Did it take THREE Remicade infusions?

My doctor is telling me that my progress is not good enough with Remicade and that if I don't improve more with the third infusion that all options are exhausted and I should lose my colon.  Has anyone found slow progress until the third infusion or dramatic improvement with the third infusion?

I have had 5 infusions so far, week 1, two weeks later, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks, 8 weeks, but from Jan to March I have three flares that I had to bring down with prednisone, at the end of this week I will go for my 6th infusion. After this week, my doc has moved my spacing every 6 weeks. But, I am not sure if Remi is working for me, but I hope to keep at it for some time. But in my case I suffer from CD and not Colitis in the ileocecal valve area, even ostomy will not reduce the chance of recurrence, hence I have to be on meds. But from what I have heard in case of pure Colitis, not CD/Colitis, one can go for total colectomy and the recurrence of colitis is completely eliminated, but one has to have a bag for the rest of the life and that is different sort of challenge.

Thanks. I thought he was jumping the gun. I am starting to wonder about my doctor. I go for my third infusion on March 30th and I will not give up any body parts yet. You have really lifted a shadow off me.

tsitodawg: just to be clear that you are saying CD/Colitis (not UC) will not be cured through total colectomy or proctocolectomy or even ileostomy for that matter. My understanding was that these radical measures could be undertaken to achieve total remission, but it would require a life-long stoma. Yes, second-opinion or third-opinion is a definite must in case of these radical measures.

PV: My doc is hesitant to mix MTX with biologics, because of the potential risk for cancer, besides I am highly allergic to Imuran/6-mp. However, from what I hear Imuran/6-mp seem to be the best drug out there for keeping CD under long-term remission.

Next round onwards, i will be spaced every 6 weeks and then we will see about whether if they can increase dosage. They pre-medicate with tylenol and benadryl. The infusion center also goes very slow with the infusion because they found that if they speed up the rate of dripping, it causes reactions among patients.

Iram, Crohn and Crohn's colitis is the same disease and can not be cured by any surgery or medication. When someone refers to their disease as Crohn's Colitis they are talking about a form of the disease that is centralized to mainly the rectum and colon or large bowel. This is still Crohn's disease and can still have symptoms at any time along the whole G.I. tract.
There is another disease called Ulcerative Colitis that can be pretty much cure by removing the colon because it is only in the colon or large bowel. It does not go up in the small bowel which means by removing rectum and the colon you are basically removing the disease by going with a permanent stoma. So just to be clear though, you can not cure or put Crohn's or Crohn's colitis into a permanant remission by surgery. Although, you can gain a sometime long remission by having a resection but the disease will return eventually.
FunGuy, I am in complete understanding about how you have not gotten the results that you were hoping for. I am pretty sure that nearly everyone on here has felt this at one time or another but you continue to fight and stay positive. If you are really sick, call your doctor and see if you can't raise the dose or frequency. There is no reason not to be proactive if you are not getting any benefit from the medication. Remicade is too expensive not to be seeing any success from it and you may be at too low of a dose. Just like if your pain medication is not working for your pain, call your doc and have them do what they are supposed to do for you.

Wow Terry we really are in the same boat. I will be thinking about you and hoping for you. I would like to see us both enjoy remission. I re-read the letter from my Dr. and I think I was sensitive and being to hard on him. Still, he did not tell me the things you just did like it could take 6 months. He had me thinking that the trap door was open and I was reaching the end of my rope.
Did you do that google of "stem cells crohn's"? I read that and hope it isn't a hoax. sounds too good too be true but dangerous. If it is real, a 90% cure rate........................

Good luck