Help me decide about new regime.

[sickinlk]

im emigrating to Canada in the summer(fingers crossed)
I was with my GI yesterday and asked him to take me of remicade. I didn't want to be on it incase id have trouble getting insurance or passing any medicals and i want to have more kids.
im in remission since I started the remicade so im feeling positive that I can come of it.
i wanted to go off remi and back onto maintenance meds. ie asacol and enemas if needed.
however he said he has never done it and there hasn't been much research on it. he would rather i went on aza incase i needed to go back on the remi. he said there was a high chance of relapse.
he did as i asked anyway and wrote me a script for asacol and agreed for me to stop the remi but to have a think about azathioprine.

am i crazy.
it made sense to me at the time.
ju

 

[Jer]

The way I see it, you build up anti-bodies. By stopping, you it may not work again for you if you flare and try to go back on it.
You're in remission because you're on the remicade.

Typicall, once you get elevated to that class of drug, it's because the first tier (asacol) isn't cutting it anymore......or never did.


IMO, poor choice, if the remicade is working and the sides (if any) are too great for you, then I would def stay on it.

 

[sickinlk]

thanks for the reply.
my case is a bit complicated really.
i had proctitis from dx and never really got it in remission but it never got any worse either. last year i had pancreatitis and the docs were looking into the cause and because i had just started mezavent they thought they could of caused it so i was taken of all the 5asa's oral and rectal.
then is when i got sick. my colitis spread to 50cm very quick and i was going between 15-20 times a day.
so my gi put me on remicade for what he said was to get it under control and was for a short period.
i wonder if things would of stayed as they were if i wasn't taken of the 5asa's and i wonder if they would keep me in remission now if i went back on them
by the way the pancreatitis isn't resolved and its looking like im on the road to chronic pancreatitis. coming of them didn't do jack sh?? to help.
also aza is known to cause pancreatitis attacks.

see why im stumped?
ju

 

[Jer]

I see. Nothing's ever simple, is it. hahaha

Well my friend, whatever you end up doing, I wish you remission for a long, long time.

 

[sickinlk]

thank you.
ju

 

[kh216]

I think you should stay on the Remicade since it is working for you. According to this aaspxrticle, Remicade does not affect male fertility:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/crohns-specialist/biologic-agents-and-fertility.

Also, if you go off the Remicade, most people find that they either have negative side effects or find that the Remicade is not as effective the second time around. There are people in Canada who are insured and are on Remicade. Contact your insurance company if you have questions.

 

[sickinlk]

kh216,
I think you're mistaken, im a woman and remicade is not safe to use during the 1st trimester of pregnancy. im also 33 and want to have more kids in the next few years.
I have to go of it sometime don't I. why not now.
I never intended to stay on it indefinitely.
I know im taking a risk going of it but I intend to stay on it till b4 I go. apparently itll tide me over for a few months.
ju

 

[hawkeye]

Actually, I was at a Crohn's seminar here and I beleive that one of the local GI's stated that it is practice to keep pregnant women on Remicade until the second or third trimester.

If I was on the Remicade and had success, I'd consider staying with it instead of switching to another drug.

 

[kh216]

Here is an article that discusses the safety of Remicade and pregnancy:
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/538036

Remicade is listed as a Category B drug, which means that the drug has been studied and listed as no risk to unborn children. However, azathioprine is listed as a Category D drug, which the FDA classifies as a Positive Evidence of Risk. See this site regarding FDA classification:
http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fdadrugratings.html

 

[sickinlk]

:biggrin::redface::redface:
hey im deleting this post because I know now that what I said isn't true.
it is been proved that it IS safe to use remicade up until the 3rd trimester. ive decided to stay on it and come of it under the care of the Canadian doctors. or not if needs be.
I was told that it wasn't safe for ME to get pregnant because I was so ill and probably not fit enough to carry a pregnancy. I had planned to try for another baby last year but was advised against it.

I asked about breast feeding and not enough research had gone into that and he said that there could be some transfer through the milk.

ju