Guest guest Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 Judith, my rheumy first put me on methotrexate. When my white blood cell count kept getting lower and lower, he switched me to Arava. It worked very well for me. It did away with my pain and inflammation. I did have one of the rare side effects: it increased my cholesterol. My sed rate and C-reactive protein returned to normal. Unfortunately, the WBC count continued to decline, so he switched me to Enbrel. (My WBC count is still low, by the way, although it's been over a year since he took me off of the Arava. Different meds affect different people differently. It may be that you won't have any side effects. But if you do, you can always try something else. Sue On Monday, August 2, 2004, at 03:12 PM, judith brimsden wrote: > > Today I went for my 6 monthly check up with my rheumatologist and he > has decided to try and improve my RA he is going to prescribe > Leflunomide together with Sulphasalazine. Tomorrow after I have had a > blood test I am also having a steroid injection, which always makes me > feel a whole lot better. He is arranging for the rheumatologist nurse > to stay in touch with me so that I have herto help me if I have any > problems. I am a bit worried about taking it as I had such a bad time > with Metho and wondered how well those of you that are on it get on > with it?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 I have not had any problem with Arava. I have been on it for about 1 year I would guess. I am in " remission " and they are weaning me off of the Arava. I have been on it every other day for about 3 months and will be seeing my rheumy on the 13th of this month. I suspect she is going to reduce me to 2x/wk at that point. I had no problems with my labs while on it and she is cutting back due to my doing so good and I wanted to do the trial of cutting back. So far so good. Good luck to you. Terri [ ] Leflunomide (Arava) > Hi everyone > > Today I went for my 6 monthly check up with my rheumatologist and he has decided to try and improve my RA he is going to prescribe Leflunomide together with Sulphasalazine. Tomorrow after I have had a blood test I am also having a steroid injection, which always makes me feel a whole lot better. He is arranging for the rheumatologist nurse to stay in touch with me so that I have herto help me if I have any problems. I am a bit worried about taking it as I had such a bad time with Metho and wondered how well those of you that are on it get on with it?? > > Judith > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 Hey everyone, the e-mails always make for interesting reading. MY specialist just put me on Leflunomide (Arava) . been on mtx, really bad side effects, took myself off, tried salazopyrin and prednisone and coundn't stomache the salazopyrin and the prednisone just made me put on wieght and skin ta break out, i'm 48. would be interested in comments on arava and peoples expiences using it, and effectiveness versus side effects? thanks sick of being in pain, it's a shit. _________________________________________________________________ Live Search delivers results the way you like it. Try live.com now! http://www.live.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I ve taken both, arava and mtx. they cut mtx off for a while due to an abscess that grew under my arm pit a year ago and recently, they put mtx back. I ve no problem when taking both of the drugs. I guess difefrent ppl will experience different kinda side effects. roger pitcher <smartdog_8@...> wrote: Hey everyone, the e-mails always make for interesting reading. MY specialist just put me on Leflunomide (Arava) . been on mtx, really bad side effects, took myself off, tried salazopyrin and prednisone and coundn't stomache the salazopyrin and the prednisone just made me put on wieght and skin ta break out, i'm 48. would be interested in comments on arava and peoples expiences using it, and effectiveness versus side effects? thanks sick of being in pain, it's a shit. __________________________________________________________Live Search delivers results the way you like it. Try live.com now! http://www.live.com Sucker-punch spam with award-winning protection. Try the free Beta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 I take Arava. It helps some but not as good as Enbrel did for me. I was taking mxt with it but I felt like I had the flu most of the time so my dr switched me to mxt injections and I don't have any stomach problems anymore. Vicki ----- Original Message ----From: roger pitcher <smartdog_8@...>Rheumatoid Arthritis Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2007 3:59:13 AMSubject: Leflunomide (Arava) Hey everyone, the e-mails always make for interesting reading. MY specialist just put me on Leflunomide (Arava) . been on mtx, really bad side effects, took myself off, tried salazopyrin and prednisone and coundn't stomache the salazopyrin and the prednisone just made me put on wieght and skin ta break out, i'm 48. would be interested in comments on arava and peoples expiences using it, and effectiveness versus side effects? thanks sick of being in pain, it's a shit. ____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _________ _Live Search delivers results the way you like it. Try live.com now! http://www.live. com Don't pick lemons. See all the new 2007 cars at Autos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 10, 2007 Report Share Posted May 10, 2007 Dear - I dont know what strengths your prednisone are or MTX was. Reintroduce Prednisone at 1mg for a week and then add 1 mg the next week and so on until you are up to five. Prednisone works on your body's pituitary glands starvation response in high dosages. Eat a low calorie no salt low caffiene diet. This means a lean protien and fruit and veggies. Doctors always love to start a patient on high doses and they gain weight straight away because steriod will hold water and turn EVERYTHING you eat into fat. Try to reduce saturated fat in everything you eat significantly. Do try to mention CYCLOSPORINE to your doctor. I never had a reaction to it and it worked well for about 5 years. It is a soil fungus, yes natural. It is a common organ transplant rejection drug and has been around forever. Since your body is rejecting itself, it works well for RA. It is a TNF binding agent and anti malarial. MTX is a chemotherapy drug. RA white blood cells are abnormal and MTX sees them as cancer cells so it stops them from dividing as fast as they do. I would take one 2.5mg tablet two days in a row. I dont think youll see a problem there. I have been on Arava. It works on the stomach and intestines first and if you gained weight on prednisone, you will lose it on arava. It will flush you out. I am on Remicade, just got back from an infusion, so there is that. When in doubt about a medication and the prescription listen to your body. I am very sensitive to weight gain on prednisone so am very cautious. I take 5mg in am when I really need it and 1 mg at night. The secret to steriod therapy is to give your body enough to burn which prednisone does but nothing more. If you starve prednisone, it will keep you from feeling ravenously hungry as it does on a high dose. Be as active as you can be. I actually eat one meal a day. I have fluids the rest of the time. I allow myself dessert but something low fat. Prednisone will turn every carb into sugar and sugar into fat so while you need some carbohydrate, get low fat breads, very little or no pasta, chips, fries etc. If you listen carefully to your body it will tell you itself. Prednisone cant work on a diabetic low carb diet. One lean protein, one carb, three veggie and two fruit servings per day. Get 1% milk. No fat cream cheese. You get the idea. Get some darvocet for your pain but keep it at a minimum. I always leave myself on the verge of pain so I dont numb myself to doing something to hurt myself. Hope this helps. Hugs, Deborah On 5/10/07, roger pitcher <smartdog_8@...> wrote: Hey everyone, the e-mails always make for interesting reading. MY specialist just put me on Leflunomide (Arava) . been on mtx, really bad side effects, took myself off, tried salazopyrin and prednisone and coundn't stomache the salazopyrin and the prednisone just made me put on wieght and skin ta break out, i'm 48. would be interested in comments on arava and peoples expiences using it, and effectiveness versus side effects? thanks sick of being in pain, it's a shit. __________________________________________________________Live Search delivers results the way you like it. Try live.com now! http://www.live.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 12, 2007 Report Share Posted May 12, 2007 thanks Deborah for advice & info. I try and watch my diet also, but been a bit slack lately. am going to see how i go on Arava. thanks again roger >From: " Deborah Bargad " <dbargad@...> >Reply-Rheumatoid Arthritis >Rheumatoid Arthritis >Subject: Re: Leflunomide (Arava) >Date: Thu, 10 May 2007 19:28:14 -0300 > >Dear - I dont know what strengths your prednisone are or MTX was. >Reintroduce Prednisone at 1mg for a week and then add 1 mg the next week >and >so on until you are up to five. Prednisone works on your body's pituitary >glands starvation response in high dosages. Eat a low calorie no salt low >caffiene diet. This means a lean protien and fruit and veggies. Doctors >always love to start a patient on high doses and they gain weight straight >away because steriod will hold water and turn EVERYTHING you eat into fat. >Try to reduce saturated fat in everything you eat significantly. Do try to >mention CYCLOSPORINE to your doctor. I never had a reaction to it and it >worked well for about 5 years. It is a soil fungus, yes natural. It is a >common organ transplant rejection drug and has been around forever. Since >your body is rejecting itself, it works well for RA. It is a TNF binding >agent and anti malarial. MTX is a chemotherapy drug. RA white blood >cells >are abnormal and MTX sees them as cancer cells so it stops them from >dividing as fast as they do. I would take one 2.5mg tablet two days in a >row. I dont think youll see a problem there. I have been on Arava. It >works on the stomach and intestines first and if you gained weight on >prednisone, you will lose it on arava. It will flush you out. I am on >Remicade, just got back from an infusion, so there is that. When in doubt >about a medication and the prescription listen to your body. I am very >sensitive to weight gain on prednisone so am very cautious. I take 5mg in >am when I really need it and 1 mg at night. The secret to steriod therapy >is to give your body enough to burn which prednisone does but nothing >more. If you starve prednisone, it will keep you from feeling ravenously >hungry as it does on a high dose. Be as active as you can be. I actually >eat one meal a day. I have fluids the rest of the time. I allow myself >dessert but something low fat. Prednisone will turn every carb into sugar >and sugar into fat so while you need some carbohydrate, get low fat breads, >very little or no pasta, chips, fries etc. If you listen carefully to your >body it will tell you itself. Prednisone cant work on a diabetic low carb >diet. One lean protein, one carb, three veggie and two fruit servings per >day. Get 1% milk. No fat cream cheese. You get the idea. Get some >darvocet for your pain but keep it at a minimum. I always leave myself on >the verge of pain so I dont numb myself to doing something to hurt myself. >Hope this helps. Hugs, Deborah > >On 5/10/07, roger pitcher <smartdog_8@...> wrote: >> >> Hey everyone, the e-mails always make for interesting reading. MY >>specialist >>just put me on Leflunomide (Arava) . been on mtx, really bad side effects, >> >>took myself off, tried salazopyrin and prednisone and coundn't stomache >>the >>salazopyrin and the prednisone just made me put on wieght and skin ta >>break >>out, i'm 48. would be interested in comments on arava and peoples >>expiences >>using it, and effectiveness versus side effects? thanks sick of being in >>pain, it's a shit. >> >>__________________________________________________________ >>Live Search delivers results the way you like it. Try live.com now! >>http://www.live.com >> >> >> _________________________________________________________________ Live Search delivers results the way you like it. Try live.com now! http://www.live.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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