This drug has boxed warnings, the most serious warnings from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Boxed warnings alert doctors and patients about drug effects that may be dangerous.
Risk of cancer. Cancers, such as lymphoma, have been reported in people taking Humira. In some cases, the cancer has been fatal. There were also reports of a rare kind of lymphoma called hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma. This type of lymphoma most commonly occurs in young adult and teen males* who have Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis.
In most cases, reports of cancer in people treated with Humira occurred when they were also taking azathioprine (Azaran, Imuran) or 6-mercaptopurine (Purinethol).
Risk of serious infections. Treatment with Humira raises your risk of infection, including serious infections such as tuberculosis (TB). These infections may require treatment in a hospital. In rare cases, these infections can be fatal.
Before you begin using Humira, your doctor will test you for TB. If you have TB, it will need to be treated before you begin Humira therapy. Your doctor will also monitor you for infection while you’re treated with Humira. They’ll likely pause your Humira doses if you develop an infection while taking the medication.
* Sex and gender exist on spectrums. In this article, use of the term “male” refers to sex assigned at birth.
Humira is a brand-name prescription medication that contains the active drug adalimumab, which is a biologic. It belongs to a class of drugs called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) blockers. Humira is available in a biosimilar form.
This medication has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat numerous conditions, including certain forms of:
- rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in adults
- juvenile idiopathic arthritis in children ages 2 years and older
- psoriatic arthritis in adults
- ankylosing spondylitis in adults
- Crohn’s disease in adults and children ages 6 years and older
- ulcerative colitis in adults and children ages 5 years and older
- plaque psoriasis in adults
- hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) in adults and children ages 12 years and older
- uveitis in adults and children ages 2 years and older
In this article, you’ll find additional information about Humira’s dosage and details on how to take the drug. For a comprehensive overview of Humira, view this article.
Finding a healthcare professional
If you’re interested in taking Humira, search here to find a doctor who might prescribe it.
This article describes typical recommended dosages for Humira. These dosages are provided by the drug’s manufacturer.
Your doctor will prescribe the dosage of Humira that’s best for you.
Commonly recommended dosages for Humira, such as pen dosages, are shown below. This includes the hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) dosage, plaque psoriasis dosage, and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) dosage.
You should take the dosage your doctor prescribes for you.They’ll recommend the dosage that’s best for your condition.
Humira’s forms and strengths
Humira is available in the following forms and strengths:
| Form | Strengths |
| liquid solution in a single-dose prefilled pen | • 80 milligrams (mg) per 0.8 milliliter (mL) • 40 mg/0.8 mL • 40 mg/0.4 mL |
| liquid solution in a single-dose prefilled syringe | • 80 mg/0.8 mL • 40 mg/0.8 mL • 40 mg/0.4 mL • 20 mg/0.4 mL • 20 mg/0.2 mL • 10 mg/0.2 mL • 10 mg/0.1 mL |
| liquid solution in a single-dose vial* | • 40 mg/0.8 mL |
* This form is only used by healthcare professionals.
Typical recommended dosages
Usually, doctors will prescribe a low dosage of Humira at the start of treatment. Then, they’ll adjust the dosage over time. Ultimately, your doctor will prescribe the smallest dosage of Humira that gives the desired effect.
| Condition | Starting dosage (also called a loading dose) | Maintenance dosage | Maximum dosage |
| RA | • 40 mg every other week | • 40 mg every other week | • 40 mg every week, or • 80 mg every other week |
| psoriatic arthritis | • 40 mg every other week | • 40 mg every other week | • 40 mg every other week |
| plaque psoriasis | • 80 mg once | • 40 mg every other week* | • 40 mg every other week |
| Crohn’s disease | • Day 1: 160 mg • Day 15: 80 mg |
• Day 29 and beyond: 40 mg every other week | • 40 mg every other week |
| ulcerative colitis | • Day 1: 160 mg • Day 15: 80 mg |
• Day 29 and beyond: 40 mg every other week | • 40 mg every other week |
| ankylosing spondylitis | • 40 mg every other week | • 40 mg every other week | • 40 mg every other week |
| HS | • Day 1: 160 mg • Day 15: 80 mg |
• Day 29 and beyond: 40 mg every week, or • Day 29 and beyond: 80 mg every other week |
• 40 mg every week, or • 80 mg every other week |
| uveitis | • 80 mg once | • 40 mg every other week* | • 40 mg every other week |
* For this condition, the maintenance dosage starts one week after the starting dosage.
Children’s dosage
Humira is approved to treat the following conditions in children at the dosages detailed below.
Dosage for juvenile idiopathic arthritis and uveitis in children
Humira’s dosage for juvenile idiopathic arthritis and uveitis in children is based on the child’s weight in kilograms. One kilogram (kg) equals about 2.2 pounds (lb).
| Body weight | Recommended dosage |
| 10 kg to less than 15 kg (about 22 lb to 33 lb) | 10 mg every other week |
| 15 kg to less than 30 kg (about 33 lb to 66 lb) | 20 mg every other week |
| 30 kg (about 66 lb) or more | 40 mg every other week |
Dosage for Crohn’s disease
Humira’s dosage for Crohn’s disease in children is based on the child’s weight in kg. (One kg equals about 2.2 lb.)
| Body weight | Starting dosage | Maintenance dosage |
| 17 kg to less than 40 kg (about 37 lb to 88 lb) | • Day 1: 80 mg • Day 15: 40 mg |
• Day 29 and beyond: 20 mg every other week |
| 40 kg (about 88 lb) or more | • Day 1: 160 mg* • Day 15: 80 mg |
• Day 29 and beyond: 40 mg every other week |
* This dose is given either as a single dose or as two doses split over two consecutive days.
Dosage for ulcerative colitis
Humira’s dosage for ulcerative colitis in children is based on the child’s weight in kg. (One kg equals about 2.2 lb.)
| Body weight | Starting dose | Maintenance dose |
| 20 kg to less than 40 kg (about 44 lb to 88 lb) | • Day 1: 80 mg • Day 8: 40 mg • Day 15: 40 mg |
• Day 29 and beyond: 20 mg every week or 40 mg every other week |
| 40 kg (about 88 lb) or more | • Day 1: 160 mg* • Day 8: 80 mg • Day 15: 80 mg |
• Day 29 and beyond: 80mg every other week or 40 mg every week |
* This dose is given either as a single dose or as two doses split over two consecutive days.
Dosage for hidradenitis suppurativa
Humira’s dosage for hidradenitis suppurativa is based on the child’s weight in kg. (One kg equals about 2.2 lb.)
| Body weight | Starting dose | Maintenance dose |
| 30 kg to less than 60 kg (about 66 lb to 132 lb) | • Day 1: 80 mg | • Day 8 and beyond: 40 mg every other week |
| 60 kg (about 132 lb) or more | • Day 1: 160 mg* • Day 15: 80 mg |
• Day 29 and beyond: 40 mg every week or 80 mg every other week |
* This dose is given either as a single dose or as two doses split over two consecutive days.
Length of treatment
Doctors typically prescribe Humira as a long-term treatment. You’ll likely take it long term if you and your doctor feel it’s safe and effective for your condition.
It’s possible your doctor may suggest stopping treatment with Humira if the drug doesn’t appear to be working to treat your symptoms within a few months of starting treatment. Your doctor can tell you more about how they’ll monitor whether Humira is working for you.
If you miss a dose of Humira, try to take it as soon as you remember. However, if it’s nearly time for your next dose, such as missing a Humira dose by a week, skip the missed dose. Take your next dose at the regularly scheduled time. Do not take more than one dose of Humira at a time.
View these medication reminder options to help avoid missing doses. You could also set an alarm or download a reminder app on your phone.
Below are some common questions related to Humira’s dosage.
What should I know about Humira starter kit dosing?
Your doctor may prescribe a Humira starter kit when you first begin treatment. These kits help administer the loading or maintenance dose, which is recommended when treating certain conditions, such as Crohn’s disease. (A loading dose is a higher dose given at the beginning of treatment to help get the drug into your system more quickly. A maintenance dose is the dose you’ll take long term.)
For details about Humira’s dosages for the different conditions the drug is used to treat, see the “Humira: Dosage” section above. You can also talk with your pharmacist or doctor to learn more.
Will my doctor administer my first dose of Humira?
It’s possible. Your doctor or a healthcare professional may administer your first Humira dose. However, they may also teach you to administer the medication yourself.
If you have questions about how you will receive Humira, talk with your doctor. You can also view step-by-step instructions for how to administer Humira on the manufacturer’s website.
Your doctor will consider several factors when prescribing your Humira dosage. These factors include:
- your age
- the condition you’re taking Humira to treat
- the severity of your condition
- body weight, for children prescribed the drug
Your prescribed dosage may also vary based on other medical conditions you have or other medications you may take.
Humira comes as a liquid solution inside a:
- single-dose prefilled pen
- single-dose prefilled syringe
- single-dose vial*
Humira is given by subcutaneous injection. The drug can be injected into your abdomen or the front of your thighs. You should not inject Humira into skin that is hard, tender, or discolored.
It is also important to pick a spot at least 1 inch away from where you last injected your Humira dose. This will decrease your risk of injection site reactions, such as pain.
To view step-by-step instructions for how to administer Humira, check out the manufacturer’s website.
* This form is only used by healthcare professionals.
If you find it challenging to read the label on your prescription, tell your doctor or pharmacist. Certain pharmacies provide medication labels with large print or braille. They may also offer labels containing a scannable code that your smartphone can convert from text to speech. If your pharmacy doesn’t provide these choices, your doctor or pharmacist may be able to recommend a pharmacy that does.
If it’s difficult for you to open medication bottles, ask your pharmacist if they can dispense Humira in an easy-open container. They also may recommend ways to help make it easier to open the bottles.
For some drugs, taking more than the recommended dosage may lead to unwanted side effects or overdose. Do not take more Humira than your doctor prescribes.
What to do if you take too much Humira
Call your doctor if you think you’ve taken too much of this drug. Also, you can call the American Association of Poison Control Centers at 800-222-1222 or use its online tool. However, if your symptoms are severe, call 911 or a local emergency number. Or go to the nearest emergency room right away.
Talk with your doctor or pharmacist for additional information about Humira’s dosage. Keep in mind that the dosages presented in this article are typical dosages provided by the drug’s manufacturer. Your doctor will recommend the dosage of Humira that’s right for you and your condition. Always follow the dosage that your doctor prescribes for you.
As with any medications you’re taking, do not change your Humira dosage without a recommendation from your doctor.
In addition to discussing Humira with your doctor, you may find the following articles helpful in learning more.
- Overview of Humira. For comprehensive details on Humira, see this article.
- Drug comparisons. To learn how Humira compares with other drugs, read these articles:
- Information on side effects. If you’d like to know about possible side effects of Humira, view this article.
- Details about certain conditions Humira treats. To learn more about the conditions Humira is used to treat, see these articles:
Disclaimer: Healthgrades 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.
