Bev - I was put on Remi back in '01/'02 and it worked great, had about 6 or 7 infusions and then got pregnant so I stopped. Years later I was living in a different town with a different GI when my CD flared really badly. I was put back on Remi and my first infusion was fine. I had a reaction during the second infusion, I went into anaphylactic shock. Obviously we stopped the infusion. I switched GI's again and went on Imuran for a few years. I got worse and was put on Humira, but I never felt like it worked very well for me.
When I told him I wanted to stop the Humira, he asked about the Remi. I told him about the previous reaction at the hospital's infusion lab. It turns out the other GI I had been going to didn't pre-medicate before the Remi. My GI gave me the option of trying it again at a different infusion lab. He also wrote the order to pre-medicate me with hydrocortisone, benadryl, tylenol, and prilosec a half hour before they dose the remicade. They also give the remi to me very slowly and increase the rate slowly to make sure I don't have a reaction. I have had it twice now with no problems. I'm convinced the reaction I had before was because of the carelessness of the infusion lab I went to previously.
I was pretty scared to try it again honestly, but I was in so much pain and the humira was like an expensive joke. Good luck. I hope you find a solution!
