before you start using Humira, tell your doctor and pharmacist about any prescription, over-the-counter, or other drugs you take. Sharing this information with them may help prevent possible interactions. (To learn whether Humira interacts with herbs or vitamins and supplements, see the “Are there other interactions with Humira?” section below.)
If you have questions about drug interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
The table below lists drugs that may interact with Humira. Keep in mind that this table does not include all drugs that may interact with Humira. For more information about some of these interactions, see the “Drug interactions explained” section below.
| Drug group or drug name | Drug examples | What can happen |
| biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) | • anakinra (Kineret) • abatacept (Orencia) | can increase the risk of side effects from Humira and the DMARD |
| corticosteroids | • prednisone (Rayos) • dexamethasone (Hemady) | can increase the risk of side effects from Humira and the corticosteroid |
| immunosuppressants | • mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept, Myhibbin) • cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan) | can increase the risk of side effects from Humira and the immunosuppressant |
| Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors | • upadacitinib (Rinvoq) • tofacitinib (Xeljanz) | can increase the risk of side effects from Humira and the JAK inhibitor |
| medications with a narrow safety range | • cyclosporine (Gengraf, others) • warfarin (Jantoven) | can make medications with a narrow safety range less effective or increase the risk of side effects from them |
| other biologics | • natalizumab (Tysabri) • vedolizumab (Entyvio) | can increase the risk of side effects of Humira and the other biologic |
| other tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers | • etanercept (Enbrel) • infliximab (Remicade) | can increase the risk of side effects of Humira and other TNF blockers |
Humira is not known to interact with alcohol. But the drug manufacturer noted that studies have not been done to determine whether Humira interacts with alcohol.
Humira and alcohol can cause some similar side effects, such as abdominal pain and nausea. So you may be more likely to experience these side effects if you drink alcohol during your Humira treatment.
Alcohol can also worsen symptoms of some conditions Humira is prescribed to treat, including psoriasis and Crohn’s disease. Alcohol doesn’t affect everyone in this way, but it’s possible that drinking alcohol could worsen symptoms of your condition while you’re using Humira.
If you have questions about consuming alcohol while using Humira, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Learn more about certain drug interactions that can occur with Humira.
Interaction with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs)
Humira can interact with biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), which are used to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). (Some of these medications are also used to treat other conditions, but they’re only called “DMARDs” in the context of treating RA.)
Examples of biologic DMARDs include:
What could happen
Taking Humira with a biologic DMARD raises your risk of infection. This happens because both Humira and biologic DMARDs can weaken your immune system and raise your risk of infection. This risk is increased if these drugs are used together.
What you can do
Using Humira with another biologic medication, including a biologic DMARD, is not recommended. Instead, your doctor may prescribe a different treatment plan for your condition that doesn’t involve using these drugs together.
If you take Humira and a biologic DMARD together, tell your doctor right away if you have symptoms of an infection. These can vary based on the specific infection but may include fever, body aches, and fatigue.
If you have questions about taking Humira with a biologic DMARD, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Interaction with other tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers
Humira is a type of drug called a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blocker, and it can interact with other TNF blockers. These drugs are prescribed to treat RA, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis, and other conditions related to inflammation.
Examples of TNF blockers include:
What could happen
Using Humira with another TNF blocker raises your risk of infection. Humira and other TNF blockers work by suppressing your immune system. This helps treat symptoms of conditions such as RA and psoriasis but also raises your risk for infection. Combining TNF blockers further raises this risk.
What you can do
Doctors typically won’t prescribe Humira with another TNF blocker, due to the increased risk of infection. Instead, they’ll likely prescribe Humira or another TNF blocker on its own to treat your condition. If more than one medication is needed to treat your symptoms, your doctor will likely prescribe a medication that isn’t a TNF blocker for you to take with Humira.
Interaction with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors
Humira can interact with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors, which are prescribed to treat RA and other conditions related to inflammation.
Examples of JAK inhibitors include:
What could happen
Both Humira and JAK inhibitors can weaken your immune system, which raises your risk of infection. Combining Humira and a JAK inhibitor can further increase this risk.
What you can do
Due to the increased risk of infection, doctors typically won’t prescribe Humira with a JAK inhibitor. Instead, they can recommend a different treatment plan for your condition.
Humira may have other interactions. They could occur with supplements, foods, vaccines, or even lab tests. See below for details. Note that the information below does not include all other possible interactions with Humira.
Does Humira interact with supplements?
Before you start using Humira, talk with your doctor and pharmacist about any herbs or vitamins and supplements you take. Sharing this information with them may help you avoid possible interactions.
If you have questions about interactions that may affect you, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
Humira interactions with herbs
There are currently no reports of Humira interacting with herbs. But this doesn’t mean that interactions with herbs won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Humira.
Humira interactions with vitamins
There are currently no reports of Humira interacting with vitamins. But this doesn’t mean that vitamin interactions won’t be recognized in the future.
For this reason, it’s still important to check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any of these products while using Humira.
Does Humira interact with food?
There are currently no reports of Humira interacting with food. If you have questions about eating certain foods or foods to avoid during your treatment with Humira, talk with your doctor.
Does Humira interact with vaccines?
You should not receive live vaccines during your Humira treatment. (Live vaccines contain weakened versions of the bacteria or virus that they’re meant to protect against.) This is because getting a live vaccine while you’re using Humira increases your risk of infection. Examples of live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), rotavirus, and chickenpox.
If you need to receive a vaccine while using Humira, talk with your doctor first to make sure it’s safe.
Does Humira interact with lab tests?
There are currently no reports of Humira interacting with lab tests. If you have questions about having certain lab tests during your treatment with Humira, talk with the healthcare professional ordering the test.
Does Humira interact with cannabis or CBD?There are currently no reports of Humira interacting with cannabis (commonly called marijuana) or cannabis products such as cannabidiol (CBD). But as with any drug or supplement, talk with your doctor before using cannabis with Humira.
Note: Cannabis is illegal at a federal level but is legal in many states to varying degrees.
Certain medical conditions or other health factors may raise the risk of interactions with Humira. Before using Humira, talk with your doctor about your health history. They’ll determine whether Humira is right for you.
Health conditions or other factors that might interact with Humira include:
Cancer: Using Humira raises the risk of certain cancers. (For more information, see the “Boxed warning” section.) If you already have cancer, it’s possible that treatment with Humira could worsen it or make it harder to treat.
Current infection: If you currently have an infection, your doctor will likely want to treat it before you begin using Humira. This is because Humira can make it harder to treat an infection.
Diabetes: Having diabetes raises your risk of infection. Humira also raises this risk. You may have an increased risk of infection if you have diabetes and use Humira. This typically won’t prevent doctors from prescribing Humira, but they may want to monitor you closely for infections throughout your treatment.
Heart failure: Humira can cause new or worsening heart failure. This means Humira could worsen your heart failure symptoms if you already have this condition.
Hepatitis B virus reactivation: Treatment with Humira can cause hepatitis B to become active (cause symptoms) again, if you carry the hepatitis B virus in your system. If your doctor prescribes Humira for you, they’ll closely monitor you for symptoms of hepatitis B reactivation. This will likely include routine blood tests, which your doctor can tell you more about. Contact your doctor right away if you develop symptoms such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin or the whites of your eyes), appetite loss, and muscle aches.
Nervous system condition, such as multiple sclerosis: Humira can cause nervous system problems in some people. If you already have a nervous system condition, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), using Humira could worsen the symptoms of your condition.
Past or present tuberculosis (TB) infection: Using Humira can cause TB to become active again if you’ve had the infection before. Your doctor should test you for TB before you begin using Humira. They’ll also test you for TB regularly throughout your treatment. Notify your doctor right away if you notice TB symptoms while using Humira. Examples of these symptoms include a persistent cough, fever, and unexplained weight loss.
Pregnancy: It’s not known whether Humira is safe to use during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant or planning a pregnancy, talk with your doctor before using Humira.
Breastfeeding: It’s not known whether it’s safe to use Humira while breastfeeding. The drug passes into breast milk, but it isn’t known whether the drug may cause side effects in a child who’s breastfed. If you’re breastfeeding or planning to do so, talk with your doctor about your options.
Allergic reaction: If you’ve had an allergic reaction to Humira or any of its ingredients, your doctor will likely not prescribe Humira. This is because using the drug could cause another allergic reaction. You can ask your doctor about other treatments that may be a better option for you.
Find answers to some frequently asked questions about Humira and possible interactions.
Should I stop using Humira while taking antibiotics?
Only if your doctor tells you to do so. If you develop an infection while using Humira, your doctor may have you stop using Humira. But in some cases, they may advise you to continue your Humira treatment while taking antibiotics to treat your infection. You should not stop using Humira unless your doctor instructs you to do so.
Humira suppresses immune system activity, which raises the risk of infection. But Humira isn’t known to interact with antibiotics.
For some conditions its approved to treat, Humira may be used with antibiotics. For example, in Humira’s studies, some people took Humira and an antibiotic together to treat hidradenitis suppurativa.
What antibiotics can you take with Humira?
There are no reports of Humira interacting with antibiotics. Because of this, you don’t need to avoid taking any specific antibiotics during your Humira treatment.
If you develop an infection while using Humira, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics if the infection is caused by bacteria. In this case, they’ll advise on whether you should continue using Humira or if you should pause your Humira treatment until your infection clears.
Taking certain steps can help you avoid interactions with Humira. Before starting treatment, talk with your doctor and pharmacist. Things to discuss with them include:
- whether you drink alcohol or use cannabis
- other medications you take, as well as any vitamins, supplements, and herbs (they can also help you fill out a
medication list ) - what to do if you start taking a new drug during your Humira treatment
It’s also important to understand Humira’s
If you have trouble reading or understanding this information, your doctor or pharmacist can help.
Using Humira exactly as prescribed can also help prevent interactions.
Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.