Remicade and Sepsis

[ThePear]

So I've been on remicade for a couple years now and it's really been a miracle for me but I came across some stuff online that says it CAUSES sepsis. Can this be true. Could the drug itself cause sepsis? I was never told about sepsis being a side effect. That's deadly! Any experts here know anything? Since patty duke died of sepsis recently and I've heard of young healthy people dying from it or having organs/limbs removed because of it I'm kind bad freaking out here!

 

[DJW]

Hi,
I've never heard or read anything about sepsis. I'd suggest calling the pharmacist today to get an expert's opinion.

 

[Lisa]

Sepsis is caused by infection....Remicade doesn't cause infection therefore can't cause sepsis.

What may happen is if you do get an infection, the infection may proceed quicker or be worse than normal, which MAY eventually lead to sepsis if not treated.

 

[Bufford]

Remicade suppresses the immune system which can increase the body's susceptibility to infections. Side effects listed include infections, which is why its important to be monitored while on this medication. I had to go off of Remicade due to side effects that could have escalated into serious infections. I have been off of it for 3 months but the rashes have not yet subsided, and the under the colostomy bag has been hard to contain.

 

[Scipio]

It's very unlikely that Patty Duke's case applies to you. Her sepsis happened because she suffered a ruptured intestine. Such a rupture would flood the interior of the abdomen with the trillions of bacteria that normally live in the gut, resulting in an overwhelming and deadly infection. So she would likely have died no matter how strong or weak her immune system was.

Now remicade suppresses the immune system and potentially increases the risk of infections in a general way, but it does not increase your risk of suffering a catastrophic rupture as Patty Duke did. And, as many of the Crohn's sufferers on this board can tell you, the risk of infection or other complications from remicade is far lower than the risks to your health from uncontrolled Crohn's. That's why it is used for Crohn's in the first place.

Serious diseases require strong medicine. So keep doing what your GI prescribes to control your Crohn's, plus adopt a healthy lifestyle (vaccinations, diet, sleep, exercise, etc.) to minimize the chances of getting any infections that could turn ugly on you. With any luck you will continue to successfully manage your Crohn's for many years to come.