Remicade overall has been fantastic. I just started early this year so we were ramping up (bolus) and I would feel great and then it would wear off and symptoms would start to return. We are "tweaking" it so we are trying every 5 weeks because at 6 the symptoms return. (we are trying the interval change instead of a dosage change) So it may take awhile to get to the right levels so that it stays consistent.
In terms of the infusion--most of the time it's been a great experience--I have had one nurse who does not do the best job with getting the needle in--(rest are fine, just this one...). Go in well hydrated and if they have trouble, they can put a heating pad on the blood vessel to help it open up--that helps a lot!
I had tylenol, a bag of steroids, a bag of benedryl and then the remicade the first few times to make sure I was not allergic. Now I'm down to the tylenol and oral benedryl and then the bag of remicade. It took FOREVER the first few times because they were giving me more stuff and were slower with the remicade to make sure there was not a reaction--definitely bring something to do--I also love having my ipod to listen to.
Hope it works for you as well as it has for me--despite the need to tweak the times and figure that out, the remicade has given me my life back