How many are on IV infusions? How does that work?
I am on Remicade infusions Juliahh . I was a couple of years ago also until my insurance stopped paying. Basically you go to the hospital or Drs office , then the nurse will take vital signs on you give you 50mg of Benadryl and 2 tylenol. The nurse will then start an I.V. on you and run a little bit of normal saline and then run the meds ( Remicade in my case ) . The process takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours to complete . My last one lasted about 5 hours but I had a reaction that we had to contend with. My reaction was caused from not enough benadryl ( they only gave me 25mg via I.V. ) and they had the Remicade flowing too fast. Both of which I knew having taken it before but of course they didn't believe me at the time.
Remicade is started on one day then you will have an appointment approx 2 weeks later for another infusion, then every 6 ( usually) weeks thereafter. They will titer to your body weight and how the Remicade does for you . I am on 600mg Remicade every 4 weeks at this time.Usually they start new patients on 400mg.
Hope this helps, if not ask away or P.M. me
Dear Santa, how was it that you ended up on infusions? What other treatments had you tried? Been so many Juliahh it would take me and my 2 typing fingers half a day to type it up. Enough to make Remicade and Enbrel my only options left and my Rhuemmy felt Remicade was my best shot , pun intended