I am starting Remicade Thursday and I am not looking forward.

[TexasCoach]

I hate taking anything they give me be it Lialda, Imuran, pred and now they trying to give me this infusion that has not been clarified for long term use side effects. :eek2::eek2::eek2:

I have a 1 inch stricture, I told them I wanted to have surgery again. :ybatty::ybatty::batty:

 

[Clash]

My son was on remicade for 2 years. He went straight to remicade after dx. It was his miracle drug and gave him back his QOL. Unfortunately, after 2 years there was some simmering disease and it was progressing so we have moved on from remicade. He will soon have a colonoscopy and possibly MRE to determine if surgery is warranted. He has stricturing at is ileocecal valve.

 

[zilla7777]

I'm in the same position as you, I'm going to be starting remicade soon too, but I'll be doing it after a resection and strictureplasty. It definitely is freaky to be put on these drugs, and I have thought about it for a long time.

In the end, I thought; Do I really want to give this opportunity up to keep as much bowel as possible until we find better treatments? If illness is affecting you severely, then I feel like going on the same path is almost certainly going to end worse than Remicade.

Untreated Crohn's has a bowel cancer risk, Remicade has a Non-Hodgekins Lymphoma risk. The only difference for me is that with remicade I at least have a chance of feeling better.

Regardless though, ideally I'd love to take nothing for it and everything to be fine. We all would.

Have you voiced your concerns with your specialist? If you strongly oppose a treatment, more often than not they will present you alternatives.

 

[Daisy123]

TexasCoach

Have you tried dilation for the stricture? I understand about surgery but don't have it just because you don't want to be on Remicade as you might end up on it after surgery. Statistics show that Remicade after surgery increases your chances of staying in remission substantially. That is my action plan if I need further surgery.