Re: remicade - was the payoff worth the risk?

[Guest guest]

, When I was on Remicade I could do all the old things that I hadn't been

able to do for years and I had no side effects I was on it for over a year

untill my husband got cancer and I had to leave my job to take care of him and

lost my insurance I sure thought it was worth it.

<iMarzz@...> wrote: Just wondering if any of you who have

taken Remicade thought the

improvement in your symptoms was worth the risks of the drug?

I am awaiting insurance approval and then will be scheduled for my

first dose.

Thanks

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Hi ...I was on Remicade for a few months and it worked quickly but then

stopped working, so doses were increased fairly rapidly. But after about 3

months I developed a serious and stubborn pneumonia my rheumy thought was

directly related to my lowered immune system with Remicade. So, I had to go off

and could not go back on. I know our immune systems are altered while on

biologics so I suppose this could happen while being on any. I wish you all the

best!

Cheryle

--

" The path before all of us sometimes is strewn with shards of glass and this

world does not always provide strong, protective shoes. So as the poem

" Footprints " says, God will carry me, when I cannot carry myself. He loves me

enough to do that for me...I surrender this struggle and am crawling up into His

arms. " ~ CJB, 1/14/2008

[Guest guest]

Yes and no. I only had 2 infusions.

It took my RD at the time almost 2 years to talk me into taking Remicade. I

finally caved out of desperation and had problems during my infusion...trouble

catching my breath. They thought it might have been panic attacks, which I have

been known to do. Aftwards I felt GREAT! I could " jog " up the stairs, it was a

God send. Then the second infusion, I had the same trouble with my breathing.

Mind you I was ready to take more of it, so it wasn't anxiety. The next morning

after the second infusion, I couldn't move. I forgot the explanation, but to

that point I had never been in so much pain and I wasn't going to have any more

of it.

When sitting during infusions, I talked with ladies who had been on it for

ages. The one lady didn't have a reaction until she had been on it for 11

months, she had a horrible rash, but apparently that didn't deter her. Most

have no problems.

Obviously you need to be informed, but you have to realize (and I am guilty of

panicking about side effects that effect .0001 of the population) that the

percentage of HORRIBLE reactions are almost nill. However, they can happen.

Shandi

<iMarzz@...> wrote:

Just wondering if any of you who have taken Remicade thought the

improvement in your symptoms was worth the risks of the drug?

I am awaiting insurance approval and then will be scheduled for my

first dose.

Thanks

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

,

Every drug has risk. I have been on Remicade for a year. It has helped me

massively. It took my major pain away. I was still having a some trouble,

so we just added Ariva and an NSAID to my MTX and Remicade. It has been

worth it too me. Honestly, I'm more worried about the NSAID and the ulcer risk.

I want to climb a mountain!

Kate G

Hashi's

AS

At 09:15 AM 2/20/2008, you wrote:

>Just wondering if any of you who have taken Remicade thought the

>improvement in your symptoms was worth the risks of the drug?

>

>I am awaiting insurance approval and then will be scheduled for my

>first dose.

>

>Thanks

[Guest guest]

,

It was like a difference between night and day in how I felt. After

my 1st infusion...I felt back to my old self, went jogging since I

felt like I had in months. Needless to say, is that I overdid it and

was sore the next day. I learned I had to do things in

moderation...but I loved being on remicade. I was on it for about 3

years. (I relocated to another state) and my new rheumatologist didn't

think I needed it. I wish I could get back on it, but since I don't

have health insurance...I am at the mercy of the indigent care program

at the local general hospital.

I don't remember having any side effects, I just remember being able

to get out of bed and not have to take a few hours to " warm up " . I

would encourage you to at least try it. I was never on enbrel or

humaira and I was on methatrexate then arava when I was on remicade.

Hope it all works out for you.

>

> Just wondering if any of you who have taken Remicade thought the

> improvement in your symptoms was worth the risks of the drug?

>

> I am awaiting insurance approval and then will be scheduled for my

> first dose.

>

> Thanks

>