remicade

Just relax! :) I have been on remicade for over 3 years. I can't say exactly when it started working because I was on 60 mg of pred. when I started. But after I weaned off, I knew it was working. If you don't notice any effects right away, give it time. It can take 5 or so infusions before you start noticing changes. I have not had any side effects from it. Good luck! Let us know how it went.

Hi styxgurl,

I don't have much to add to what Ltordo and chroniemomx2 have said but I agree with both of them. From the first infusion I felt I had a spring back in my step and zero gut concerns. I am on Remicade as a maintenance drug because of a nasty fistula that came my way about 8 or 9 months after surgery. It seems that the Remicade has banished the fistula to the place that politicians come from and I have had no further visits from our tunneling friends.

I don't know if all clinics are the same but in addition to the Remicade I am given a steroid before the infusion; the only side effect is a restless night because of the steroid. But, hey, I'll take it!

Make sure you bring something to do while at the clinic; books, iPod, balance your chequebook, whatever.......it can take up to 3 hours until you're sprung.

They just give me 1 tablet of Claratin before my infusion.

Hello Styxgurl. Please don't be afraid! You will be with professionals who have dealt with drugs that routinely cause serious reactions -- Remicade is not one of them. (Many cancer drugs are nasty, and some they have to do serious pre-meds days in advance). You may never have a reaction to Remicade.

I had a small reaction last time and they stopped it dead in its tracks with a quick IV benadryl. They stopped the Remicade for a bit and then started it up again. They said I may never have another reaction. My next one is in 3 weeks and they said they will start me with more benadryl and solumedrol (steroid) as a preventaive.

I find drinking a lot of water a day or two in advance almost completely eliminates the mild headache. That really is the only side-effect I get and it only lasts for a couple hours. The next day it is gone. I take it easy the next day but really have no problems.

Let us know how it goes!!

So how did it go?

I'm always tired that day, but never enough where I can't drive, and I feel fine the next day. I found that it took a week or two before kicking in, the wore off a week or so before my second dose, which took about a week or two to kick in, so I was having periods where I sat there thinking it wasn't working. Hwoever, the last two doses seem to have worked great and while I'm still pretty regular, it isn't always as pressing, unless of course I put it off.

I started to experience relief sometime between my second and third infusion, probably around five weeks or so. I was on it for several years. It stopped working for me, but don't worry, that doesn't happen to everyone. I am very happy for the time that it helped.