Okay to eat Lettuce, Go in a lake??

[onedayatatime]

Hi - my son has been on Remicade almost a year and he has been in remission since the beginning of his treatment with this medication. I am wondering if any of you on this limit the bagged lettuce you eat, deli lunch meat (I have read so much about listeria I am almost in a panic.)

How about going in lakes/rivers/creeks - any limitations here? He told me I'm too concerned about getting a bacterial infection but when I hear news stories or read articles it totally sends me in a tail spin. I know he is correct - he needs to keep living his life with as few limitations as possible.

I'm just looking to hear what types of things you might refrain from or be careful with. True life stories help me gauge how nutty I'm becoming.

thanks for any input you can share!

 

[SarahAnne]

oneday ~ I have been on Remicade for over a year now, and had been on it previously as well. I occasionally eat deli meat but I'm not a huge fan, and my body simply cannot tolerate lettuce so I don't eat it, bagged or otherwise.

I just recently spent a (rainy) weekend at my husband's family's lake house, and it was so much fun!! I have been canoeing and swimming in lakes, creeks, springs and the beach since March. I really wouldn't worry too much. I am just very careful to take care of myself, no open cuts or wounds that infection could travel into. I did have a cyst that abcessed recently, went to the doctor and got put on antibiotics quickly as a precaution against infection since I am on the Remicade. Taking the drug has not made a negative difference in my life. I've not noticed any side effects and I don't live my life any differently than before except that I am aware that I could be more susceptible to an infection. I'm just a little more careful, that's all.

Hope this helps, and I'm so glad to hear that the Remicade has helped him toward remission!

 

[Jennifer]

This is the only thing I saw about what to avoid while on Remicade:
"Do not receive a "live" vaccine while using Remicade. The vaccine may not work as well during this time, and may not fully protect you from disease. Live vaccines include measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), oral polio, rotavirus, smallpox, typhoid, yellow fever, varicella (chickenpox), H1N1 influenza, and nasal flu vaccine.

Make sure your child is current on all vaccines before he or she starts treatment with Remicade." http://www.drugs.com/remicade.html

I never noticed a difference between bagged or fresh lettuce as they both give me diarrhea. If he can handle that ruffage then more power to him!

As for lunch meat, never had a problem with it other than being a picky eater and deciding to look at my lunch meat and start picking everything out that looks like yuck. Often times whole chickens are on sale for pretty cheap so what you could do is bake a whole chicken the night before and cut out the breasts then slice them thinly in the morning (I usually add a little salt and pepper along with the usual mayo and a little mustard).

As for creeks, rivers and lakes, unless its known to be contaminated, then you should be ok along with a high SPF sunscreen (80+). I've only heard very rare cases where there was an issue and those were from like 3rd world countries (or at a day spa getting a pedicure where they don't clean their filters, eeew!). There are creeks and lakes around here and even when San Luis Obispo had their creek labled "contaminated" I still saw oodles of people in there with me (kids-teens mainly).

 

[EthanPSU]

I was on remicade for about a year and I knew all the risks, how it lowers your immune systems and such but I didn't even think of that. I just went on and did everything fun I possibly could. Why worry about something that might happen when you can just do it and have fun and live life to the fullest with the disease. Especially since he is in remission it's a great time to get out and do everything you can, because if a flare comes there will be little time to enjoy the normal things.

 

[onedayatatime]

Thank you for the replies - feeling much better. I think I have gone off the deep end with precautions. He tolerates all leafy vegetables without any problem. He has never had D - only blockage due to the stricture.

Crabby - he attends Cal Poly (my husband I both went there too!) He loves it down there!

I appreciate the feedback and will now pull myself back into reality! He needs to enjoy life and not feel like I am always "reminding" him how he "might" get sick.

On a happier note we participated on the Sacramento Take Steps CCFA Walk and our team raised $18,000 - not too bad for our first year!