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After my infusions, I am usually very tired for about 2 days. Sometimes I notice that I'm also hungrier than usual. Hopefully, your joint pain will start to improve soon! After my first infusion, I felt better after only a few days, and much better after a few weeks.

Quick background: I'm American but I'm currently living in Sweden (my DH is Swedish). I've been on Remicade (and 6MP) since I got sick, over 3 years now. I have been doing great, no flares (knock on wood). I've sometimes gone a little over 8 weeks between treatments, but never more than 9 weeks...

I started both 6MP and Remicade at the same time, right when I got sick. I felt a small improvement (mostly with my fistula) within days after my first infusion. I felt significantly better after a few weeks. I hope Remicade works for you, it has truly been a miracle drug for me (knock on wood)

If you have Crohn's, all NSAIDs, including Voltaren and aspirin, are a huge no-no, no matter where the Crohn's is. I would ask your GI what he/she says about Voltaren gel before using that, too. I'm sorry you're in pain, and I hope you find something that works for you.

On AZA/6MP, there is a risk for low WBCs, which is very dangerous. It's a rare side effect, but it does happen. If she gets unexplainably sick, with a high fever, you need to go to the hospital so they can check her white count. Next time you see her doctor, ask him/her to talk to you about when...

When you read about side effects, they list ALL the side effects that have EVER happened in anyone. Most people do just fine, and if you do experience side effects, talk to your doctor. Sometimes there's something you can do to help the symptoms, and sometimes you have to find another drug...

Yeah, no NSAIDs if you have IBD. Never ever. Not even with a PPI (like lanzoprazole) - that protects your stomach lining but not the rest of your body. I understand that if you haven't been diagnosed, they might not want to sentence you to a lifetime without NSAIDs yet. But if you think you...

Yep, like others have said, the MRI will let them see your entire small intestine, not just the terminal ileum which is the highest a colonoscopy goes. They are probably going to look to see if you have any inflammation elsewhere. I had one, and the stuff I had to drink was pretty nasty, to be...

Fecal calprotectin is a sign of inflammation, which can be due to IBD or other causes of inflammation (like infection, for example). 900 is high, yes. It definitely indicates inflammation but, like I said, the inflammation doesn't necessarily have to be caused by IBD. In patients with an...

None of the IBD drugs should cause a stricture to worsen. I hope you get some relief soon.

I started 6MP and Remicade at the same time. After 2-ish months, my liver enzymes were slightly elevated for a few weeks. We watched them, and also decreased my 6MP dose (although we were going to do that anyway), and everything normalized after a few weeks, and it's been fine ever since.

I've been on Remicade and 6MP for 2 1/2 years. I am exposed to tons of germs and nasty stuff all the time since I work in a hospital. I am diligent about hand-washing and using hand sanitizer. I don't think I have gotten sick more frequently since I started my meds, although I have noticed that...

Unfortunately, you need a colonoscopy for diagnosis. CTs and MRIs can often detect inflammation, but intestinal inflammation can be caused by lots of things. To get a definitive diagnosis, you need a colonoscopy with biopsies. No respectable doctor will start treatment after just a CT scan. I...

Yeah, blood from high up in the GI tract looks dark/black. Usually your stool is black. Good luck, I hope you get some answers soon.

I get diarrhea if I don't sleep enough or if I have a weird sleep schedule (working a night shift, jet lag, etc). I try really hard to keep my sleep schedule as regular as possible, it makes a huge difference for me. I wish I knew a trick to sleep better, though! I am a really light sleeper. I...

Definitely talk to your GI, but it's generally fine for most of pregnancy. I had a miscarriage last year, but when I was pregnant, my GI told me that I should stay on Remicade up until around the 3rd trimester. I was also told that it is generally OK for breastfeeding. But definitely talk to...

The xylocaine should help with the pain, but it won't really help with the healing. I had Botox injected into my fissures, which helped greatly with the healing. I also used nitroglycerin cream. Those things, in combination with getting my dx and starting treatment (6mp and Remicade) healed the...

When I had 3 fissures, xylocaine was the only thing that kept me from dying from pain when pooping. It was a lifesaver. After I got diagnosed but before they were totally healed, I also used nitroglycerin cream which I think helped too. And they injected Botox into the fissures which helped a...

I had a perianal fistula when I was diagnosed. I had symptoms for about 7 months before I got my dx, and the fistula showed up after about 5 months. I also had fissures and an abscess, along with diarrhea and erythema nodosum.

I am not pregnant, but have discussed this issue with my GI as I hope to have kids someday. I am currently doing well but had a perianal fistula and 3 fissures, as well as an abscess, when I got diagnosed. My GI feels very strongly that I should have a c-section, and actually said that if anyone...