Nothing I had tried with my doctor had worked, so now I am starting Remicade infusions. Hindsight is 20/20, I could have saved thousands if I had just started Remicade a couple years ago. I've spent a ton trying different medicines while being covered by poor health insurance and high premiums.
Remicade is pricey too, the 'bag' for the transfusion costs almost $1,000. Fortunately there is a rebate program called Remistart , check it out if you are having trouble keeping up with all these costs like me. They actually send you a Mastercard debit card that they charge up for you so you can pay the transfusion center.
My first transfusion went quite smoothly. The nurse recommended I take Claritin or the cheaper generic alternative Loratadine an hour before coming in. I ended up not getting itchy but that is good to know. There were basically no side effects worth mentioning. What a relief! I've seen some improvement already in my symptoms and it's only been a few days. A nice change from some of the other meds I have tried. I go back in 2 weeks, then 4 weeks after that for my 3rd transfusion. Then ideally I will be in remission!
