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Crohn's Disease Remission Induction With Infliximab: the Hungarian Experience

The safety and efficacy of using infliximab to induce remission of Crohn's disease has been confirmed by a report from Hungary.

The 11-center study, published in the open-access online journal BMC Gastroenterology, involved 183 women and 180 men with Crohn's disease: specifically, 114 patients with therapy-refractory disease, 195 with fistulas, 16 with both therapy-refractive Crohn's and fistulas, and 26 patients with steroid-dependent disease. Their mean age was 33.5 years; their mean duration of disease was 6.7 years.

The definition of "response to treatment" depended on whether patients had fistulae, therapy-refractory, or steroid-dependent disease, but overall, after receiving infliximab infusions (5 mg/kg) at weeks 0, 2 and 6, the response rate was 86.2% (313 of 363 patients), according to Dr. Pal Miheller from Semmelweiss University, Budapest, and colleagues.

The overall remission rate was 46%.

Co-administration of immunosuppressant therapy and shorter disease duration were both associated with significantly improved response and remission rates.

Dr. Miheller and colleagues point out that initially, due to financial considerations in their country, infliximab could be used only to induce remission, and only at the 11 centers that provided data for this report.

"Currently infliximab is available for maintenance therapy as well," they added.

BMC Gastroenterol 2009;9:66.
 
This is good to hear. I start mine next week in combination with an immunosuppressant. I'm hoping to start feeling a lot better.

-JD
 
I hope it works for you. I'm PRETTY SURE you don't have to be Hungarian... :ysmile:

SOOOOO "Portland / Seattle". That puts you, where, around Napavine, Chehalis, Centralia.... maybe?
 
Does anyone know if you can start Remicade again after already taking it? I was wondering if anyone tried Remicade to have it not work then go back to it and have it work?
 
I am currently trying this method of treatment, going for second infusion on the March 26. I'm also taking MTX and Arava. I am already beginning to see symptoms greatly improving, as well as an overall "better" feeling...I'm really hopeful this can work!
 
David in Seattle said:
SOOOOO "Portland / Seattle". That puts you, where, around Napavine, Chehalis, Centralia.... maybe?
Centralia :roflanim:

I was born/grew up and currently am in Portland living with my parents (I'm 20) until I get this disease under control.

I am a sophomore at UW so that is where the Seattle part comes from. I am not currently there though because I had to drop out mid-quarter because of hospital visits/inability to go to school etc. Definitely missing it and planning on returning when in remission.

-JD
 
Rose City said:
Centralia :roflanim:

I was born/grew up and currently am in Portland living with my parents (I'm 20) until I get this disease under control.

I am a sophomore at UW so that is where the Seattle part comes from. I am not currently there though because I had to drop out mid-quarter because of hospital visits/inability to go to school etc. Definitely missing it and planning on returning when in remission.

-JD
Portland is a beautiful city, as is Seattle.

I'm sorry to hear this is happening to you. It can be hard enough being 20, you don't need this. I 1st got "fibromyalgia" around that age, and I know the negative impact it had on my life, coming at such an important developmental time, and yours is an even greater challenge. If you have a supportive family, it can make all the difference. Anyway, I sure hope the Hungarian Approach works for you!

If not, maybe some chicken paprikash, works miracles... (my grandmother was from Budapest) :ysmile: :ysmile:
 

My Butt Hurts

Squeals-a-lot!
theend2 said:
Does anyone know if you can start Remicade again after already taking it? I was wondering if anyone tried Remicade to have it not work then go back to it and have it work?
I don't know for sure, but have heard that you can go back on it as long as you haven't built up antibodies to it.
I believe there is a test to tell if this has happened.
 
Well can I tell you my wife went blind in one eye ( Retro bulba neuritis )dont know if its spelt right .Then the damn neurologist had the cheek to write a report stating it was not the infliximab because 0.7 % had any side effects with eyes.My friend consultant neurologist radiographer stated to me dont touch it again and so did the gastroentarologist,so you see
Mind you this was just the start of the grief she has endured
 
David in Seattle said:
I personally always thought the Magyars did dessert better than the main course.

Like Dobos Torte.



My mom makes that. She made a huge one for my wedding. I love their desserts. Not too sweet, made with good stuff like cream and butter.
 
Lydia said:
My mom makes that. She made a huge one for my wedding. I love their desserts. Not too sweet, made with good stuff like cream and butter.
My mother used to make it too, from a recipe from my grandmother. She always had trouble scoring the hard caramel top without cracking it, but it tasted great anyway, all those layers & the chocolate butter cream icing. My grandmother would mail us baked stuff, she lived in Chicago & we were in central Ohio, another favorite was poppy seed roll.



Another thing she sent that must have been more of a peasant thing were these semi-hard biscuits, my dad always said she made them with leaf lard (so you know they were wickedly satisfying). She called it Pogacha or Pogachals, but they weren't like the basic bread I've seen elsewhere with a similar name.
 
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