Infliximab for Ankylosing Spondylitis User Reviews

• Anonymous
• February 21, 2011

"Remicade is the only medicine I have taken in the last 6 years that has given me relief. I was scared to try it, but I have not had any side effects, and the improvement is significant. It kicks in quickly for me (within a day), but it also wears off before my insurance will let me get another dose. Some relief is better than none, though, so no complaints from me. I only hope that I don't build up an immunity to it anytime soon."

• LAU...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• July 4, 2015

"Getting up in the morning and walking around is a lot less challenging since I started Remicade in June 2008. Before Remicade, I'd have to sit down in my tripod stool after just crossing the street due to extreme fatigue. Now I can walk to the grocery and back."

• Cui...
• February 3, 2011

"My first go-around in 2008 was like a miracle. No side effects! After three infusions, I lost my medical coverage. Remicade took away the morning stiffness and the pain so much I was able to do push-ups and squats. If you looked at my stooped forward posture, you would know why that's such a big deal. I eventually started driving the city bus after being denied for Social Security. In September of 2010, after two years of no infusions, my condition worsened and I resigned from my bus driver job due to neck movement restriction. Now back on state medical ACHHS, I'm back on Remicade, just had my second infusion, but this time with a cough that I'm not sure was caused by Remicade, time will tell. Overall, Remicade is as close to a miracle as it can get."

• Pau...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• May 18, 2018

"Remicade works well for me. I'm a 30-year-old female. I have been on Remicade for 3 years. I sometimes have nausea after the infusions for 1-3 days and hot flashes. My iritis and uveitis have both been put in remission since being placed on Remicade!"

• Anonymous
• August 6, 2009

"I have been on Remicade since April after not getting any relief from Enbrel or Humira. The initial relief was wonderful, but the results since then have been very unreliable. I find that the week before my infusion is due, I am in terrible pain all over again. I also have a hard time with the methotrexate, it makes my stomach very upset and wipes me out the day I have to take it."

• Goo...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• August 17, 2020

"I went on Remicade after Humira not working for my Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS). I am 60 years old. I was diagnosed with AS in 2017. I had the symptoms for many years before getting diagnosed correctly. Many women are misdiagnosed with fibromyalgia. I had the Remicade infusions due to Medicare not covering any of the other biologics. I had 4 infusions of the drug. Each time I felt unwell 3-4 days after getting the infusion. After the last infusion, the bottoms of my feet became seriously red, sore, painful, and peeling. The doctor said it was a reaction from the Remicade. Then I started to have eczema on both of my arms and feet. I am still struggling with side effects from this drug. Now I have the AS symptoms along with not feeling well at all. I would not recommend taking this drug. It's a biological med and my elderly body obviously could not handle it. Never would I take this drug again!"

• New...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• May 17, 2020

"After using Remicade for years, I switched to Renflexis because it had better insurance coverage. Renflexis has worked remarkably well for me. The Remicade kept my AS under control, but I would get random temporary swelling in my hands and knees, which is not happening with Renflexis."

• SIa...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 16, 2019

"I have ankylosing spondylitis. I was given Remicade IV infusion three times. It helped a little with the stiffness in my SI joints and lower back. After each infusion, I felt like I had the flu for about four days. After the third infusion, the bottoms of my feet became red with a rash and were burning, painful, and itching. Now, three weeks later, both of the bottoms of my feet are numb. No one can tell me anything except perhaps it's a side effect of getting 'chemotherapy.' I will not take it again!"

• AKM...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• December 24, 2023

"I was placed on Remicade for Ankylosing Spondylitis 23 years ago. It has worked consistently well for me without side effects. Some treatments are more effective than others. I use the infusion rate recommended by the original manufacturer: 10ml/hr for 15 minutes, 20ml/hr for 15 minutes, 40ml/hr for 15 minutes, 80ml/hr for 30 minutes, and then the remaining medication at 250ml/hr. Giving it over 1 hour, at least for me, was not a reasonable plan given the manufacturer recommendations. I am happy to report that now, at 71 years of age, I work full time, and when I have pain, I use Voltaren cream and long-acting Tylenol."

• jcs...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• December 3, 2017

"Symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis started at 17. Was diagnosed at 31. Tested positive for the gene HLA-B27. Diagnosed with Crohn's at 33. Psoriatic arthritis at 50. Have been on Remicade every 6 weeks for 9 years. It is no longer working for me. I am having flares of each disease. Any suggestions?"

• NUR...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• March 21, 2023

"I have advanced ankylosing spondylitis and have been on several meds over the years. I was on Remicade for years until insurance said I had to take Inflectra. I have been on this med for 2-3 months and immediately noticed it was less effective than Remicade, with increased pain all over my body. My sleep has been more interrupted, which affects everything. As I am writing this, I just realized my Inflectra infusion was 4 days ago. The infusion before this I remember talking to my wife about pain and feeling crappy after 6 days post-infusion. I get infused every 6 weeks, and as I read it saves the insurance about $332 per 100 mg of this med. I do not recommend this cheaper med, as you will get what you pay for."

• Ser...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 12, 2023

"I have only gotten one infusion so far, but going in for round 2 tomorrow afternoon. I have noticed a difference. It took about 3 days to kick in, but I have no pain or stiffness. I’ll update my post soon."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 23, 2022

"I have been using this medication for three years, and it has worked very well for me. I have never had a reaction to it, and it keeps my ankylosing spondylitis under good control. I was on methotrexate and Humira before and had a major flare-up."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 13, 2021

"I started my first infusion with Avsola on September 30th, 2021. I have had nothing but side effects since then. I had dizziness, nausea, and a headache the day after, along with heat flashes. Nothing really after that, except on October 10th, I broke out into hives all over my body and had to go to the ER. They gave me a steroid, Pepcid, and sent me home. By the morning, they were gone. On October 12th, I was having a dry cough and some wheezing. I was concerned, so I saw my primary doctor. She ran an EKG, and it was abnormal. Another trip to the ER. The cardiologist reviewed and said there were no concerns, but to follow up in his office for a workup. On October 13th, I was woken up by severe pain in my chest that radiated to my back. I got up, walked around to see if it would go away. It did, but before I got up, I noticed I couldn't move my right arm because my shoulder was in severe pain. My jaw felt like I had been grinding my teeth all night. I could barely close my right hand. So I would not do it."

• Kyl...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• January 9, 2022

"Was diagnosed with AS at age 28. Went from lower back and rib pain every day of my life to the slightest stiffness before my infusion interval of 5 weeks. This drug is a miracle, and I pray it never quits working!"

• Chr...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2021

"After 8 days of my first infusion, I woke up in the middle of the night itching from head to toe with hives all over my head, and both my lips swollen, looking like I had my lips injected. Needless to say, I won’t be taking it again. On a side note, I felt worse after the infusion, like I had the flu, and my hands and feet felt like someone smashed them with a sledgehammer."

• Sil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 30, 2023

"Switched to this because insurance made me. Was supposed to be the same thing, but 5 hours after my infusion, I had burning in my esophagus and throughout my lungs. The left side of my face went numb, and I was extremely dizzy. Then, extreme abdominal pain, which then turned into me screaming in the bathroom with horrible diarrhea. I was on Remicade for 8 years, but that never happened, so I do not think they are the same. I am normally pretty sensitive to medication, so I was surprised that I handled Remicade so well. I was not expecting such a horrible reaction from something that’s supposed to be the same."

• Dou...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• September 9, 2024

"Remicade was very effective at controlling my ankylosing spondylitis pain. After using Remicade for approx. a year, I started having pain in the joints of my fingers. My rheumatologist suggested switching to Simponi, which I did and have been very satisfied with the results."

• Ins...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• February 3, 2022

"I have been on Remicade since January 2017. The last year I have noted the same reliable results, but that I now have horrible dry mouth, which wakes me up several times a night for water. I have also noted the worst fatigue, which finds me dozing off mid-afternoon."

• Joe...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2024

"Amazing medication! I have been in constant pain with AS for about 12 years. My condition is not classed as 'very advanced' yet, however, it is enough to keep me up at night and leave me very stiff and with limited mobility. Although I was told it could be a few weeks before I would feel better, from the very first infusion - that very day, I started to feel a LOT better. At night, for the first time, I actually slept right through and woke up with no pain or stiffness whatsoever. It has been a week now and I feel as good as ever, and my mobility and range of motion has returned. I have not had to take any additional medication or sleep in an upright position, which has been my go-to for over 5 years. I genuinely couldn't be happier, it has made a positive impact on my life. On a side note, it may be unrelated, but the infusion left me feeling very hungry after the session and gave me the munchies for the rest of the day. However, the next day I was back to normal."

• sha...
• Taken for 1 to 6 months
• September 29, 2023

"I've had 2 infusions so far and both times have been extremely exhausted afterwards for several days. Pain and swelling are still present, along with fatigue. This drug works better than the methotrexate-Humira combo that didn't work at all for me. All in all, I'm moderately pleased with the results."

• Anonymous
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• January 25, 2025

"I have ankylosing spondylitis. I started on Remicade about 7 years ago, and it has worked 100 percent. It even worked so well that after still feeling 100 percent 8 weeks later, when I was due for my next infusion, I would cancel my infusion date because I thought I was cured. But around the 10 or 11-week time frame, I was back in pain. But within 1 day of getting my next infusion, I was back to 100 percent. I have been receiving Remicade for 8 years now."

• Ser...
• Taken for 6 months to 1 year
• October 24, 2023

"I've been on Inflectra for about 8 months. It works good. Just took blood work for my condition and inflammatory markers were high, and now I might have to switch to a new medication or take another medication with the Inflectra."

• New...
• July 3, 2013

"Have it every 6 weeks, but after 5 weeks, I get very sore just below my shoulders, sometimes left, sometimes right, sometimes center. I go on Tylenol when I can't take the pain."

• Ale...
• Taken for 10 years or more
• March 29, 2023

"God's gift to arthritics! I’m usually a bit tired for a day or two, but that’s fine as it’s a happy, pain-free tired."