Question
I am a 36 yr old female w/Still’s Disease, diagnosed 1995 at the University of Kentucky. I have had several flares in my lifetime and been on different meds each time. I am currently on Prednisone, having terrible side-effects, and my white count is getting higher along w/my sed rate and C2 reactive protein level. My doc thinks that we should consider Remicade as a course of treatment. I have found two studies on this, both with encouraging results, but was told by a different doc a few years ago that Remicade was not known to help Still’s. Can you tell me about this and what I might expect? In the past, Prednisone, Plaquenil, various NSAIDs and Methotrexate have been used for my treatment, with varying results.
Answer
There have been studies using the TNF inhibitors, Enbrel and Remicade, in patients with Still’s Disease who have had poor success with traditional treatments. However, neither drug has received FDA approval for this indication.
