I totally understand the need for info, no matter HOW much you read up on this stuff.
My Remicade experience:
I went through 5 abscess surgeries, all within a one inch radius of my anus, with skin tags and drains and all that lovely oozy mess... so I understand your pain and your fear of losing it... no matter how mad it is at you!
After the surgeries, they finally figured out that I had crohn's and started me on meds. I had terrible reactions to everything, not to mention the fact that they didn't help (Imuran, 6mp, Purinethol, Prednisone, Asacol... etc.).
I was approved for Remicade and started the middle of December, 2005. By Christmas that year I was eating like a pig and living like I didn't even know what the word "crohn's" meant. I got Remicade every 4 weeks to start, no other meds what-so-ever. I was able to continue that, and even started being able to space my treatments further and further apart. I eventually got to every 16 weeks, believe it or not.. and I was doing great. I had a full-time job again, and life was darn good.
It's been a couple years now, obviously, and I'm just now in the transition to Humira. I did Remicade all the way through April of this year, but the last few infusions didn't seem to be working. I had a bad cold-medicine induced flare last winter, and I don't know that I've ever gotten all the way "back on track". So, after two or three infusions with little relief, I had to start looking for other options. There's a lot of stuff that happened in the mean time, but it doesn't really relate to your Remicade question, so I'll skip it.
The bottom line is - Remicade gave me my life back for over two years. And even now that it's not working for me - I still really don't have anything bad to say about
it. It was amazing, while it lasted. I know some people are lucky enough for it to work even longer than mine did...
I wish you the best of luck... may it bring you the relief that it once brought me. You, and your butt, deserve it!
