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Remicade causing Fibro?

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Posted 3/9/2015 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
Has anyone out there been taking "Remicade Infusions" and out of nowhere, boom, terrible migrating joint pain? It started with me about 6 months in to an 8 week infusion cycle designed for my Psoriatic Arthritis. It seemed to always hit about 5 weeks into the 8 week cycle between infusions......the new infusion would completely take the pain and swelling away, but in about 5 weeks, it would hit again. Without any test, my Rheumotologist just diagnosed it as Fibro......seemed like a lazy diagnosis.

 
Posted 3/9/2015 5:33 PM (GMT 0)
Don't know about that drug, but I do know MANY end up with joint issues on statins. Those drugs and their potential side effects!!! Jam
Posted 3/9/2015 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
I've actually been on some type of Biologic for over 15 years now, the last 10 years on Humira, then switched to Remicade about a year ago.... don't even remember why. None of the other meds caused joint pain ( and I mean debilitating) until I started Remicade. By the way, my GI doctor, and my stomach, will not let me take ANY NSAIDS.
Posted 3/9/2015 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
Warrhorse, welcome! I highly doubt that Remicaide can cause fibro. At least I've never heard of this. I think the Remicaide infusions are causing the joint pain. I googled it and there is quite a lot of information on this topic and you definitely are not alone. I don't think it's a coincidence. Also, joint pain can be caused by other illnesses and not just fibro. Just the fact he didn't do testing and especially since he just brushed you off makes me wonder. So, yes, I agree that your doctor gave you a lazy diagnosis. Also, your doctor should know that these infusions can cause joint pain. I'm not a doctor. This is just my personal opinion.

I have ankylosing spondylitis which is in the same family as psoriatic arthritis. My rheumy wanted to put me on Remicade infusions but I declined. I'm taking ibuprofen with food and a muscle relaxer called Robaxin that has made a significant difference in my pain. I know you said your GI doctor said you can't take NSAID's but so did mine. I have gotten bleeding ulcers twice over a 28 year span of taking ibuprofen so I think that's a pretty good record. My Internist said it was a quality of life issue for me so he also gives me a medication called Cytotec that helps protect the stomach from ulcers and also Pepcid AC to lower my stomach acid. (The PPI's can cause osteoporosis.). I've been doing this for three years and haven't had a problem. So this might be something to ask your doctor if you can't take Remicade anymore.

I hope this helps you.

Sherrine
Posted 3/9/2015 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Warrhorse:

I don't have Rheumatoid Arthritis and have not used Remicade. I have read accounts of people having to get off of Rheumatoid Arthritis meds as they stop working. If Humira was working is it an option to go back on it?

I don't know how Doctors treat the combination of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia. There really is no test for Fibromyalgia. It is about eliminating medical conditions that can be tested. There is a lot of info in Fibro 101 to explain Fibromyalgia.

I have Osteoarthritis in a number of joints. I have been taking NSAIDs for 11 years. Yes, they can be hard on your stomach. There are more medications for Rheumatoid Arthritis than there are for Osteoarthritis. For my condition I did try a combination of NSAID, Muscle Relaxer and Lyrica for a couple years. Nothing has totally stopped my chronic pain but when off Lyrica I realized that it helped some.

Loring

Osteoarthritis in Multiple Joints, Fibromyalgia, Neuralgia, Chronic Daily Headaches, I.B., Hard of Hearing...

Post Edited (Loring) : 3/9/2015 1:21:01 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/9/2015 9:08 PM (GMT 0)
Bleeding ulcer a few years ago was the reason for taking me off the only NSAID that I could tolerate, Celebrex....even the newer one's with the stomach coating made into the medication made me sick. Because of a glich in the insurance coverage, they would not let me continue my Remicade Infusions for over three months while it was straitened out.....durring that time, the joint pain went away....for the most part. Doesn't seem to be any other explination? Now I'm looking at trying Xeljanz next if I show any psoriasis or pain comes back.
Posted 3/9/2015 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
I have been on remi for 3 years for my crohn's. I got fibro about 8 months ago. I think it was more related to the ridiculous amount of pain meds I've been on in those 3 years - 30 hospitalizations, all with IV pain meds the whole time.
Posted 3/10/2015 2:40 PM (GMT 0)
Sherrine, are you saying that the actual "infusion" and not the medication, might be causing the joint pain? My blood work as well as a full bone scan shows very low inflammation, so it's strange when my wrist starts hurting out of nowhere and swells up as if I have no knuckles! This after being off ALL meds for over three months!
Posted 3/10/2015 3:13 PM (GMT 0)
Warrhorse, I googled "Remicade and joint pain" and saw others were asking the same questions so people are having this response.

Then I went to drugs.com which is a very good site, and checked out Remicade and it says to let your doctor know right away if you have muscle or joint pain. Here is the link.

www.drugs.com/remicade.html

You might have developed an allergy to it, too. I used to be able to take amoxicillin but can't now so that's a thought.

By the way fibromyalgia isn't considered an inflammatory illness. Many have all the muscle/joint pain with no inflammation. But if your hand swells up like you have no knuckles, that isn't fibro. We "feel" like our joints are swollen but they really aren't.

I had the bone on the inside of one wrist swell, get red and warm to the touch, be very tender. and affect the movement of my thumb. I knew that wasn't fibro but something else going on in my body. It did go away eventually.

I wish I could be more help to you. You said you have used Humira successfully before. Could you go back to that?

Sherrine [\blue]
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