How often are you taking infliximab

[Tango2016]

How you feeling with it? I feel normal for the first 6 weeks (no flares, full of energy) then go down hill for the next 2. I have it every 8 weeks. Anyone else have this?

[Hobbits]

Hi Tango,

I take Remicade. I notice at first it works decent. Then it wore off a week before infusion, then two weeks before. I take it for Crohn’s disease and Rhematoid disease. Now It’s now failing for my RA. even right after a fresh infusion.

It’s still working pretty good for the Crohns but I noticed flares comming back about two weeks before my next infusion.

I am also once every 8 weeks.

I contacted my BioAdvance nurse and she is going to see if I can get the blood test that shows how much drug is in your blood. It will tell them if I need to bump my infusions the every 6 weeks etc.

I am really hoping this is the case because I like this drug. I don’t have any major side effects and really want it to work.

Going to see my Rheumy later this month to discuss options. I pretty much already figured out what they will be. But hoping he has something new I haven’t heard of to ‘boost’ my infusions to better control my RA. I’m not jumping in yo anything. I will hear what he says and digest it before making any decision.

These biologics. Your body can develop antibodies to it. It can figure out the drug and render it useless. This sometimes happens and is the reason it stops working.

The other reason is your dosage is not correct. Some need sooner than 8 weeks.

I would definitely contact your Gastro for a requisition to have your blood tested. They will do it right before your next infusion. I already get my blood tested before each infusion, I thought they were checking the levels, but they are not. That level test has to be ordered separate I’m told and it’s expensive which is why they don’t do it often.

The usually do it once when you first get in the drug.