Remicade tomorrow

Don't worry for me the remi took awhile so if i were you I would give it awhile I went on it in july 2009 and while it helped with my symptoms I was going about 4-6 times a day still but I had a scope in March 2010 and it showed that my colon wasn't healing. I still had severe uc throughout my whole colon. My doc wanted me to go off it but I said it is helping me and she said we can't have you on the med if it isn't healing your colon because you could get colon cancer. I said give me six more months. I just had a scope last week and it came back that me left side is completely healed and that my right side has mild ulcers and inflammation. So it is working. I still go about 4-6times a day some days 2 times it depends on what I eat. I also get tylenol and hydrocrodisone before my infusion because I get chest pain, it is heart burn so I take prilosec, and I get a little bit of a rash so I take zyrtex, my first infusion I got chest pain(which we figured out was heartburn from the remi), I run slow because of it. They don't go past 65, most go 150. I'm there from 9-3 every eight weeks. They upped my dose to 7.5 in august 2010. Most people are out of there in two hours. Good luck, I hope it works for you it has given me my life back.

Remicade worked for me immediately!
I was so excited to get that first infusion that I cried a little. I still tear up thinking about it!
I just knew it was a turning point for me, after a long, long time of dealing with UC.

Think positive! Good luck!

when i started it the next two days i was worse, but my GI said that does sometimes happen, but then i started wtih some improvement, and by about 5 or 6 weeks into it was great. It didn't last for me though.

That is great!!!!!! I hope this works for you.

Good Morning!!

So glad you took your first dose! I too, am relatively new to Remicade. I had my 3 loading doses in Nov. and Dec. 2010. I noticed a big difference for a few days after my first infusion, then not really any after my 2nd and 3rd. I have developed really high fever, 103 some nights, that just goes up during the late night, and early morning hours. I have had blood work, urinalysis, x-rays, and nothing shows up. They say I am very healthy, so I am assuming this is a delayed side effect of the Remicade. I have noticed a lessening of symptoms since the fever started (I have run it every night for almost 2 weeks) but I feel pretty rotten.

I am encouraged by what I read, that it takes some longer to see effects. I will keep on it for now, and hope for the best.

Has anyone else had this high, unexplainable fever?

Hope all have a wonderful day!

Fondly,

Daffodil

Yes, it took about six months until I was down to about 4 per day. You might try some rectal meds to get you over the hump.

1 week post-Remicade. Whooo-hooo! Feeling great! Down to 3-4 BMs (last two days), no bleeding, mostly FORMED stool, and only a bit of gas/mucous. Before Remicade, I was going 12-18x per day, all D, and bloody. I was exhausted and just feeling awful.

I am doing my happy dance, and hoping that this continues to work for a very long time.

Thanks to all those who offered their support.

wow, sounds like you've already healed a ton. wonderful to hear.

Okay, so after all the fantastic stuff earlier this week, I seem to be getting symptomatic again!!!!! Is that normal?

I am scheduled to get my next infusion on Wed (at 16 days, instead of 14 days since the first one).

I kind of thought that the good results would last longer??? Will the second infusion help again?

Feeling SOOOOO frustrated! As usual, just when I think things are better, they take a down turn. Seems to happen all the time with this stupid disease.

Sorry, just need to vent!

Those are the same symptoms - tired, D, bit of blood and more frequency.

I was taking a probiotic for a long time, but I never found it did much good. Maybe I should go back to it. I only stopped taking it about a week ago....

Thanks, it is reassuring to know that this is the norm. Fingers crossed that things improve again after the 2nd dose.

Thanks all.

I have wondered lately about how much rest we need to allow our bodies to heal. After two days of lots of rest and tons of sleep, my symptoms are much, much better.

I noticed over the past few months that when I did my regular exercise routine and classes, that I was exhausted for at least 2 days afterward, and my symptoms would become exacerbated. So, since I had been feeling so well after the remi infusion, I decided to go ahead and shovel all the snow that had fallen. It was a pretty good workout. But, low and behold, I was exhausted for 2 days and my symptoms became worse. Coincidence?

Anyway, interesting to ponder. I am going to put up a new post about this. I am curious.

Things are better at the moment. Not as good as the beginning of last week, but much better than Friday. Just have to hold on until my infusion on Wednesday, and hopefully things will get better again.

Off since Dec. 9/10