how are you finding it? I am a little concerned about some of the possible side effects, in particular the one with abdominal problems and having to take antacids, as I take lansoprazole twice a day.
View 19 RepliesAfter 8 months only on pain killers and a visit to yet another rheumy (who happens to be a head of the department and a boss of the last two that I saw... Sorry, semi vegan diet. Ha. Not funny... plus, he lost my medical records from the past visits...) I am switching to Enbrel as soon as it's approved. What side effects should I monitor except for the obvious ones? Does anyone apply ice before the injection as with Humira? (does it help?...)
View 22 RepliesI am 71 and have had Rheumatoid since 1988. Had various treatments over the years. I have been on hydroxychloroquine for about 8 years. One tablet a day up until just over a year ago when it flared up and I have been on two since then. Recent blood tests showed my neutrophil levels were just under half of normal. At my check up specialist reduce the dose back to one and asked for another blood test. This one was down to 15% of normal.
Has anyone else had this problem. It is pretty scary and I am under instruction about seeking urgent help in case of infection.
because i stop taking my meds for about a day or so before i smoke weed which isn't often but that most likely isn't very good for me either.
View 1 RepliesIs anyone taking Hydroxychloroquine for PA? I got it on prescription from my rheumatologist yesterday. Reading a few forums,and user reviews of insomnia,nightmares,stomach upsets rashes,to name just a few of the side effects. Is the treatment worth it for all the side effects?
View 2 RepliesI am on my second week of Enbrel injections and my second week of taking Celebrex, I have been on MTX for the past 3 months. So now that I am taking 3 different medications I seem to be having some new side effects. Mostly night sweats and I mean drenching night sweats and a moderate sore throat. Feels like half my throat is swollen and it just stays on the edge of moderately sore. Both of these symptoms started about 3 days after my first injection of Enbrel and my first dose of Celebrex.
My question is does anyone have any experience with these side effects and how long until they subsided on these medications?
I am about to start Enbrel. I know it's been about for a while, but could anyone tell me what to look out for. What side effects have people had with it? Does it affect your hair? Do you need to watch what you eat and drink? I have had Psoriatic Arthritis for 7 years now and tried everything! Recently had bad flares with skin and joints, so consultant has suggested I try the biologics. Starting Enbrel next week.
View 3 RepliesPills for RA are not working for me so rheumatologist is suggesting self-injected Humira or Enbrel. I read the side effects and they are scary. Especially it can cause heart failure even if you don't have a bad heart. I'd like to hear from any of you who are on these drugs and your experience with them.
View 2 RepliesI was diagnosed with OA in my lumbar & cervical spine 10+ years ago although it has not caused me any severe problems. I am now in a new state & under the care of a new rheumatologist. She has diagnosed me with Sjogren's & also "probable lupus" (I have many of the symptoms but nothing has shown up in blood tests as of yet.)
Over the past few months my knuckles have gotten bigger so that I cannot put on rings or remove my wedding band. My fingers also swell, & there are some nodules on the knuckles of 2 fingers up near the fingernails. My rheumatologist told me I now have RA.
I have been taking prednisone bursts every now & then to help with my problems. I have also taken it for several weeks at a time, either 10 mg/day or 5 mg/day. Most recently I had been taking 5 mg/day but it was not helping me. I asked at my last appointment about bumping it up to 10 mg/day again, but she is not wanting to do that. I don't know if its just this state I'm living in or what, but every medical professional I see tells me that taking prednisone long term is not good ... yet I know of people elsewhere who have been taking it for many years.
Three weeks ago my rheumatologist asked me to try hydroxychloroquine while I tapered off the prednisone. Not long after I started taking this medication, I noticed I was having ringing in my ears. I really didn't pay much attention to it ... figured it was just some fluke thing. I never had ringing in my ears prior to starting the hydroxychloroquine. As time went on the ringing got worse. I checked the side effect sheet that came with the medication & ringing in the ears was listed as an "unlikely but serious side effect" & it was noted that if this occurred I should "notify my doctor immediately."
I called my dermatologist's office & unfortunately her nurse took the call. This nurse seems to feel that she is a doctor. She has given me incorrect instructions in the past regarding medication. When I told her what was happening, she told me to stop taking the hydroxychloroquine for one week, then to start taking it again ... "just to see that there's nothing else that could be causing the ringing."
If the ringing hadn't been happening prior to me taking the medication, & it stopped immediately after I stopped taking it, then why do I need to start taking the medication again? Again, this ringing is described as an "unlikely but serious side effect." I am concerned that starting to take it again may result in irreparable harm to my hearing.
Am I just being silly/overcautious? Has anyone had this experience or a similar one?
And what would you say your side effects are? And how good is the drug at easing your condition?
For me, and I have been taking it for around 2 years now. My condition has improved greatly. But, my elbows and wrists are still not fully flexible, I was tempted to ask my GP for some 'one off' steroid injections to ease the swelling in some of my joints. But other than that awesome.
I do get tired though quite easily, particularly the morning after the methotrexate intake. Folic acid probably eases the side effects though, which I take the following day.
I've read some of you responses concerning RA & Gabapentin usage. I have been taking Gabapentin since 2000 for various pains throughout my entire body. I have recently been diagnosed with RA, but doctors will not put me on the required meds because I have COPD & Polycythemia which I am continuing to aggravate because of my smoking addiction. For the past month, I have had excruciating pain in my hip that radiates to my lower back and throughout my right buttocks. The pain is so bad, I have had to begin using a cane. I have no insurance. I have increased my dosage of gabapentin (which has been OK'd throughout the years by my DR's) to try and reach a comfort level of reduced pain. I counter the drowsiness by drinking more coffee to get through my workday. I obtain "pain-free" periods with the increased Gabapentin usage, but I also seem overly energetic or "excitable" during those pain free periods. (reminds me how I used to "feel" before the pain began so long ago . .about 15 yrs already). I'm a 55yo man, have many other health issues as well, including deep depression & PTSD. Because of insurance, I'm only purchasing the Gabapentin and have also started using Turmeric to TRY to help with all the other issues. The Turmeric seems to help, so far. Is there any problem you can see with the increased usage of Gabapentin to become "pain-free" and the mood change during those pain free periods? I cannot afford numerous DR visits w/o Insurance and have to earn a paycheck.
View 1 Repliesi have been taking 5mg per day of prednisolone not a high dose but i have been feeling so hot and not to good since taking it also i seem to ache all over i have been tempted now to stop taking them but on such a low dose do i have to be weaned off them i started taking them last september and i i still need to take painkillers for my joints thanks for reading.
View 3 RepliesI've hit a brick wall and had enough. Tired of it all. Just want to sleep but need to look after kids and work. So so tired. Seen consultant today. He was kind but so matter of fact.
View 13 RepliesI'm hoping to start a clinical trial for Enbrel beginning in May (they need me on MTX for 3 months before I can start the trial) and am wondering if anyone that has used it or is on it currently can tell me how they're doing on it?
I woke up this morning with that heavy duty exhausted, malaise feeling that I felt for so many months before being diagnosed last summer. I had to work a mandatory training 40 hours last week, played catch up over the weekend and worked another 8 hours yesterday. I woke up to that heaviness in the chest; not a sick like heavy as in bronchitis or chest cold, but literally like someone was draining my insides out. I am emotional today and that's what happens when I get these episodes.
I've reluctantly started Zoloft (SSRI antidepressant), being encouraged to do so by my GP due to the depression of diagnosis and the possibility I also have fibromyalgia.
(Pain isn't just limited to joints and fatigue is crippling) ie: I've slept 18 hours of the last 24 and still so very tired.
I'm having awful start up side effects which I understand will pass and understand there will be no benefit until 4-8 weeks, if at all.
I've tried Lexapro a while back with no real success.
Has anyone had any improvement at any level with ADs? I really hate mucking around with my brain chemistry.
I take humira and MTX for a mixed Connective tissue disorder. I'm getting on in life (maternally speaking, late 30s) and while I have one child I'd really like another to keep him company. I haven't discussed this with the doctors as it's only really an idea floating around my head at the moment. I know previously pregnancy gave me a temporary remission and for a good few months post pregnancy too but I was undiagnosed at that point and wasn't on these medications.
I'm aware I have to stop the medications for a minimum of six months before trying and this is the bit I'm unsure of. Has anyone else stopped their medications to get pregnant? How did you feel in the months before you were pregnant? Did you have to take steroids? What did you do for pain relief? Any anecdotal information would be helpful. I don't want to commit to something I will never be able to do so I need to find out as much as possible before speaking with my doctors about it as I can't see them being overly enthusiastic.
I wonder whether anyone else has experienced this sharp pain simultaneously in their elbow and rib. Mine is on the right side and the pain is literally at exactly the same time and in my rib it seems to be directly adjacent from my elbow with my arm down by my side. It started two nights ago. I have been in touch with ra nurses but had to just leave a message, yesterday, but nobody has come back to me yet. It really is an odd pain, but really sharp and stops me in my tracks. It will go on for several minutes, breaking off every few seconds, then will go off for a few hours and then start again. Also my upper abdomen seems really distended, I have no idea whether that is connected in any way.
View 1 Repliesi got my first shot for ra in knee today now now 11 hours later my whole body aches so bad except for my knee area is this normal? Was fine all day until tonight now can't sleep pain is unbearable.
View 1 RepliesDue to a bad flare I was prescribed a steroid shot. I need to take some cortisol tests as the anti-tnf which I took might have messed it up. Can I take the shot before the blood/24h-urine test? Or do I need to wait until after the tests as these shots may influence the results? Bad pain, so I don't want to postpone the shot. Bad cortisol, so don't want to alternate the results... The rheumy didn't know. The endocrinologist is out of office... Any info you may have will be most helpful / didn't find anything about this on the net. Except of prednisone impact which is a diff form of steroid.
View 2 RepliesI was diagnosed with RA 5 years ago and have tried many of the drug therapies out there, Methotrexate; Leflunomide, Cimzia, Tocilizumab; Rituximab etc. I have recently been diagnosed by my GP with Fibromyalgia which is excruciatingly painful. Is there anyone out there who has similar conditions to me who could tell me if anything has worked for them. I have been put on Fluoxetine, Tramadol and Pregabalin to try and help with the pain. Any suggestions?
View 12 RepliesSince starting on MTX I've noticed whenever my eyes water the corner of my eyes around the tear ducts burn (feels like acid) and will continue to do so until I flush with water.
View 1 Replies