i honestly don't know, cuz i don't take infusions.  however, i think i'd ask
my doctor about what occurred, before i took the next one.

(((((((((((((((diane))))))))))))))  it sure didn't sound like a comfortable
experience for you, at all.  and your bp was scary, to me anyway.

kate
(hoping THAT doesn't happen again!)

well, i've been getting remicade for 5 (?) years now, with no problem
at all. today, the nurse had just started the drip when i felt a
burning, tingling sensation that spread through my arms, across my
chest, and into my face and head. i also felt sort of dissociative,
like everyone was talking but i wasn't really there. does this sound
like anyone else's negative reaction? anyhow, i told the nurse, who
stopped the drip and said she didn't think it could be the remicade
because i probably hadn't had more than a drop of it by then. i admit i
was feeling a bit panicky as the sensation started and maybe i "thought
my way" into the rest of it? but i don't think so. (it felt like when
you get the contrast dye with a cat scan, for those of you who can
relate to that sensation). my bp, normally low, had skyrocketed to
180/115.

anyhow, she then gave me some IV benadryl (this office only uses a
dissolvable alavert tablet for antihistamine). once i felt better, she
slowly ran the drip and i was fine, except i began getting a raging
headache, which i still have despite tylenol. (it's better tho). since
i've never had a headache with remicade, i DO think my reaction was
really a reaction and that's part of it.

for those of you who've had reactions, did the same thing happen the
next time? i was ready to leave the office without it, but i'm glad i
stuck it out. i need my remi!

diane

I have been on remicade for 5 or so years. I almost always start to
develop a migraine either during the infusion or shortly after.
Luckily, I tend to get visual disturbances and a little dissociative
(more than usual) before the headache pain begins. I just let the
nurse know and she brings me an Imitrex and slows the drip. The
Imitrex has always worked within about 20 minutes so they speed the
drip up again.

One time I did experience the burning, tingling stuff.  My pulse
jumped to an alarmingly fast rate and my bp went way up. I was
light-headed and short of breath. The doctor just happened to be in
the room and listened to my heart and lungs and said that all was okay
in there. One of the nurses decided that I needed to have my blood
sugar checked, but that was okay. I had this same kind of stuff a few
weeks prior while I was at the store and I thought I was having some
kind of stroke but the sensation passed in a few minutes and I felt
fine.  I've not had the same kind of thing happen since. All the lab
work came back okay, so it's likely that it was just a coincidental
occurrence.

BD

scary!  Maybe the BP rise was alarm over this bizarre sensation but the
rest... well, maybe she hit a nerve when she inserted the needle?  And the
headache *might* be from all of the body's reactions to the panic.  Such
panic is certainly understandable, knowing how severe a reaction to Remicade
can be.

I wouldn't normally try to explain it away, but with the nurse saying you
couldn't have gotten more than a drop, something else might be at work.  I
hope you aren't reacting to the med.

Have you ever had headaches from benadryl before?  I'm totally non-functional
on even low doses of it and an IV dose could really hit me hard.

My last RD medicates with 25 mg Benadryl tablet and two Tylenol before
starting the drip. He started that after some of his long time Remicade
patitents both had reactions in the same day. When we moved across
country, this RD does the same thing.
Maybe you should take in your own Benadryl and Tylenol for the next time
but I would also call you RD.
Slow drip which does take longer is better than not having the Remicade.
at least that is my opinion.
Duckie