Open main menu ☰
HealingWell
Search Close Search
Health Conditions
Allergies Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety & Panic Disorders Arthritis Breast Cancer Chronic Illness Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes
Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Migraine Headache Multiple Sclerosis Prostate Cancer Ulcerative Colitis

View Conditions A to Z »
Support Forums
Anxiety & Panic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Chronic Pain Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux
Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Ostomies Prostate Cancer Rheumatoid Arthritis Ulcerative Colitis

View Forums A to Z »
Log In
Join Us
Close main menu ×
  • Home
  • Health Conditions
    • All Conditions
    • Allergies
    • Alzheimer's Disease
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Arthritis
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Illness
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Migraine Headache
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Support Forums
    • All Forums
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Pain
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Ostomies
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Log In
  • Join Us
Join Us
☰
Forum Home| Forum Rules| Moderators| Active Topics| Help| Log In

Tightness in chest after remicade

Support Forums
>
Crohn's Disease
✚ New Topic locked
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
profile picture
katz31
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2006
Posts : 29
Posted 8/21/2007 7:14 PM (GMT -7)
I have been on remicade for 4 years and yestersday I went and after only 5 minutes my chest started to tighten and I got shortness of breath.  Has anyone every had this problem?  I was sent to the ER and they told me to not continue the remicade.  Not sure what will happen now. I would love to hear from anyone who may have experiences this.


Thanks,

Kathleen

profile picture
tinglebell
Veteran Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 532
Posted 8/21/2007 7:22 PM (GMT -7)
I have had it twice after my last 2 doses. The first dose was run in slowly, I have had 3 total. The nurses said it was fairly common, and that I would probably need steroids and run it in slower. Scared me alot, thought it felt like I was having a heart attack. I'm not looking forward to the next one. If it happens again, that will be my last dose. Wonder if any humira users have had the same reaction.
profile picture
flchurchlady
Veteran Member
Joined : Jul 2007
Posts : 2765
Posted 8/21/2007 7:32 PM (GMT -7)
I'm sorry that happened to you. The same thing happen to me on several occasions, and it was scary. The nurse would stop the infusion, give me oxygen, Benadryl, and Solumedrol. Once the chest tightness and shortness of breath subsided, she would start the infusion again very slowly, only increasing by 10 ml every 30 minutes.

We learned through experimentation that when we infused very slowly from the beginning, that reaction would not happen.
profile picture
katz31
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2006
Posts : 29
Posted 8/22/2007 10:32 AM (GMT -7)

Thanks so much for your responses.  Its nice to know that I am not the only one it happened too. I go see my GI doctor tomorrow so I will see if she recommends me trying it again or something else.  It must be so scary trying it again after you had the reaction. Hope you are both well!!

profile picture
katz31
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2006
Posts : 29
Posted 9/20/2007 8:41 AM (GMT -7)
Well I still haven't gone back on remicade.  My doctor had me see a pulmonologist and he recommended not taking remicade anymore.  Well this past week I am having a lot of diareah so I know my crohns is started to flare.  My doctor mentioned going on HUmira which I wasn't to thrilled about giving myself needles.  Well today my doctor spoke with a specialist with IBD and he said exactly what you both said, have the medication go in slowly.  It was interesting when she told me this since I knew that was a possibility from this site.  So now its a question of started something new or giving remicade a try.  I know remicade has helped me so it sounds good to try except I am nervous about the chest pains.  I got the chest pains with 2 or 3 minutes of the medication going in....Did you both have a reaction that quickly. And the pain lasted about a half hour. How long did it last for you? Anything I should let them know at the infusion center if I go again? I appreciate any info.  Please let me know how everything is going for yourselves.

Thanks,

Kathleen

 

profile picture
Krysta
Regular Member
Joined : Jun 2007
Posts : 340
Posted 9/20/2007 12:58 PM (GMT -7)
the chest tightness and SOB has happened to me all 3 times I have had remicade and they don't seem to bothered by that. They just stop it, infuse benedryl, and then restart at like 30ml/hr. My reaction usually occurs about 5 minutes-15 minutes after they start infusing.

They started it at 60ml/hr last time and the SOB and chest tightness wasn't as bad as when they ran it at like 100 the time before. After they restarted it, they had it at 30, and then 50 at the most for the rest. It seems to take me about 7 hours with all that.
profile picture
katz31
Regular Member
Joined : Jan 2006
Posts : 29
Posted 9/20/2007 1:00 PM (GMT -7)
Krysta,

Thanks for the email. It's nice knowing other are going thru the same thing.

Kathleen :)

 

profile picture
tinglebell
Veteran Member
Joined : Apr 2007
Posts : 532
Posted 9/21/2007 9:23 PM (GMT -7)
I was supposed to have my 4 th dose this past Tuesday, but my GI nixed it. He wanted to double the dose, because I showed no improvement, then spoke with the Rheumy and the Hematologist and they all decided not to give it due to my reaction. I had benadryl prior to the infusion every time, and my reaction started within about 5-10 min after the remi began. I am now going to consult with a 2nd opinion Rheumy locally (my GI recommended it) and if need be, I will go to Boston where my sister lives. I would have picked Humira from the beginning if I had a choice.
profile picture
JudyK89
Veteran Member
Joined : Dec 2006
Posts : 1986
Posted 9/22/2007 8:24 AM (GMT -7)
Katz31,

I see you mentioned your CD is starting to flare already. How long since your last Remicade infusion? You may want to get the Prometheus test because once you start having reactions to the medication, it means you're probably building antibodies and depending on how many or how high your numbers are, it could mean the medication isn't working at all anymore because your body's fighting it too hard. A sign that your antibodies are high is that your symptoms come back sooner and sooner and you have reactions to the medication. The Prometheus test will tell you what your antibody levels are and based on the numbers will tell you if you should continue the medication (with premeds and slowing it down) or stop taking it altogether.

There are 2 tests. One Prometheus test that shows how much Remicade is still in your system in a certain time frame after your last infusion, and the other (the Prometheus Infliximab HACA) which tells you your antibody levels.
✚ New Topic locked




HealingWell

About Us  |   Advertise  |   Subscribe  |   Privacy & Disclaimer
Connect With Us
FacebookFacebook TwitterTwitter PinterestPinterest LinkedInLinkedIn
© 1997-2021 HealingWell.com LLC All Rights Reserved. Our website is for informational purposes only. HealingWell.com LLC does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.