Infliximab is a licensed medication for severe Crohn's disease. It is used to treat Crohn's disease in patients who have not been helped by other medicines and also in patients who have a type of Crohn's disease in which fistulas form. Infliximab is an immunosuppressive medication, which means that it reduces the activity in the body's immune system. Infliximab is given as a shot in a vein (intravenous, or IV). Infliximab is given two weeks after the first infusion, a further infusion is given fours weeks after the second. It is then given once every eight weeks It is available with a prescription under the brand name Remicade. Other brand or generic formulations may also be available.[1] Infliximab targets a substance in the body known as TNF alpha the short form for tumour necrosis factor. TNF alpha causes inflammation and Infliximad helps to stop it. ). Infliximab is indicated for the treatment of severe active Crohn's disease or fistulising Crohn's. Infliximab is not the treatment of first choice for rheumatoid arthritis; it is tried when all else seems to be failing..
So What is TNF and how does Inliximab stop TNF?
TNF is a cell protein that acts as a "chemical messenger" causing inflammation and tissue damage. Its involved in various inflammatory conditions of which crohn's diseases is one of them. It is also found in the inflamed joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis. TNF alpha is involved in producing inflammation. It controls the activity of other inflammatory chemicals. As a protein it attaches to the joint surface and causes inflammation and joint damage. Infliximab blocks the action of TNF and helps reduce the symptoms and slow and reduce the symptoms in Crohn's disease.
Infliximab of itself is a protein originally produced in mice. When a protein from an animal (or from another person or the environment) enters a person's body, the body's immune system will generally recognize this protein as being foreign and an allergic reaction may result.
Infliximab is considered a "biologic" medication, which means that it is under different rules and laws than most other medications. As a result, generic infliximab is not available and cannot be produced until these laws and rules are changed. Women of child-bearing age must use contraception while on infliximab. Do not take infliximab if you are thinking of becoming pregnant in the near future or if you are not using contraception. Women of childbearing age must use contraception while on Infliximab. Do not take Infliximab if you are thinking of becoming pregnant in the near future or if you are not using contraception.
Infliximab is not a cure for Crohn's disease. Infliximab is administered through intravenous infusion. The infusion takes 2-3 hours yet the effects can last for weeks, and improvements in psoriasis can be seen for months with regular infusions.
HUMIRA: Crohn's Disease Medication Humira is anther medication for crohn's disease. Humira is the brand name for the drug Adalimumab. It functions just like infliximab by preventing TNF alpha from causing inflammation. - in this way it is related to infliximab . It is known for reducing signs and symptoms,as well as maintaining clinical remission in adult patients who have moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and people who have had inadequate response to conventional therapies.
Humira is also given to patients if they have lost response or are intolerant to infliximab. HUMIRA is administered as a single subcutaneous injection every other week. It is the first self-administered biologic for the treatment of Crohn's disease. Humira is different than other medicines in that it is given to a patient via an injection (shot) in your stomach or thigh and is not swallowed. This can initially be done in your doctor's office, and then you or your carer will learn how to give the shots at home. .. The drug product is supplied as either a single-use, prefilled pen (HUMIRA Pen) or as a single-dose, 1 mL prefilled glass syringe
In one study, up to 58 percent of those taking Humira showed significant improvement in their Crohn's disease symptoms , compared to just 34 percent of those not taking Humira.
Side Effects Of Infliximab and Humira
As with all medications, there are always side effects. In this case both drugs are working on the immune system to reduce the effects of inflammation. In so doing some patients have been exposed to infections due to a weakened immune system. Patients with infections of any kind are advised not to take any of these medications even skin infections. Some patients using infliximab have been exposed to the infection of TB.
Patients who have taken both medication for many years are prone to have liver problem. The liver damage can be so severe that it sometimes require a long term medical treatment and/ or liver transplant. A lady once had a liver problem as a result the drug therapy. The good news is that it extended her life another 25 years and sadly the same drugs took their toll on her liver. The fact that she got to raise her daughter in those 25 years was a blessing to her and all who knew her.
TNF-blocking agents, including HUMIRA, have been associated with reactivation of hepatitis B (HBV) in patients who are chronic carriers of this virus. Therefore before taking humira, it is patients should be evaluated and monitored prior to and during treatment. Some cases have been fatal. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis, especially more serious ones may have a higher chance for getting a kind of cancer called lymphoma. Also some patients receiving HUMIRA have developed types of cancer called non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer of the skin), which are generally not life threatening if treated.
Patients taking higher doses of Humira appear to have a higher risk of side effects, the most serious side effects include infections and the development of lymphoma.
Aloe Vera Supplements When compared to Humira and Infliximad, aloe vera has not side effects whatsoever on the body. Since its nature own medication, without chemicals, more and more people are taking aloe vera supplements to help manage their crohn's disease. If you are already taking any of the above medication or any anti inflammatory medication,it is advisable that you consult your doctor before taking any aloevera supplement.
In a recent study done on the effect of aloe vera on people with Crohn's disease. 54 patients participated. Half of them took aloe vera and the other half took a placebo. 81 with similar reaction. 50 of patients treated with aloe vera said they had huge improvements on the areas they where effected, while only 7 of aloe vera patients where gone as compared to 4 aloe vera.
In summary, infliximad and humira are both well known medications for managing Crohn's disease. Both are immunosuppressives, suppressing your immune system so as to reduce inflammatory sysmptoms. Though they do work, however each comes with some side effects. Taking aloe vera supplements can help you improve crohn's disease without any side effects. They are natures medication and are cheaper.
Crohn's disease is one of the toughest gastrointestinal (GI)diseases for healthcare providers to diagnose. The reason for this is because it is like a Trojan horse, hiding away while mimicking so many other GI conditions. So of course it is often tough to tell exactly what you are dealing with... mimics others and yet can still manage to make your life miserable!
Symptoms absolutely vary from person to person and there are no strict guidelines for physicians to follow that definitively point to a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. Therein lies the challenge.
While there is no one test that your doctor can perform that will conclusively identify Crohn's, it does not mean that your concerns should be blown of. Rather it means that your physician may simply have to look a little harder and differentiate a little more selectively when trying to get to the true source of your pain.
As your physician tries to determine if you do have Crohn's or not, one of the easiest medical exams to help on the journey is a stool sample. This sample can help your doctor to determine if your bowel upset is caused by an infection or by inflammation.
In the case of Crohn's disease, inflammation of the G.I. tract presents itself as if there is an infection but there is no infection present. So you can see by obtaining a simple stool sample several possibilities can easily be ruled out.
Your health care provider may also select to do a group of standardized blood tests such as a complete blood count to check for signs of infection and anemia related to blood loss, a colonoscopy, a barium enema, a flexible sigmoidoscopy, a small bowel x-ray study, a capsule endoscopy, or even a CT scan of the abdomen.
A complete blood count can not only tell if are anemic or not, but it can also tell if you have an infection or not. Remember an infection typically points away from the diagnosis of Crohn's.
So don't give your doctor a hard time if she is struggling a bit to figure out what is going on with you. Getting this diagnosis right, isn't easy. It is a bit like a big puzzle that has to be put together one piece at a time.
Other symptoms of Crohn's may include bloody diarrhea and even rectal bleeding. Here's where the CBC can tell the real story. With excessive blood loss your blood work may show signs of anemia. So detective doc, just got one more piece of the mystery fitting into place. If your lab work shows indications of anemia, then when combined with your other symptoms it is quite possible that a diagnosis of Crohn's disease is in your future.
While a colonoscopy is no one's idea of a good time, this procedure, typically performed by a gastroenterologist, can give your physician a more definitive reason to believe that you have Crohn's disease. During this exam, your doctor will insert a flexible lighted tube with an attached camera through your rectum and into your colon to check for any evidence of Crohn's disease.
Of course, just as with all medical procedures, a colonoscopy has its risks. Obviously with this procedure two of the most common risks are G.I. bleeding and perforation of the colon wall, both of which can be extremely serious complications.
Here's the bad news though. Since Crohn's disease might only be evident in the small intestine and not rear its ugly head in the colon, well then a colonoscopy would be totally ineffective in diagnosing Crohn's disease. So, pity, all that uncomfortable exam for nothing definite!
When diagnosing Crohn's, your doctor may decide to take a look inside your colon by ordering a flexible sigmoidoscopy. With this exam, after a stringent bowel prep, your physician will insert a flexible scope through your rectum to take a look at the last two feet of your colon. Again, a visual look can tell the whole story if the those last two feet of colon show signs of Crohn's disease. Just like the colonoscopy, the flexible sigmoidoscopy has its limitations too. If the disease is up higher than the last two feet of the colon, then this exam is not going to catch it.
Well, it should be pretty clear by now that trying to definitely figure out if Crohn's disease is the culprit or not, is a bit like trying to discover the eye of the needle in a big ole haystack. So don't get irritated and rush your physician! Give 'em a chance to thoroughly figure it out before rushing to judgment.
Yes, Crohn's disease is tough to diagnose primarily because it acts so much like many of the other GI conditions. While it may take time to get to the correct diagnosis it is not something that you should take lightly and you should be honest and work closely with your physician in order to get an answer for the symptoms you are experiencing.
Both Amaechi Ekufu & Tammy Foster are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Amaechi Ekufu has sinced written about articles on various topics from Crohns Disease, Skin Problems and Acid Reflux. For more related articles and images on Crohns disease visit www.crohnsdiseasecause.com . Amaechi is a student of biomedcine . He has written extensively and researched on the. Amaechi Ekufu's top article generates over 60500 views. to your Favourites.
Tammy Foster has sinced written about articles on various topics from Health, Alternative Medicine and Digital Camera. For more important information on visit a-stomach-pain.com There's information on stomach pain causes such as. Tammy Foster's top article generates over 22200 views. to your Favourites.