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Remicade + Imuran

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 3/23/2008 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
Remicade + Imuran. Is this safe?? My dr. seems to think thiss is a dangerous combination because of the 6 people that died from t cell lymphoma that were on this combination. At this point I would like to take the risk instead of facing surgery. But is it even that risky or is my dr. just being difficult. Please inform if you are on this combination.
Posted 3/23/2008 4:25 AM (GMT 0)
I was on Imuran when I started Remicade. After the studies came out showing a slight increase in lymphoma in people taking both medications long-term, my GI offered me the option of getting off the Imuran. I stopped it, because I didn't think it was really helping me that much anyway. My doc would have let me continue both if that had been my choice, as the risk is still pretty small.
Posted 3/23/2008 4:48 AM (GMT 0)

I just started my first remicade infusion last week, and I am on an Imuran + Remicade combo. I too asked my GI if it was dangerous. I told him that I read on a web page, that the combo was dangerous. He said that it was not a problem, so I left it at that. I have been on 150 mg of Imuran for about 5-6 months, and I haven't noticed much of an improvement, that is why I started on Remicade.

By the way, how long does it take to start noticing improvements from Remicade. I started on 40 mg of Prednisone the week before Remi just to get the inflamation down, and it has helped out a lot, but I was curious about the Remicade.

Posted 3/23/2008 4:54 AM (GMT 0)
Some people have positive results from the Remicade the day after the first infusion, for others it takes longer. I thought I could tell a difference after the second one, but I'm always cautious in judging that because I always want every new thing to work so much. After the third infusion, I definitely could tell I was better. I continued to feel better slowly over the first six months of treatment, then stabilized. I do pretty much what I did before I was diagnosed now, except for the things the effects of long-term steroids prevent me from doing.

I hope it works for you also.
Posted 3/23/2008 5:08 AM (GMT 0)

What were the main syptoms that the remicade treated that made you feel "back to normal"? The worst symptom for me, even worse than the blood, and the diarhea, was the extreme urgency to go. Once I knew I had to go, I had to be within 30 seconds of a restroom, or I would loose control, and this is while I was still on Imuran. The Pred is helping, but my real hope, is that the urgency will be under control with the Remicade.

But I wanted to know how all the Remicade helped. How many of the sypmtoms did it control?

Posted 3/23/2008 6:11 AM (GMT 0)
thanks. i'll try to convince to let me try it out
Posted 3/23/2008 4:06 PM (GMT 0)
Suns Fan, the first thing for me was decreased bleeding, mucous and frequency. Over the first few months, as the inflammation in my rectum improved, the urgency eased. I now can wait a normal amount of time to get to the bathroom, unless I eat something on my "bad girl" list. The other impressive thing to me was the way it brought my energy level back up to almost normal. My exhaustion was so severe before it that I couldn't do anything but work, then come home and rest so I could go back to work the next day.
Posted 3/23/2008 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
My feeling is if you're about to start remicade imuran wasn't working for you and there's no reason to take the risk of the two of them together.
I was on Imuran for about the first 6 months of Remicade and when I stopped the imuran cold turkey there were no adverse affects.
James
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