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Starting Remicade Next week? Fistula Healing?

So i'm supposed to start remicade next week and have been reading around the forum to see everyone's responses.
My GI wants me to start it because i have a fistula and have recently had a blockage that was able to be cleared up by steroids.

I've had this fistula for around 8-10 years now, ever since i was about 12 years old. The thing is most people on here are saying that remicade has not been helping their fistulas. I cant seem to find anyone who has actually had one fixed by it.

Also how long does the remicade infusion take? Around 3 hours?
 

David

Co-Founder
Location
Naples, Florida
Where is your fistula? Is it perianal or somewhere else? If it is perianal, has a seton been placed in it?

I ask because the data for Remicade and fistula are different based upon location.
 
Where is your fistula? Is it perianal or somewhere else? If it is perianal, has a seton been placed in it?

I ask because the data for Remicade and fistula are different based upon location.
Yes it is perianal. I do not yet have a seton.
 
Location
Ontario
I have two perianal fistulas that I have had for a long time. I have had them operated on twice. I started Remicade in January and this is the first time in over seven years that I have seen improvement. Still too early to tell if it's going to heal them.
 
I've have heard the remicade is good for healing fistulas. Unfortunately. I wasn't so lucky since I still developed one after having been on for 4 years and it still possibly hasn't healed and I've been on remicade coming up on 7 years now. I hope it works for you though!
 

PsychoJane

Moderator
I can't speak from personal experience as I have not been on Remicade but I took Humira in the past. My fistula were enterocutanneous and did respond to the treatment for the time I had not built antibodies to it. The medication will likely allow your fistula to "dry". I never had perianal involvement so my actual knowledge is strictly from what I read but I do know that sometimes the anti-tnf are used to actually allow to perform a more, "long term" procedure to maintain a fistula closed such as fibrin glue, a plug or a flap procedure for instance.
 
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