Remicade and Crohn's
in [Colitis]
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From: Mike G on 24 Oct 2005 19:21 I have had Crohn's for 20 years and my Dr. has been trying to get me on Remicade for the last 5 years but I got pregnant twice and so he never was able to do it. I have my first infusion scheduled for Thursday morning and I am concerned about the possible side effects of it. My disease is pretty much in remission (thanks to Imuran)and now I just get periodic blockages which I treat with prednisone. I am tired of going on and off the Prednisone and it's side effects. I also have a small fistula. Overall I am in pretty good health. Can anyone tell me about their experiences with Remicade? I am also concerned about the cost. My company just switched insurances so I am back to square one with deductibles (luckily they give us until 1/1/07 for your deductibles to turn over. ) Also, I used to stop in to this newsgroup fairly regularly about 5 years ago and it's nice to see some of the reguars are still here. Thanks to 2 job changes I now have time to stop back in. Thanks for your help, Mickey
From: Jeff and Mary on 24 Oct 2005 23:05 well micky, i have been on remicade for over 3 years. i have not had any real side effects, but i also am on an immunomodulator (mtx). i have cd and pg. i feel tired afterwards. if you watch your bp during infusion, you will see it drop off some, but this is normal. i didn't find it to act quite as quickly as their study suggests but it is working well for me. i know about costs and co-pays. i have a max out of pocket each year of $3,000 and i chew that up by mid year. we make sacrofices so that i can do this, there is no doubt about it. if i didn't have insurance, i would not be able to take it at all. i get infusions every 12 weeks and the charges are about $7,000 each. good luck with your's. jeff "Mike G" <mgoony(a)one.net> wrote in message news:11lqqvodrntm749(a)corp.supernews.com... > I have had Crohn's for 20 years and my Dr. has been trying to get me on > Remicade for the last 5 years but I got pregnant twice and so he never > was able to do it. I have my first infusion scheduled for Thursday > morning and I am concerned about the possible side effects of it. My > disease is pretty much in remission (thanks to Imuran)and now I just get > periodic blockages which I treat with prednisone. I am tired of going on > and off the Prednisone and it's side effects. I also have a small > fistula. Overall I am in pretty good health. > > Can anyone tell me about their experiences with Remicade? I am also > concerned about the cost. My company just switched insurances so I am > back to square one with deductibles (luckily they give us until 1/1/07 > for your deductibles to turn over. ) > > Also, I used to stop in to this newsgroup fairly regularly about 5 years > ago and it's nice to see some of the reguars are still here. Thanks to > 2 job changes I now have time to stop back in. > > Thanks for your help, > > Mickey
From: Rob on 25 Oct 2005 01:12 I was on it for about 6 months, and it seemed to be working, but then I developed an anaphalactic allergic reaction while I was getting an infusion so that was that. A year ago I had surgery, and I've been doing well since, but recently I've been experiencing more pain and everything that goes with that. I use Budesonide mostly, which does the same thing as prednisone without the side effects. Rob "Jeff and Mary" <the5berks(a)advnet.net> wrote in message news:63e77$435da1c2$45274686$29631(a)123.NET... > well micky, > > i have been on remicade for over 3 years. i have not had any real side > effects, but i also am on an immunomodulator (mtx). i have cd and pg. i > feel tired afterwards. if you watch your bp during infusion, you will see > it drop off some, but this is normal. i didn't find it to act quite as > quickly as their study suggests but it is working well for me. i know > about > costs and co-pays. i have a max out of pocket each year of $3,000 and i > chew that up by mid year. we make sacrofices so that i can do this, there > is no doubt about it. if i didn't have insurance, i would not be able to > take it at all. i get infusions every 12 weeks and the charges are about > $7,000 each. good luck with your's. > jeff > "Mike G" <mgoony(a)one.net> wrote in message > news:11lqqvodrntm749(a)corp.supernews.com... >> I have had Crohn's for 20 years and my Dr. has been trying to get me on >> Remicade for the last 5 years but I got pregnant twice and so he never >> was able to do it. I have my first infusion scheduled for Thursday >> morning and I am concerned about the possible side effects of it. My >> disease is pretty much in remission (thanks to Imuran)and now I just get >> periodic blockages which I treat with prednisone. I am tired of going on >> and off the Prednisone and it's side effects. I also have a small >> fistula. Overall I am in pretty good health. >> >> Can anyone tell me about their experiences with Remicade? I am also >> concerned about the cost. My company just switched insurances so I am >> back to square one with deductibles (luckily they give us until 1/1/07 >> for your deductibles to turn over. ) >> >> Also, I used to stop in to this newsgroup fairly regularly about 5 years >> ago and it's nice to see some of the reguars are still here. Thanks to >> 2 job changes I now have time to stop back in. >> >> Thanks for your help, >> >> Mickey > >
From: Mickey on 25 Oct 2005 15:28 Jeff, Thanks for your reply. How sick were you beforehand? Roughly how long did it take to begin working? Do you know of the long-term reactions to this drug? I am really confused about this, I know my Dr. wants me on it but I am concerned about the long-term effects of the medicine. Although I know that most drugs we are on have some sort of risk of being on them long-term but for some reason this one makes me nervous. I have done a little research on th internet and come with the risk of lymphoma and TB. What is pg? Thanks for your help, Mmickey Jeff and Mary wrote: > well micky, > > i have been on remicade for over 3 years. i have not had any real side > effects, but i also am on an immunomodulator (mtx). i have cd and pg. i > feel tired afterwards. if you watch your bp during infusion, you will see > it drop off some, but this is normal. i didn't find it to act quite as > quickly as their study suggests but it is working well for me. i know about > costs and co-pays. i have a max out of pocket each year of $3,000 and i > chew that up by mid year. we make sacrofices so that i can do this, there > is no doubt about it. if i didn't have insurance, i would not be able to > take it at all. i get infusions every 12 weeks and the charges are about > $7,000 each. good luck with your's. > jeff > "Mike G" <mgoony(a)one.net> wrote in message > news:11lqqvodrntm749(a)corp.supernews.com... > > I have had Crohn's for 20 years and my Dr. has been trying to get me on > > Remicade for the last 5 years but I got pregnant twice and so he never > > was able to do it. I have my first infusion scheduled for Thursday > > morning and I am concerned about the possible side effects of it. My > > disease is pretty much in remission (thanks to Imuran)and now I just get > > periodic blockages which I treat with prednisone. I am tired of going on > > and off the Prednisone and it's side effects. I also have a small > > fistula. Overall I am in pretty good health. > > > > Can anyone tell me about their experiences with Remicade? I am also > > concerned about the cost. My company just switched insurances so I am > > back to square one with deductibles (luckily they give us until 1/1/07 > > for your deductibles to turn over. ) > > > > Also, I used to stop in to this newsgroup fairly regularly about 5 years > > ago and it's nice to see some of the reguars are still here. Thanks to > > 2 job changes I now have time to stop back in. > > > > Thanks for your help, > > > > Mickey
From: jitow on 25 Oct 2005 15:31
Mickey: For whatever its worth, I have had crohns since 1987, with it becoming severe/disabling in 99. When my disease became severe, and I was in between surgeries, I was given the Remicade "regimen". Unfortunately for me, it did not work. Mine is of the type that not much, in the way of meds seem to help. Currently I am on CellCept, Pentasa, and a tapering pred dose. I can say that I have noticed some positive changes, with the addition of Cellcept to my meds. Now if this will continue when I taper comppletely off the pred is to be seen. However, the Remicade, did absolutely nothing for me. Hope you find what works for you. Best wishes! |