Building antibodies against Remicade

I *believe*, could be totally wrong, but that the med loses effectiveness. Your body manufactures antibodies to it, so when you get your infusions, the results last a much shorter time & are not as effective overall. Do you think this is happening with you??? ugh,..... I'm sorry, if it is. There's not much you can do. I had (and still am) been on Imuran while using biologics, my GI's thinking was that the immune suppressant will help your body not to manufacture antibodies. I guess this is a generally accepted school of thought, although not sure how true it is, as I developed antibodies to Remicade myself. I don't really know what serum sickness is- a bad infusion reaction???

     One of my GI's associates mentioned serum sickness to me after I had an adverse reaction after my 3rd infusion of Remicade.  If I remember correctly, I had nausea, diarrhea and an overall feeling like I had the flu.  I cannot remember whether I had fever or not.  A flare soon followed .  My GI took me off 6MP two weeks prior to starting Remicade.  He did not want me on two immunosuppressants at the same time.  I also was on prednisone, so that may be part of the reason.  The 6MP never did keep me in a long term remission.  When he bumped up my dose to 100mgm from the 50mgm, my blood work went haywire.

See that's why I don't see biologic drugs effective enough to treat UC. I tried explaining my opinion of them to my GI, and he just 'tsk tsked' me.

Am I just being to negative towards biologics?

If colon is healed, and you build antibodies, does it mean you are going to flair because of antibodies, or you can still be in remission, if remission is endoscopic, but without Remicade.???....my doctor wants to take me down from Remicade, after my endoscopic remission, I am on remicade for 1 1/2 years and all the time in remission, in june we will see how looks my colon, and if remission is endoscopic than i will be in proces of taking down for one year....

In my country and many other countries is not usual to stay in remicade for long time ( 5-10 years ). When Remicade done his job, it means, when colon is heald, than doctor slowly take down patient from Remicade, if patient can't be without Remicade it means that he is addict to Remicade, and usualy remission is not endoscopic in that case. The same procedure is with corticosteroids, imunopresive that are drugs before Remicade.Purpose is to reduce what is more possible that drugs and put patient long term only on 5-ASA.. I support that approcah, because Remicade is dangerous drug...for me is better to be 3 years on Remicade remission, maybe 3 years, or more in remission without remicade, and than if I don't have any option operation is more acceptable than 10 or more years on remicade with all potencional side effects.....

When I stop remicade I will be on Asacol to protect my colon and more other natural suplements...

Remicade is half mouse and half human anti body.

The human immune system sees a mouse shaped section of the antibody and starts building antibodies against it.

Hope this helps explain it :P

:p

Most likely. Joking. I think there is other anti-TNFa biological drugs that are all human antibody and no mouse. I'd have to read into it but I'm not fully sure... If there is they'd be even more expensive.

bananagirl...I don't know if this is because of Remicade, or it have something with bad circualtion, or with my scoliosis..but in last 3 months twice I have feeling like my skin on knee is little burning, both knee at the same time...I said thaht to my GI and she said that this shouldnt be because Remicade...And I noticed thaht my joints are more crackling ..but I can't be sure if this is because of scoliosis or "satana" Remicade...:P

Remicade is used to treat a whole slew of issues such as RA, psoriasis, AS - basically most auto immune diseases. I have psoriasis but it was originally 6mp that tamed it - that was another reason why my Remi was approved 100% - because I have both Uc and psoriasis.

LOL I will pass on the worms.