Infliximab User Reviews & Ratings (Page 4)

• Ser...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 9, 2016

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "My 14-year-old had her first Remicade infusion 10 days ago. After 8 days, she had severe serum sickness. Her fever shot up to 106, and her blood pressure was really low. She spent 24 hours in the PICU. It was very scary. Needless to say, she won't be able to take it again. We are hoping there will be no lasting effects, but only time will tell. Her symptoms of serum sickness were: fever, chills, severe joint pain, hives all over, swollen hands, red eyes, and dry mouth."

• d37...
• September 30, 2011

For Ulcerative Colitis "The medicine works great. I've been on it for almost 2 years. The only thing is I'm getting a lot of the side effects. The one thing that is very bad is the itching on my arms that has lasted a long time. No medicine has helped, so if anyone has any ideas on how to stop the itching, please give me ideas. The only good thing about this medicine is that it's helping my ulcerative colitis."

• Eai...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 10, 2016

For Ulcerative Colitis "When my daughter was 13, she had a sudden and severe onset of UC. She was hospitalized for 2 weeks (had constant pain, couldn't eat, and was going to the bathroom 15-20 times a day). She was given IV steroids/medications with no improvement of symptoms. The day after receiving Remicade, her pain was gone, and she wanted to eat. She went into complete remission and has had no symptoms for the last 4 years. She does Remicade infusions every 10 weeks. It has been her wonder drug! But my other daughter was diagnosed with Crohn's a year later at 11. Her onset was slower, and she was put on various medications first. Remicade worked for her for several months but then became less effective, even with increasing dose and frequency, so she was switched to Humira."

• sha...
• May 9, 2009

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I am 24, and I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease a year and a half ago now. I've been receiving this infusion for the past 12 months. The relief was brilliant, bar constantly catching coughs, colds, and flus, but it was worth it as I could lead a normal life again. My infusions were every 8 weeks and could take anything up to 4 hours, but my remission time between infusions began to steadily decrease. I have now had my 9th infusion and receive them every 5 weeks. My body has grown an immunity to the drug, and my doctor is changing me onto Humira as a last resort to avoid surgery. Hope this helps somebody."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• July 23, 2020

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "My adult daughters both have Crohn's disease and are on Inflectra, and both now have fistulas, which should never have happened while on infusion therapy. My oldest daughter was feeling great on Remicade, but to save money, her insurance company made her change to Inflectra."

• Ant...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• June 21, 2023

For Crohn's Disease "Inflectra helped me manage my Crohn’s after prednisone. Soon after starting, I developed an anal fistula. I continued my treatment, then I noticed a pimple on my nose that wouldn’t go away. Since these symptoms weren’t a huge deal, I continued my treatment, waiting on a dermatologist to check for skin cancer. Throughout treatment, I noticed my hair thinning. I thought nothing of it until it stopped growing back. I’ve also developed alopecia areata during treatment with Pfizer’s Inflectra. I wanted to give this medication 2 or 3 out of 10 because it worked at first, but I don’t think a few years of no symptoms is worth what I’m going through now. I would appreciate it if we stop re-creating bio-similar meds to save money for insurance companies and higher profits for big pharma."

• Eli...
• May 7, 2017

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "I was diagnosed with systemic sarcoidosis. After a year and a half of trying different medications with no relief, I started Remicade. The first two infusions got rid of the flu-like symptoms and the horrible aching pain throughout my body. The third infusion got rid of the same symptoms, except I do feel knee and back pain still due to damage done to those areas from arthritis. I felt the back and knee pain after the first two infusions too. I didn't realize how sick I was until I felt better. The last time I didn't feel like I had the flu all the time was 32 years ago! I thank God for Remicade! It's a miracle drug. I have absolutely zero side effects too! I give it a 20 on a scale of 1 to 10!"

• Ken...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• July 18, 2018

For Crohn's Disease "I went on this medicine in 2003 because of disease in my ileum. I was diagnosed with Crohn's the year before, and nothing had worked - Asacol, prednisone, Imuran. Then Remicade was a LIFESAVER! I actually could live my life like a normal person again! I had a hard time scheduling my infusions because I was in college, so my advice would be to get it as close to your due date (7 weeks, 8 weeks, etc.) as you can so you can get ahead of the flare. I've noticed that if I get my Remicade late, I feel pretty terrible until my next dose. I've never gotten sick or had an allergic reaction from it, and I've been on it for 15 years. It's not working as well as it once did, so I'm hoping I can change to a shot so I don't have to sit through an infusion. If you're considering going on Remicade, I highly recommend it. It helped me live a semi-normal life. However, I did develop psoriasis about 10 years ago. I'd happily take psoriasis if it means I can be on Remicade. Best of luck!"

• Lin...
• July 3, 2020

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I have been on this medication for 14 years now and maintained remission without any meds. I also had 2 healthy babies while on Remicade. I was diagnosed with CD of my ilium at 20 years old. I had been on Pentasa and then Imuran. Imuran worked okay, but it hurt my stomach, and I never felt truly 'good.' I was put on Remicade after my last blockage in 2006, and I have been in true remission ever since with Remicade alone. I am a little tired after my infusion for a day, but then I feel totally normal. My two kids had no side effects from using during pregnancy. They are now 6 and 3. I had 2 c-sections with no complications. The only thing it affected was that my kids couldn't get the Rotavirus vaccine because it was a live vaccine. (No live vaccines until 6 months for Remicade babies.) That vaccine is new and not critical. Remicade has a payment assistance program, and they help with co-pays, regardless of income."

• Cui...
• February 3, 2011

For Ankylosing Spondylitis "My first go-around in 2008 was like a miracle. No side effects! After three infusions, I lost my medical coverage. Remicade took away the morning stiffness and the pain so much I was able to do push-ups and squats. If you looked at my stooped forward posture, you would know why that's such a big deal. I eventually started driving the city bus after being denied for Social Security. In September of 2010, after two years of no infusions, my condition worsened and I resigned from my bus driver job due to neck movement restriction. Now back on state medical ACHHS, I'm back on Remicade, just had my second infusion, but this time with a cough that I'm not sure was caused by Remicade, time will tell. Overall, Remicade is as close to a miracle as it can get."

• Par...
• August 1, 2020

For Crohn's Disease "I have been living with Crohn’s for 20 years. I was in remission with Remicade for 7 years, but after I started having flare-ups, I switched to Humira, which didn’t work for me. I ended up with an ostomy. About a couple of months ago, I started getting a skin rash, and blood work showed signs of active Crohn's. I asked my doctor to try Remicade again, but my doctor recommended an alternative, Inflectra. I got the first injection 2 weeks ago. My blood pressure dropped to the point I couldn’t drive home. I was very tired the next day, but felt okay after that. A couple of nights ago, I had to go to the ER. Severe joint pain, sore throat, swelling in my face and hands, and fever. In the matter of 3 hours, I was in so much pain I couldn’t move. Worst experience ever. For insurance companies, it costs way less than Remicade, but I am not putting myself at risk and getting the second injection."

• Rox...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• February 21, 2024

For Crohn's Disease "Have been on Remicade for 24 years, was relieved of all Crohn's symptoms after the first infusion after having Crohn's for 40 years. Never needed surgery, also never had side effects except for a mild headache and chills after the first few infusions. I find Remicade to be a great medicine for those that tolerate it, some people it doesn’t work on, which I find unusual, but everyone is different and I am one of those people that can’t tolerate many meds due to reactions. Remicade has had a good effect on my disease. I take 400 mg every 8 weeks."

• bgi...
• February 25, 2016

For Ulcerative Colitis "I've been getting Remicade infusions for about 15 years. It is the ONLY drug that helped me. I'd been in remission for the past 5 years. Last infusion, my insurance wouldn't pay the hospital. After back-and-forth communications from doctor, hospital, and insurance companies... Medicare... Blue Cross/Blue Shield... Tricare... doctor decreased my max dosage to 1/2 dose. Now I'm having a flare. It's a wonderful drug, but the cost is exorbitant... especially for old people like me. Sure was good while the Remicade ride was working. Good luck, all."

• Nex...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• July 28, 2022

For Ulcerative Colitis "I swear they created this drug just to get rid of the sick people. It isn't working, and the only answer the doctor gives me is, 'it should be.' I have wounds on my body that won't heal. I swear this drug is bad for me. I am constantly sick. Because I have ulcerative colitis, any symptom I have is just related to that according to doctors. I will likely die from this drug. I just feel it. How is a drug with so many side effects even approved? We will just shut your immune system down, even though you will likely die from something this medication caused way faster than your health issue would have. But hey, we made a lot of money. Hope you enjoyed your experience on Earth."

• 53C...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• January 19, 2017

For Ulcerative Colitis "After losing a substantial amount of weight and blood, in the hospital for a week, two transfusions. Diagnosed as pan colitis / ulcerative colitis. 60 mg prednisone and the bleeding stopped at day 5. I returned home and was pressured by my GI to accept Remicade. I was skeptical but sold myself on the fact of the huge numbers of folks it helps. After two successful infusions, I was set up for my third, of which I experienced an allergic reaction in this order: itchy palms, itchy feet, itchy everywhere, needed bowel movement, almost fainting, fever, chills, and tightening of throat. Once home, extreme right leg pain, hand joint pain, loss of hair. (Serum sickness) now on balsalazide, cautious diet and cannabis nightly & 6 months no issues."

• A-T...
• July 3, 2008

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I am 22 years old and have had Crohn's disease since age 17. I can't take steroids of any type - makes me go crazy. Remicade is the best drug I've been on for my disease. It works great but has some bothering side effects for me, but they are not bad enough to quit getting this medication every 8 weeks at the hospital through I.V. It takes about 2 or 3 hours for the treatment to be over."

• tuc...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• May 4, 2016

For Ulcerative Colitis "Initially helped me for around 1 1/2 years, then began to lose its potency, and the last two treatments had a bad reaction the night of treatment. More important, platelet count went from normal to around 45,000. No longer taking Remicade, and my platelet count is normal now."

• LSJ...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 30, 2020

For Rheumatoid Arthritis "My mother had RA, was prescribed Remicade as an option for her RA. To say the least, we ended up burying her. Shortly after taking Remicade, my mother's health diminished quickly. I do believe the doctor was at fault for suggesting this medicine due to her prior medical conditions. The drug was too strong. Be careful, or you could end up part of a eulogy!"

• JLa...
• August 31, 2010

For Ulcerative Colitis "Have had Ulcerative Colitis for 4 years. 3 years ago, started Remicade at 5 ml per kilo, with only mild help. The only other choice was surgery. Switched doctors who immediately doubled the dose to 10 ml (which I think is the normal dose), so I probably was under-medicated for 2 years. However, the higher dose has not helped much more. Have had almost no side effects. One allergic reaction early on to the infusion. The only minor problem is the skin on my hands and arms seems very thin and very easily bleeds from the slightest scratch. So for me, it has not worked as hoped."

• Pau...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 18, 2018

For Ankylosing Spondylitis "Remicade works well for me. I'm a 30-year-old female. I have been on Remicade for 3 years. I sometimes have nausea after the infusions for 1-3 days and hot flashes. My iritis and uveitis have both been put in remission since being placed on Remicade!"

• Kwi...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• April 13, 2018

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "Six years of Remicade infusions to replace prior intake of prednisone. Must say quite effective, however, about 3 1/2 years into it, got shingles of the eye and subsequent post-herpetic neuralgia (and there's still some itching almost five years later). Then, in August of 2017, got cellulitis in the right arm, a very painful infection requiring a seven-day stay in the hospital on antibiotics, followed by a week-long IV administration at home. Once I was better, I stopped the Remicade, and so long as I am enjoying the remission, I'll never return to it. My GI doc has suggested Entyvio, but I most likely wouldn't even do that. Heck, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! (I don't wish to tamper with my immune system and bring about more disasters!)."

• WCW...
• April 12, 2020

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I am now 80 years old and was diagnosed with Crohn's about 3 years ago. Late in life, I know, but was misdiagnosed with IBS and put on mesalamine, which only made me lose my appetite, lost so much energy that I could not walk 10 feet. Went to a teaching hospital and was quickly suspected and diagnosed with Crohn's. Shortly afterwards, I was put on Remicade. Total remission, regained strength and bowel control within a week and appetite. At first on 8 weeks but noted a tendency to some flare tendency toward the end, so I was put on 6 weeks. Have had no problems and lead a 'normal' life with my wife, children, and grandchildren now! Make sure I follow my doctor's advice, including all vaccinations he recommends. He does full blood work before every infusion. He is very quick to respond to any contacts or questions I make with him."

• Gut...
• June 15, 2013

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "After resisting having read American Black Box warnings, I was finally persuaded through my consultant's actual experience with the medicine - that and having 6 operations, colostomy, and the disease still beating me. I was exhausted and unable to walk or do anything other than essential basic necessities - if that. I have had three infusions of Remicade so far along with steroids for peri-anal fistula, Crohn's, at two-week intervals, and I have some shade of a life back. Immediately after the medicine, I am very tired. I have headaches that last for about four days at a time, paracetamol doesn't touch them. I get bad cramps in my legs, especially at night, and occasional mild flare-ups, BUT NOTHING like before. Stress plays a factor in starting my flare-ups."

• PEN...
• April 25, 2009

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I was diagnosed with Crohn's disease ten years ago. I had a flare-up six months ago. I had a small bowel resection two months ago. So far, I have had five transfusions. At first, I felt a little faint and scared. Now, it feels fine. I feel great and am in remission. I supplement my Remicade transfusions with 50 mg Imuran and a B-12 shot monthly. I am very happy. I hope the good times last."

• Edn...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• May 2, 2015

For Crohn's Disease, Maintenance "I have received Remicade infusions to treat Crohn's. Felt bad right after the first infusion but was convinced by my physician to continue. I have also received Prolia by injection to treat osteoporosis. I decided to stop the Remicade after 3 infusions as I could feel no benefit and had felt very ill throughout. 6 months later, I was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer - this is in spite of having annual mammograms. I can't help but think the Remicade is linked to the eruption and rapid spread of my cancer. Beware!"