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Uh oh..

Location
London
My doctor said last time i saw him if azathioprine does not work we will have to try infliximab..

and i've just read the wiki entry about all the risks ascosicated with it and after reading that i'd rather not even consider infliximab.. especially the bit about young males who were on aza getting a lethal form of cancer..

Now im worried. :(
 

PsychoJane

Moderator
Hello Blue,
It's always quite stressful to look at the potential side-effects when it comes to "choosing" a treatment. You have to keep in mind that these risks are still low (even though we all wish they were non-existent). I also want to add, even though you might not like to read it, that the specific cancer they refer too (Hepatosplenic T-Cell Lymphoma or HSTCL) have also been reported for AZA user. In a 2010 report of the FDA, there was 20 cases reported for users of infliximab (18 had used 6-MP or AZA too) and 12 were reported for AZA users. Those are not only for 2010, they are cumulative so it's not a lot of cases for the number of users that have been taking these drugs through time.

All in all, it's not frequent. It's always important to weight risks/benefits ratio specific to your overall condition. Would their be a possibility for a surgery if your disease is concentrated in a specific area of your digestive track? Would you rather try methotrexate on its own? Some have found some relief with it only even though it's generally used concomitantly with Humira/Remicade?
 
We get these topic on a regular basis. People all being scared of the side effect from these treatments. It's a good thing to be informed. However you have to go through all of the details.

I just shooting out numbers here for an example. Normal people have a 2 in 100000 chance of getting cancer. Remicade users have 4 in 100000 so yeah it is higher probabilities but in retrospect the chances are so low that if you do get it it's probably because you were going to get it anyway. As for me I prefer to live these years free of pain and maybe get it later on. SO all this to say that if you really are in pain and you need relief this is a good option all things considered.
 
I've been on 6mp and remicade at the same time, which has the same risks. It has worked wonders and im so glad i decided to do the treatments. the internet freaks people out (including me) with outlandish stories. i really had to step away from that and just consult with my doctor. good luck to you!
 
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