Tell me about my first Remicade infusion

Yes, IV in the arm. The first infusion takes the longest because they put the drip on slow to monitor you for any type of allergic reaction. So plan on 3 hours. They will likely give you Tylenol and Benedryl in the beginning. They will take your blood pressure every 15 minutes or so. That's how mine went. I think that's pretty standard. Bring something to read or your iPad, ect. Good luck....hope it helps!

Yes, my first infusion took at least three hours. The infusion clinic I used tends to run behind, so between waiting on my nurse to set me up, insert the IV, start me on fluids and solumedrol, give me a benadryl and some water, start and finish the remicade, I would set aside four hours for the whole thing (not including commute time).

At best my time at the infusion center was three hours start to finish and I was on remicade for about a year. Luckily my infusion center had wifi! Hopefully yours does too.

Aside from the actual time it takes to get the infusion, you may want to take it easy the rest of the day, at least for your first few infusions. I would typically get them done on Saturday mornings from 8-noon, get something to eat, then read/watch netflix/nap etc all afternoon, then go out with friends if I felt good.

Good luck!

It makes most people feel wiped out. I was always extremely tired for the remainder of the day after the infusion. I could never figure out if it was because of the Benedryl or the remicade. The next day I was always fine. So yeah, plan on being low key after you're done. And your subsequent infusions should be quicker. It's just the first one that's the longest.

If it helps any, I was terrified the night before my first infusion and didn't sleep at all. I had no idea what to expect and had all the same kinda questions as you. Back then I had no idea about this forum and didn't know anyone that had taken it. Then when I arrived there and watched everyone else open their books they brought along and just sit down I calmed right down and realized it's nothing. Actually the guy next to me fell asleep in a matter of minutes. Was funny. The nurse had to wake him up just to start the darn infusion and then he was back asleep in no time. The girl on the other side had Rheumatoid Arthritis and told me how much it helped her and how she's been on it for seven years etc.

Over time, in a weird way I actually began to look forward to them as it was basically three hours to sit back and just relax and do whatever... de-stress from work/life.

Eventually I just read and feel asleep or watched a movie as they all had tv's and dvd players.

Anyway. Good luck - and I was able to drive home from them after signing out on the release form, but they do make you somewhat drowsy. I would grab a strong coffee on my way back from the infusion and work for the rest of the day.

Bring a decent magazine, book or maybe headphones for music... chances are you'll fall asleep! Electronics however tend to fall off your lap when you do.

Post Edited (Canada Mark) : 9/24/2015 7:15:05 PM (GMT-6)

Expect to be completely bored. First time will be more like a 4 hour drip. It is done VERY slowly to ensure you don't have too much in you if you have a reaction. It would benefit you to get used to taking any over the counter allergy tabs for a few days leading up to infusion and after. Make sure you get benedryl with the infusion. It would be a shame if because this was not followed you had a reaction to something that could be a game changer to you. HYDRATE to excess the day before to ensure your veins are puffy so nurse gets it the first time. Make sure if you are a righty you offer them your left arm. Bring an Ipad or similar with a charger to pass the time. Bring a snack. Relax it should be uneventful. Good luck. There will be a lot of fluid infused. Ask about where the bathroom is and procedure. One place I went to we needed to ask nurse to disconnect a connection to infuser. Last place was more modern one simply rolls the IV rack with them to bathroom.

Post Edited (johnj) : 9/25/2015 9:13:18 AM (GMT-6)

Like everyone said, I started my infusions 2 weeks ago just had my second yesterday and it's fairly relaxing besides the whole IV thing (I hate needles though). You go in, they give you Benadryl and Tylenol, hook your IV up and for me I'm in a recliner where I sit for about 2.5 hours (from 9:30 to noon. 165 lbs). The Benadryl makes me pretty tired right about half way through and I dose off to a nap where I get woken up about 30 minutes or so later because she takes my blood pressure and temp.

Nice destressor if you don't mind needles.

Do you have to take the antihistamine everytime? It still takes hours on repeat visits?

Generally, you should premedicate with Tylenol and an antihistamine as it helps reduce the odds of an infusion reaction (headache, injection site reaction, etc). I take those over the counter medications before going. Some infusion centers may give it to you when you arrive.

Yes, it's 2 hours minimum for a remicade infusion per the medication manufacturer's guidelines for administering it.

I'm sticking with premedication personally as suggested by ipoop. I didn't take them yesterday and ended up with a raging headache. Also some develop side effects on 5th or 6th infusion. Better safe than sorry!