Beca123 said...
I am very scared. Every year around this time my glands in my neck get swollen bad and they are extremely painful. When I was first diagnosed and started the Remicade, a week later I was hospitalized for my glands in my face and neck being swollen. The doctors never found out what it was, eventually with some strong steroids and antibiotics, it went away. But now, every year at this time, it comes back. I thought this year I wasnt going to have it, I hadnt had my Remicade since October. I got my Remicade on the 16th and four days later, my glands are swollen and hurting. I read on the internet that Remicade can cause something called T-cell Lymphoma.....a kind of Cancer? It has gotten me kind of scared because this happens every year......and Remicade is the only medicine that has worked for my disease. Has anyone else had this problem or know what is going on with the Remicade/Cancer thing? I was on 6-mp for about 4 years with the Remicade but my Dr took me off of it because he said it could cause Cancer.
--God Bless
Hey Beca123!
I'm so sorry you feel so scared, I can imagine how you feel. It's no joke. It's definitely true what you read about
Remicade and the T-cell Lymphoma. I'm surprised that your Dr didn't tell you that, especially since (s)he knew this about
6-mp. It's good that he took you off 6-pm after 4 years, that's usually the longest you can be on it and then the risk of getting a cancer becomes really big. I'm about
to switch to Remicade or Humira and my doctor said I'd be taking Imuran with it too since it stops your body from making the antibodies to Remicade/Humira too fast. However, after 6 months I'll have to stop taking Imuran (you're on 6-mp, they're similar). 6-mp and Remicade both can lead to cancer and when you're taking them both at the same time the risk is even greater, especially after 6 months. I don't know anything about
T-cell lymphoma, how it happens or what are the signs. So can't help you there. Maybe it's not a big deal since you have it every year at the same time and they go away? But you should definitely talk to someone about
this...a doctor that really knows something about
it.
Hope everything goes well! Keep your chin up ;)