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First Cimzia Injection

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 6/7/2011 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
I just received my first Cimzia injection. I'm pretty sure I'll never get used to having medical problems. It bothers me a lot that I have to have a drug that is injected. It seems so serious! The injection process was fairly simple. The home health nurse demonstrating was giving the medicine was doing it too fast at first, so it hurt a bit, but it didn't hurt much at all once she slowed down. I'm just worried about a reaction now. Has anyone on Cimzia had a reaction? If so what happened, and how soon after the first injection? Fingers crossed there won't be a reaction, but I definitely want to make sure I know what to look for.
Posted 6/7/2011 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
I am someone who had reactions to many different medications so I was pleasantly surprised that Cimzia did not cause me any problems! I was on it for several years and loved it. I gave me remission longer than all the other drugs I have tried combined. Try to relax and spend your time thinking what good things you would like to eat once your feeling better from the Cimzia! Here is to a long remission for you!!
Posted 6/8/2011 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, pmedic, that does make me feel better :) I've had a reaction to Remicade before, so I am nervous about Cimzia. Plus, I'm currently not in a flare, my doctor is concerned that I could flare after I deliver the baby (I'm 28 weeks pregnant) because I flared after I got pregnant. She thinks the flare was triggered by hormone changes. But since I'm not flaring, I don't really have any good changes to look forward to. Hopefully, though, this will keep me from flaring after I have the baby. I do not want to be in the hospital again for the first few weeks of my baby's life. I'm glad to hear that Cimzia worked so well for you!! And I appreciate your reply :)
Posted 6/8/2011 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
When I inject Cimzia, I really do it as slowly as possible and I can barely feel anything. The needle is probably inside me for a good minute and a half to 2 minutes. I could do it much faster, but I start to freak out as soon as it starts to sting.
Posted 6/8/2011 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
I agree!! When the nurse was pushing the Cimzia in fast it was really stinging. When I did it slow I barely felt it. I noticed in your signature that you had surgery for an abscess in Feb. That was about the same time as I had my first surgery. Were you on Cimzia when you got the abscess? Or were you put on it to heal the abscess? Do you feel like Cimzia has been helpful to you?
Posted 6/8/2011 2:50 AM (GMT 0)
I started Cimzia in late January. I had been having symptoms of the abscess well before that, so I wasn't put on it to heal it. My surgeon initially thought it was a fissure. I have mixed feelings about the drug. My doctor changed me to taking 1 syringe every 2 weeks instead of 2 syringes once a month because I started flaring. Some weeks are good, some are bad. I recently came off 6MP, as both my doctor and I thought it wasn't doing anything but about a week after I stopped I've been having some bad D at times and going 7-10 times a day so I'm wondering if that was a mistake. I had my Cimzia injection last Friday and it hasn't done a whole lot.

However, I do feel a heck of a lot better now than when I began taking it in January. I guess for me I had huge expectations for it to be a miracle drug and allow me to go back to "normal" but I've come to accept that I'm somewhat happy with where I am. I do have a fistula from the abscess and it has done nothing for it though. Hope it works well for you!
Posted 6/8/2011 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
It sounds like we have a lot of the same things going on with our crohn's. I have abscesses and a horse-shoe fistula. Right now I have two seton bands, so I have no idea if the fistulas would heal if they weren't being held open. Sorry to hear you are still having symptoms while on the Cimzia. I hope you find some relief!!
Posted 6/9/2011 5:18 AM (GMT 0)
I was on Cimzia for about 6 months. I had already tried a million other drugs with no help in the past. My body just likes to get EXTREMELY sick (like to the point I can barely walk and weigh 80 pounds) for a few months and then turn right back around and have absolutely no symptoms for 2 years. I started taking the Cimzia about 3 months after having my daughter. I think the whole giving birth process may have sent me into a flare. Anyway, I was extremely ill. As soon as I started taking it tho I got a bit better. I am always pessimistic when it comes to believing if a drug is working for me, or if my body has just run its cycle and is ready to go into remission again. I can tell you tho that I didn't have any adverse effects to the drug other than hating the injections. I took Cimzia for about 6 months before loosing my insurance and being forced to stop. I did notice that at a certain point my health kind of plateaued. I got to the point of being able to eat normally, going back to work, being able to get out of the house when I whenever I wanted to etc. I have been off the drug for at least 6 months and I am no better or worse than I was when I was taking it. My doc prescribed me Imuran to take its place since it
s cheaper, but it gave me extremely swollen sore joints, so I am no longer on that. I have now been on mercaptopurine for four days. I am anxious to see how it works although it is still rather expensive without insurance. I noticed today that Im getting shooting pains in my liver so that also worries me.
Good luck with the Cimzia! It seems to be a pretty good choice if you are able to afford it. I hope it works for you. :)
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