Remicade

[Guest guest]

Dear Kay-

You will be asked to take tylenol and perhaps benadryl. It will make you a bit sleepy. Someone should drive you and take you home until you know how you will tolerate an infusion. I always feel " strange " afterward. Kind of jittery. A big tip here, both MTX and Remicade will dehydrate you. Take along a bottle of water and a small gatorade and drink them during and after too. You will sleep during your infusion most likely. You should just go straight home and take a nap since the benadryl will still be working. You may be able to take claritin, but personally, It makes me even more jittery. I take a small amount of benadryl. Make sure you are infused SLOWLY. At least 3 hours. None of this get you in and out in 2 hours. Infusion rates run from 10 to 20 to 40 to 80 to 150 to 250. I cant tolerate that. I ask for10-20-40- 80, 120, 180, 250. It helps tremendously. After you are on a regular infusion schedule You might be able to take bendryl before bedtime the night before your infusion day, it should still be in your system. Good luck!!!!!!!!! Hugs, Deborah

On 4/27/06, Kay Simpson <Siwelyak@...> wrote:

I have Remicade questions. New rheumy has ordered many tests before first infusion. I am so sensitive to everything... Can they handle if I should have a terrible reaction? Are the first 3 infusions a smaller dose? I should have asked more questions but I was in such pain. She gave me a steroid shot in the knee cause my knees were killing me. Do they adjust dosage to body size for Remicade?? I am very, very small...97 pounds. Anybody feel funny or bad after infusion???

Thanks in advance,

Kay in La.

----- Original Message -----

From: Deborah Bargad

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2006 5:25 PM

Subject: Re: Enbrel

I love Remicade although it doesnt seem to be working as well as in the past. That is my fault though because I waited far too long to have my last infusion. Almost 16 weeks. I think my body loses memory or TNF binding capacity. I havent had problems with infection, though I am slow to heal from a bruise etc but I am anemic. My benefit originally in 2000 was almost instantaneous. I didnt even take MTX because I felt so much better. It will help with fatigue. Make sure you get a bone scan to be sure you arent suffering from Osteoporosis. MTX can leach folic acid and calcium out of you. Take a super multi. Hugs, Deborah

On 4/26/06, snowdrift52003 <snowdrift52003@...

> wrote: I'm thinking of asking my rheumy about Enbrel when I see her next week.I think I need something more than the MTX I've been taking. I'm nervous about infections, though. I've had one cold in 2 years, haven'tmissed a day of work. But my hands and feet hurt and I'm SO tired again.My last X-rays revealed an erosion despite being on MTX. Thoughts about biologic safety? Your own experiences with infection?Sierra

[Guest guest]

Steph in VA,

I am waiting for approval for Remicade and saw doc 4/24/06. I did all tests and don't go back until May 16. Knees are swollen and hard to walk. Reckon I will hear anything before May 16th? Taking pain pills at night.

Kay in La.

----- Original Message -----

From: DeNicola

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 9:59 PM

Subject:

Hi ,

This is Steph in VA. I don't know about Humira, but I take Remicade. When I was unemployed Centocor's (Remicade's manufacturer) patient assistance program picked up the cost. I was approved for assistance in 48 hours.

I have some experience fighting with insurance companies. I'd be happy to help you if you want, just email me privately.

Take care,

Steph

My name is and I live in Colorado. I have had RA for 5 years now and I am currently on MTX, Celebrex, prednisone and most recently added Humira. However, every treatment option that my rheumy recommends is met with obstacles from Pacificare. They hold up treatment due to "pre-authorizations" and charge me outrageous amounts for my co-pays. I pay them about $600.00 a month for healthcare insurance, yet they make me pay nearly that much a month in co-pays for my meds and make me jump through hoops before-hand. I am only able to work part-time now, yet it's not enough to pay for my meds any more. Is this normal? They do NOT seem to want to help me get better by letting me having more aggressive treatments as prescribed. I am in constant pain from the RA, as well as from Pacificare. Do I have any other options? Does everyone experience this? Any ideas would be appreciated!Thanks,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world -- indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead)

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[Guest guest]

Hi Kay, That depends on your insurance. When I had Blue Cross/ Blue Shield took 2 weeks. My current insurance is MAMSI, which is now under United Health Care. (MAMSI is popular among government employees & I work for the Commobwealth of Virginia). With MAMSI, my rheumy called for approval while I was in my appointment and was approved at once. I've been totally satisafied with my care under MAMSI. Take care, Steph in VAKay Simpson <Siwelyak@...> wrote: Steph in VA, I am waiting for approval for Remicade and saw doc 4/24/06. I did all tests and don't go back until May

16. Knees are swollen and hard to walk. Reckon I will hear anything before May 16th? Taking pain pills at night. Kay in La. ----- Original Message ----- From: DeNicola Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Friday, May 05, 2006 9:59 PM Subject:

Hi , This is Steph in VA. I don't know about Humira, but I take Remicade. When I was unemployed Centocor's (Remicade's manufacturer) patient assistance program picked up the cost. I was approved for assistance in 48 hours. I have some experience fighting with insurance companies. I'd be happy to help you if you want, just email me privately. Take care, Steph My name is and I live in Colorado. I have had RA for 5 years now and I am currently on MTX, Celebrex, prednisone

and most recently added Humira. However, every treatment option that my rheumy recommends is met with obstacles from Pacificare. They hold up treatment due to "pre-authorizations" and charge me outrageous amounts for my co-pays. I pay them about $600.00 a month for healthcare insurance, yet they make me pay nearly that much a month in co-pays for my meds and make me jump through hoops before-hand. I am only able to work part-time now, yet it's not enough to pay for my meds any more. Is this normal? They do NOT seem to want to help me get better by letting me having more aggressive treatments as prescribed. I am in constant pain from the RA, as well as from Pacificare. Do I have any other options? Does everyone experience this? Any ideas would be appreciated!Thanks, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world -- indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead) AmeriCorps Alums -- We're Still Getting Things Done Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Never underestimate the power of a small, dedicated group of people to change the world -- indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." (Margaret Mead)

AmeriCorps Alums -- We're Still Getting Things Done

Talk is cheap. Use Messenger to make PC-to-Phone calls. Great rates starting at 1¢/min.

[Guest guest]

It took me several months and going from 4

vials (for me, 3 mg/kg) to 7 vials (for me, 6 mg/kg) to get any relief.

At the time I was taking 20 mg Methotrexate weekly and 1 mg Folic Acid daily

and 30 or 25 mg Prednisone daily. I also have taken calcium and Vitamin D

even since being put on Prednisone and still continue it even though I am off

Prednisone. For me, Prednisone was required for a year and a half to keep

me from being bedridden. I haven’t had any bad side effects with

any of my medications. I am now down with Remicade to 4 mg/kg (5 vials)

and 12.5 mg Methotrexate and still take Folic Acid, Calcium, and Vitamin D but

no Prednisone.

The first year with RA is normally the

hardest while you are trying to find what treatment works for you. After

that most people are able to lead a pretty normal life. God bless.

From: Rheumatoid Arthritis [mailto:Rheumatoid Arthritis ] On Behalf Of ninebunnyathome

Sent: Sunday, November 19, 2006

5:01 PM

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Subject:

Remicade

Dear Deborah,

I just started Remicade and after my 2 nd infusion haven't had any

luck yet. How many vials are you getting? I get 3. Do you still

take MTX and how much? I only take 3 pills weekly which is 7 1/2 mg.

Do you have hair loss from the MTX? I also tried Sulfasalazine for 11

days and blew up like a balloon. Had to stop it. That was the only

side affect I got from that which was enough.

Do you take folic acid and Calcium with vitamin D. I take these daily.

I still am in severe pain even though I take 2 Ceoebrex 200 mg. each

day. I took a short course of Prednisone but am really scared to take

too much as I have a stomach problem (Gerd) and the Prednisone is

known to cause ulcers after 3 days as my Doctor told me.

Please answer.

Bunny