cymzia

Welcome!!!

I was on remicade for 6 years, then humira, now Cimzia. It has helped me. The shot is not too painful and the medicine burns a little when going in, but it is not bad. I hope the Cimzia works for you!

Hello Chantal and welcome to the forums.

It's been nice chatting with you via emails. Sorry to hear the problems you have been having with Remicade and hope that Cimzia works very well for you.
I also hope your skin feels better.

Best of luck!

Near 3 years of using a 400mg/month injection. The stuff works very well especially since the normal pills I first used led to an allergic reaction.

While it keeps cramps at bay, I still have some urgency issues periodically. Sometimes I'll have mild cramps and this seems to be part food based (pastas, rice, greasy meats, too much starches) and also related to anxiety and/or stress. My triggering seems largely stress based, largely. There may be a few days any given month when I am wary of going out.

There are fluctuations in the constitution of my stools, as the month moves along, the stools seem to be more loose and urgency more pronounced as perhaps the drugs efficacy is waning prior to the 28th day re-injections. This isn't the case every month, but episodic.

I cannot complain, as I have not required surgery and no longer take steroids. I on occasion will take 10 mg of Prednisone to reduce cramps. But I'll only do it for a day or two about 4 times a year.

I haven't ever used the other bio-engineered drugs, just Cimzia to date. The recent study about lymphoma not seeming to be a problem with Cimzia is good news, though I am uncertain of its accuracy. Cancer is very very very prevalent in my immediate family with four brothers each having different types of cancer.

Insurance pays for it now, but should I go off my medical due to job loss, I don't think I could swing the $16,000/year cost. It is a most definite anxiety issue for me, knowing I am just so close to having to find a way to remain healthy without Cimzia. But that is a problem down the road and maybe it won't happen, you know? Deal with it then.

I can thoroughly recommend Cimzia. I was diagnosed with severe Crohn's by my GE.

I try to eat properly, lost a lot of weight and now exercise, bike and keep very active. I am 54.

I've been on cimzia for the last 2 years. It worked really well for a long time. Still does, just wears off quicker. Stress is a big factor for me as well. i get sharp pain in my lower abdomen and slight bleeding when it wears off, but no D. I was on remicade prior to that. But I got really weird leg pains with remicade. My legs still hurt but the cimzia definitely helps, so its probably crohns related.

Hi belgiangirl
I have had crohns since 17 i was first told it was ulcerative colitis but went through many years of on again off again flare ups and meds. I am now 51 and started using Cimzia 400mg monthly 2 injections per month and i still have bloating cramping and urgencies but not as severe as years past. This is a hard disease to deal with everyday but keeping the faith. Good luck to you and everyone fighting with this disease.