Rheumatoid Arthritis Support Group
Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, inflammatory, multisystem, autoimmune disorder. It is a disabling and painful condition which can lead to substantial loss of mobility due to pain and joint destruction. The disease is also systemic in that it often also affects many extra-articular tissues throughout the body including the skin, blood vessels, heart, lungs, and...
I know that hives is a known allergic reaction to remicade, but am wondering if anyone else experienced an outbreak post-infusion.
I broke out in hives about 2-3 hours after my treatment on friday - I'm managing them with benadryl and creams I have (and checked with my pharmacist who said that as long as they aren't getting worse I didn't need to panic, just let me dr know Monday).
Saturday morning I woke and most of the hives were gone but I've had several more outbreaks since then - it isn't constant, the benadryl helps along with coldish showers and anti itch creams but I'm wondering when the heck they are going to stop. At this point am considering making an appt with my PCP for first thing in the morning to see what he can give me to make the itching stop.
Any thoughts?
Tort
I broke out in hives about 2-3 hours after my treatment on friday - I'm managing them with benadryl and creams I have (and checked with my pharmacist who said that as long as they aren't getting worse I didn't need to panic, just let me dr know Monday).
Saturday morning I woke and most of the hives were gone but I've had several more outbreaks since then - it isn't constant, the benadryl helps along with coldish showers and anti itch creams but I'm wondering when the heck they are going to stop. At this point am considering making an appt with my PCP for first thing in the morning to see what he can give me to make the itching stop.
Any thoughts?
Tort
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My 6mo twin DD's are EBF and just started rice cereal on the first. Everything has been going fine except this morning one of them had a diaper rash (lots of redness around her anus). I read this as one of the signs of an allergy. BUT I did just buy a different brand diaper yesterday (which they have used randomly before w/no issues). Do you think its the cereal or the diaper? Im ready to start...
sorry this is happening to you
I had a post-infusion case of hives, and serendipitously discovered the blood count issues. A second incident (no hives, but high fever) confrimed that Remicade was causing the reaction.
Hopefully your reaction is far more benign, but be safe and ask for the test.
@karla - thanks for the heads up re: blood count - and was considering taking some prednisone but I'd rather hold off until the dr sees it.
I was worried I was breaking out in hives or something then stripped down naked in the bathroom mirror only to discover an ant crawling around stinging me! I had been outside.
How long you been on remicade? Was that your first infusion?
Hope you feel better soon!!! Let us know what the doc says.
Hugs,
Missy
Rheumy has emailed to say that we must now stop remicade and move on to something else, most likely Orencia.
@Texaschic - it was my third infusion - first two I only had a headache and small fever - this is the first time with hives
Thanks guys!
Tort
Did you have a CBC, and if you did, what were the results?
I'm curious.
I was not able to get in with my PCP until tomorrow late afternoon so opted for the urgent care clinic that is connected to the school district (where I work), so basically just got the pred shot and taper. I also emailed with my rheumy but didn't mention it (and she didn't either) I go see her in a couple of weeks and we always do a full blood panel then. Any insight into things I'd need to look out for should I be having a blood count issue in the meantime?
Watch for fever and/or infection. If you did actually have bone marrow suppression from the Remicade, then you would not be producing the white cells necessary to fight infection. This is a rare reaction to Remicade (also other ant-TNF drugs), so chances are you're fine.
Good luck with your rash and itching, and hopefully this is just an anomaly.
Thanks - will keep an eye out - I tend to be easily susceptible to hives (but not usually unrelenting hives) and do get it as a reaction to other meds (sulfa specifically), so am hoping it's just "another thing I'm allergic to" and not a big deal