How has Remicade infusion helped your Rhumatoid arthritis?

Question

I will be starting Remicade infusion this week and am a little scared since reading of all the side effects and how dangerous this drug is. Can anyone tell me their experiences with Remicade. I have psoriatic arthritis which is almost the same as (RA). I'm 67 yrs old and am in good health otherwise.

Answer 1

I work with a Rheumatologist and we infuse Remicade in the office. The most signigicant thing is having an allergic reaction. We typically give these people IV SoluMedrol and Benedryl. Otherwise,you must be very careful with infections. If you have a UTI, Sinus infection or even a bad cut, the Remicade given shortly there after can cause major infections. Typically we use the rule of not getting Remicade for two weeks after the end of antibiotics.

This is a very good drug and I have seen it practically cause miracles in patients.

I hope the side effects done scare you and you give it a try. Please let me know how it goes for you!!

Good Luck

Answer 2

I have psoriatic arthritis and I get 300 mg remicade infusion every 8 weeks for the last 8 years now.. I was 66 yrs old when I was diagnosed. The pain from psoriatic arthritis is horrendous and the pIaque on your skin from this desease is not nice to look at plus it is constantly itching. I am now an energetic 76 yrs old and have no more pain or white patches that looked like callouses on my arms and knees and I have NEVER had any side effects from this drug. It may not work the same for everybody but for me this drug was a life saver. When I was informed how dangerous Remicade is I too was scared to try it but I couldn't go on living with the plaque and especially the pain in my whole body. Please don't be afraid to try it. If Remicade does not work for you there are many other medications that your doctor knows about that may be right for you. Trust your rheumatologist, he/she will watch you closely no matter what medication is prescribed for you.
Let me know how your doing. You can e-mail me if you would like. [e-mail]

Answer 3

I do not personnally have experience with Remicade. I have psoriatic arthritis. I read a great book called Conquering Arthritis: What Doctors Don't Tell You Because They Don't Know by Barbara Allan. I wanted to avoid medications. I had a food allergy test taken. I found out I was allergic to eggs, wheat, corn, yeast and potatoes. After I eleminating those from my diet, I felt much better in just a week.

My sister has RA and she has used every drug available, including Remicade. It did not help her much. None of the drugs she took worked well for her. She is now doing an elimination diet to check for food allergies. She is starting to feel much better.

Answer 4

Your best bet is to see a doctor. My grandfather had really bad rheumatoid arthritis and the only thing that controlled it was medication and gold treatment shots. It made it liveable. You could try Advil or Tylenol but I don't think they will do that much. Short term solution. Another idea is to talk to a pharmacist. He/She might give you some good sound medical advice. Good luck. My mother suffers from osteoarthritis and it's very painful. She uses Tylenol 1 (with codeine) and uses arthritis rubs on her legs and arms. Hope she gets better.

Answer 5

No personal experience with it, but my husband's rheumatologist wants him to start Remicade infusions, too. He has ankylosing spondylitis. We are unsure about the safety, as well. And the price is outrageous, especially without insurance.

I do know of an aunt's relative who takes the Remicade infusions regularly for RA. She swears by them, says side effects are minor, and the benefits of the med far outweigh the side effects. Says she couldn't live or function without Remicade.

Hope this helps. Good luck to you.