Actemra vs Remicade
 | Actemra |  | Remicade |  |
| This medication is used alone or with other medications to treat moderate to severe rheumatoid arthritis in adults. It is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis in children (such as systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis-SJIA, polyarticular juvenile idopathic arthritis-PJIA). It helps to reduce pain and swelling due to rheumatoid arthritis. Tocilizumab belongs to a class of drugs known as Interleukin-6 (IL-6) blockers. It works by blocking IL-6, a substance made by the body that causes swelling (inflammation). | This medication is used to treat certain types of arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis of the spine, psoriatic arthritis), certain bowel diseases (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis), and a certain severe skin disease (chronic plaque psoriasis). In these conditions, the body's defense system (immune system) attacks healthy tissues. Infliximab works by blocking the actions of a certain natural substance (tumor necrosis factor alpha) in the body. This helps to decrease swelling (inflammation) and weaken your immune system, thereby slowing or stopping the damage from the disease. | |||
Alternatives
Reviews
| Add Actemra review Diagnosed with RA recently but have been actually living with it for many many years and untreated until my hands were starting to cramp and become disfigured I had to do something and also the fatigue was making me a zombie daily and the pain was overwhelming. Methotraxate made me more ill and coma like, Sulfasalize didn't help at all and gave me rashes, but Actemra has been making me like new after my first dose. I was nervous about taking it because I suffer from alot of severe sinus infections due to my immune system attacking me instead of the real bacteria or viruses but my infections are completely gone now and I am also on Bactrim DS as a co-drug. I have energy like I was 15 and my feet and ankles and hips and neck and elbows and hands and back all affected are so much better and I actually can climb stairs without pain! I hope I can keep from getting any of the other side effects such as high liver enyzemes as I imagine I would be on this drug for awhile .... :) Updating my post of 11/25/13. Did more research and discovered that the unacceptable side effects are not caused by the Arava. They are from the Actemra. 4 weeks from first injection I have severe blistering boils on several places that are taking 3X as long to heal as regular boils. I also have a rash on my face now. These are completely unacceptable side effects for a drug that has done nothing for the pain. I do realize that many RA drugs take ~12 weeks for full effect, but practically zero effect plus the intense pain and the awful side effects = not for me. I will be petitioning my doctor to put me back on Enbrel. It wasn't the best, but it helped enough to get me through the day with pain I could handle. | Add Remicade review I took Remicade from Sept 2003 until Dec 2008 at which time my insurance changed and I wasn't able to continue with it. It may a wonderful difference in my ability to have my life back again. I tried to restart last year but was unable to due to an allergic reaction to my second starter infusion. I would give anything to be able to tak this drug again. I have been on Remicade infusions 1 every 4 weeks for 2 years. It seems to be effecting my memory. Would like to know if others are experiencing memory problems as well | |||
