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...

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Remicade and interstital cystitis

anacortes
anacortes
Does anyone out there have Ra and Intersitital cysitits? I do and I started the first remicade last week and in two days it flared up my ic so bad. I have read that baldder infection is a problem on remicade and intersitital cysitits is not an infection but it is inflamation of the baldder very painful.
I am so afirad the remicade is causing this anyone else out there have any experience with this?
deleted_user
deleted_user
I did have IC long time ago...i think it was around 96,97, before enbrel came out.....and i just started Remicade, havent had IC in ages

wonder if it was a hormonal thing with me, i had a lot of bladder infections, some went and caused kidney stones, infections.
The IC i remember felt like it was a bladder infection, but a good gynie diagnosed me, with IC..

I rmember i took that anti=spasm pilll, Pyridium?
and i have read, that a bad case of fibro will cause isssues with all this..
anyone, post menopausal now, but i did do hormone repalcement, Prempro...wondering if that might have helped everything
but i feel for ya, because i know how maddening it feels

good luck
CharlieBaxter
CharlieBaxter
Not sure where you are getting the info on bladder infections, I can't find any info on that. Remicade is given for IBS and IC so since it is an anti inflamatory drug not sure how that fits in. You have to remember you just started, it takes time for it to work. I don't think Remicade is the problem, but what do I know. Charlie
anacortes
anacortes
the paper my dr gave me said that the most common side effects from Remicade are sinus and bladder infections, it says that on their site too along with upper respitory stuff whcic sinus are.
I just talked to my urlogist he called and said Yes any new med will flare it up but he was surprised since remicade is an immune suppresandt, they give mtx for IC now and when I was on enbrel it made it go away. I am willing to give it some time and will have the second iv, BUT i am not willing to take remicade to help my joints and have to live with the pain from the IC, it is way more than just having to go ot the bathroom 25 times a day the Pain is unbearable, way way more painful then my RA, so I hope I can make it work, I am hopefull that hte remicade will calm down my achillies tendon pain that has been going on for over a year and no one can figure it out, but we will see. THe dr told me by the third inf usion I should feel a little better, but like I said i did feel better for two days so we will see how it goes, thanks for your input!