Twas the night before Remicade

Heading in for my first Remicade infusion tomorrow morning. The nurse told me to have a big breakfast and even bring food with me. Does having a full stomach help with the headaches and fatigue afterwards?

Just read this now, didn't realize you were going in tomorrow. I will say a prayer that all goes well. How are you feeling aobut it? Hopeful? Scared? Impatient? How many mg of Pred are you still on? Are you going to have someone go with you? Where are you getting the infusion? Sorry for all my questions, just hoping all the best for you. You need a break!

Hi Seasons,

I am actually looking forward to the infusion tomorrow. I am so tired of the prednisone and feeling like crap. My hair if falling out, my cheeks are chubby, I've gained 25 lbs, I am crabby, can't concentrate, sensitive teeth, acne....I could go on and on. I just don't feel like myself. I am only having 1-2 BMs a day but I usually have some blood and mucous. Currently on 8mg of Pred. Going to stay on the pred during the first 2 infusions and then continue to taper.

I am trying to stay positive but I know that Remicade takes a while to work and it may not work for everyone. Keeping my fingers crossed!

How are you doing on 6mp?

Glad you are staying postitive. I bet it will work for you! Hope you can get off the Pred asap!

I posted my update on the other thread I started to MNbeachgal. I'm doing ok. A bit run down though. I've only been on it 2 wks so I know it will take more time.

Good luck with the infusions! Looking forward to hearing about your progress. You mentioned sensitive teeth - is that from the prednisone? Mine have been so sensitive over the past week or so and it is freaking me out!

Ok. I am all hooked up. He said that they recommend that you eat beforehand because it helps with the way the body absorbs the medicine. They noticed that people who don't eat beforehand tend to feel sick or faint during the infusion. No benedryl

I had it straight too until I had a reaction after my 3rd infusion. Hopefully you won't get any reactions. Now I premedicate with Benedryl and Solumedrol. The reaction I got was swollen painful hands and elbows. I also get headaches and muscle cramps after each infusion. I started getting chest pains after my 5th infusion but they slowed down the infusion rate which helped.

I hope this does the trick for you and you can get into remission :)

Best wishes for you to get the relief you need from UC! I read in another of your threads that your children are ages 1 & 3-- so I hope you'll soon feel stronger and be able to enjoy more relaxing time with them. For sure you need plenty of energy to run your household & cope with high-speed Manhattan! / Old Hat (31 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

Glad it went well ManhattanMama. I was just checking posts to see if you had posted about your experience. I already get chest pain these days and would be concerned about Remi for me. I take Magnesium and that seems to help. I also have weird numbness and stuff so I wonder if they'd even give it to me. My GI wanted me to do Remi in addition to 6mp for like 6months. I'm still confused as to weather that would make me build antibodies and not be able to use it in the future if I stopped. He didn't seem to think I would build them in that amount of time. Everything I read here makes me think I would. So confused about that.

I pray you are healed in no time!! When do you go again?

Thanks for the update MMama. Did you decide on Remicaide because you want off the Pred faster or because you are concerned about being inflamed so long? I decided on 6mp because I can live with my sxs for a little longer. I can go about my day, but I am very nervous about having blood for almost a year at this point. I'm on week 3 of 6mp hoping it will work. I hope I made the right decision.

Also I'm confused still about the antibody thing. My GI suggested I do both 6mp and the Remi to make things go faster. He was ok with me just doing 6mp if I wanted though. I told him I was worried that if I did both that the Remi would cause the antibody thing and I wouldn't have it as an option later if we started now. He had suggested getting off it in 6 months. He said something like...I don't think you'd build antibodies in that amt of time. You are sying that you could have issue on the 2nd and 3rd infusion.

I'm also wondering if they are going to need to increase my dose. Just had my first blood test but I"m not sure if that was just a CBC. I guess there is a test to see if you are in therapudic range.

So glad you are thinknig positive and that your bleeding is stopped. What a blessing!!!

Seasons,
I have stopped taking the L-glutamine and chia seeds since the infusion but I am taking the rest of the supplements listed in my signature. I am eating normally but trying to avoid foods that trigger gas or bloating for me. I don't eat processed foods and eat organically as much as possible. I eat bananas, yogurt, cheese and almond milk daily for calcium while I am still on prednisone.

I chose Remicade because after my last flex sig in April I found that after 4 months of pred, cortifoam and mesalmine I was still not healing. I am having terrible side effects of the prednisone and I need to get off this drug as soon as possible. My GI felt that with 6mp I could wait 2-3 months and still not have the full benefits of remission and I would still be on prednisone.

Hope the 6mp works for you and you feel better soon. I have a friend with Crohns who has been on 6mp successfully for 14 years. You may not need anything additional so don't worry about that now. Good luck to you!