The Benefits and Dangers of Using Remicade…

The Mayo Clinic just released a really interesting article on the benefits and dangers of using TNF-alpha inhibitors - for Crohn’s patients, the most common is Remicade (with Humira looking for approval soon). Remicade has been showing some great promise for patients who just do not respond to other Crohn’s Disease treatment.

However, Remicade is a STRONG drug and can have various other side-effects, some life-threatening as the Mayo Clinic article explains…

Here is how TNF-alpha inhibitors work…

As part of the immune response, your body naturally produces the protein TNF-alpha to mobilize your white blood cells to fight infections and other invaders. This response temporarily causes inflammation in the affected area. Normally your body would then get rid of the TNF-alpha. But if you have rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn’s disease, your body doesn’t remove the TNF-alpha. This causes more and more white blood cells to travel to the affected area. As TNF-alpha continues to build up, it causes excessive inflammation, leading to pain and tissue damage.

TNF-alpha inhibitors block the action of TNF-alpha in your body. By preventing the effects of TNF-alpha, these drugs reduce inflammation and other signs and symptoms you may have.

If you want more information on the potential risks of using these drugs, please read the article entirely…