Guest guest Posted February 19, 2002 Report Share Posted February 19, 2002 Debbie: I take 20mg of Arava daily and Methotrexate once a week in tablet form (6 tablets 2.5mg ea.) So far, I have had no side effects. Even better than no side effects is the fact that these drugs have controlled my rhumatoid arthritis. I have lived for two whole years (since being on Arava and Methotrexate) without pain and stiffness. I encourage you to go along with your spcialist's recommendation without worry of any side effects, because I agree with you that nothing equals the pain of this disease when it's in a full blown flair-up. The specialist will be watching you closely to make sure you are in no trouble with the meds. I love the dispenser that came with my Arava. It's especially for arthritic hands....all you have to do is tap the top and out pops the tablet. I think you are the group member who has B27 mediated arthritis. I had never heard of this rare form of arthritis until your case. I want to read up about it. I do hope this med works for you like it has for me. Betty >From: " D " <dcampbell@...> >Reply-Rheumatoid Arthritis ><Rheumatoid Arthritis > >Subject: New Medication. >Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 23:08:23 +1100 (AUS Eastern Daylight Time) > > > >Hi everyone. >I am just writing to let you know I started a new medication 3 day's ago to >try to get this form of RA under control. >It is called " Leflunomide " or ARAVA. >I don't know what they call it over there or if it has been released but it >has not been on the list over here in Australia for all that long. >My specialist has no idea what to expect to happen to me as they have never >tried it on someone with my rare form of RA. >The more common side effects are eg: Diarrhoea, Rashes, Itching and >temporary hair loss. >The more severe one's are eg: if skin or whites of eyes become yellow or >you >bleed or bruise easily I could be developing a liver problem. >The even more severe are eg: if my skin becomes pale and I start to feel >tired, I become prone to infections I could be developing a blood cell >disorder. >There are other side effects apparently so they said if I notice anything >to >report it to my specialist immediately. >The common one's are just a matter of adjusting my medication but the more >severe, I have to stop the treatment. >I am really hoping that I don't get any side effects as I would love for >something to finally work properly. >I have about a 3 week gap between coming off the Methotrexate injections >immediately and these tablets starting to work and I am already starting to >ache form head to foot all the time. I could not sleep last night but I was >warned that this will happen and to make sure I had a lot of pain killers >on >hand. >I am tired of this pain everyday and not being able to do anything with my >children. >I am sure the specialist's would be happy as well to find something that >works on this type of RA. I suppose I am some sort of experiment to them. >My doctor is a really nice and very understanding guy. I should have gone >into hospital for at least 4 day's to start this off but he know's what I >am >like with hospital's. He waited around for the company to write the >prescription and then got it filled for me and delivered it up here to my >local medical centre so I could meet him last Saturday and he gave me all >the instructions and the book on the med's. >He gave me his direct number and pager number if I get into any trouble. >I am a bit worried about the side effects but I know he will not let >thing's >get out of control for me. >I do not have to have the Methotrexate injections now which is one less >needle a week. He said if my Crohn's Disease starts to come out of >remission >I will have to have small doses again to get it under control. The >Methotrexate also work's for that as well so I really have my fingers >crossed for that. When that is out of remission I don't know what is worse. >I would rather give birth to 10 children at once than feel all that again. >I >went through far to many years of that. > >If anyone has heard of this medication before or of someone on it would you >please let me know as I would love to be able to talk to them and what they >experience with it. >Thank's for listening and I will keep you up to date with what happens. >Please keep your fingers crossed for me. > >Happy Thoughts All >Debbie. >(Australia) xx _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 21, 2002 Report Share Posted February 21, 2002 I think you are the group member who has B27 mediated arthritis. I had never heard of this rare form of arthritis until your case. I want to read up about it. I do hope this med works for you like it has for me. Betty Actually, that was me. Some people, including doctors, call it Reiter's Syndrome. Reiter's is a form of arthritis that typically occurs in men over the age of 40 (I'm a 24 year old woman). It's when arthritis is triggered by one of 6 infections (I had uvitis). Reiter's is rare in men, even more so in women my age. Less than 1% of the people that have Reiter's test positive for the B27 antigen. B27 is a rare gene mutation. For me, my mom has the rheumatoid arthritis & my dad has severe psoriasis. I'm so good at beating the odds, I should play the lottery Both Reiter's and B27 arthritis are classified as rare diseases. Regarding possible side effects of the medications, I agree with those that have posted. If I don't take the meds, I know I'll be in awful pain and be limited in my ability to take care of myself. If I take the meds, the pain will be significantly less and I may have any of the side effects. For me, it's worth the risk. You just need to make the decision that's best for you. Good luck! Take care, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ " Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, and not something you do in your spare time. " (Edelman) " Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. " (Emerson) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ _________________________________________________________________ Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 22, 2002 Report Share Posted February 22, 2002 : You are such an interesting person. Please keep us posted on how you are getting along and the treatment that you are following. I don't often " jump in " with comments, but I do read almost daily the conversations going on, and I'll be watching for your in-put. Betty >From: " DeNicola " <sdenicola@...> >Reply-Rheumatoid Arthritis >Rheumatoid Arthritis >Subject: Re: New Medication. >Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 15:41:30 -0500 > >I think you are the group member who has B27 mediated arthritis. I had >never heard of this rare form of arthritis until your case. I want to read >up about it. I do hope this med works for you like it has for me. > >Betty > > Actually, that was me. Some people, including doctors, call it >Reiter's Syndrome. Reiter's is a form of arthritis that typically occurs >in >men over the age of 40 (I'm a 24 year old woman). It's when arthritis is >triggered by one of 6 infections (I had uvitis). Reiter's is rare in men, >even more so in women my age. Less than 1% of the people that have >Reiter's >test positive for the B27 antigen. B27 is a rare gene mutation. For me, >my >mom has the rheumatoid arthritis & my dad has severe psoriasis. I'm so >good >at beating the odds, I should play the lottery Both Reiter's and B27 >arthritis are classified as rare diseases. > Regarding possible side effects of the medications, I agree with >those >that have posted. If I don't take the meds, I know I'll be in awful pain >and be limited in my ability to take care of myself. If I take the meds, >the pain will be significantly less and I may have any of the side effects. >For me, it's worth the risk. You just need to make the decision that's >best >for you. Good luck! > >Take care, > > > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > " Service is the rent we pay for being. It is the very purpose of life, >and not something you do in your spare time. " (Edelman) > > " Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and >leave a trail. " (Emerson) >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > > >_________________________________________________________________ >Chat with friends online, try MSN Messenger: http://messenger.msn.com > _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2002 Report Share Posted February 26, 2002 Hi Betty. No I am not the one with B27. I have the rare form of Entropathic R/A. I have not been able to find any information on this form. There are only a hand full in Australia with it. Thank's for your information on Arava. I had not heard of it before and there for had no idea about effects. You have helped me with some peace of mind with the side effects now. I hope I can get to the stage you are at. Thank you very much. Debbie. (Australia) -------Original Message------- From: Rheumatoid Arthritis Date: Thursday, 21 February 2002 11:31:43 PM Rheumatoid Arthritis Subject: Re: New Medication. Debbie:I take 20mg of Arava daily and Methotrexate once a week in tablet form (6 tablets 2.5mg ea.) So far, I have had no side effects. Even better than no side effects is the fact that these drugs have controlled my rhumatoid arthritis. I have lived for two whole years (since being on Arava and Methotrexate) without pain and stiffness. I encourage you to go along with your spcialist's recommendation without worry of any side effects, because I agree with you that nothing equals the pain of this disease when it's in a full blown flair-up. The specialist will be watching you closely to make sure you are in no trouble with the meds. I love the dispenser that came with my Arava. It's especially for arthritic hands....all you have to do is tap the top and out pops the tablet.I think you are the group member who has B27 mediated arthritis. I had never heard of this rare form of arthritis until your case. I want to read up about it. I do hope this med works for you like it has for me.Betty>From: "D " & lt;dcampbell@...>>Reply-Rheumatoid Arthritis > & lt;Rheumatoid Arthritis >>Subject: New Medication.>Date: Mon, 18 Feb 2002 23:08:23 +1100 (AUS Eastern Daylight Time)>>>>Hi everyone.>I am just writing to let you know I started a new medication 3 day's ago to>try to get this form of RA under control.>It is called "Leflunomide" or ARAVA.>I don't know what they call it over there or if it has been released but it>has not been on the list over here in Australia for all that long.>My specialist has no idea what to expect to happen to me as they have never>tried it on someone with my rare form of RA.>The more common side effects are eg: Diarrhoea, Rashes, Itching and>temporary hair loss.>The more severe one's are eg: if skin or whites of eyes become yellow or >you>bleed or bruise easily I could be developing a liver problem.>The even more severe are eg: if my skin becomes pale and I start to feel>tired, I become prone to infections I could be developing a blood cell>disorder.>There are other side effects apparently so they said if I notice anything >to>report it to my specialist immediately.>The common one's are just a matter of adjusting my medication but the more>severe, I have to stop the treatment.>I am really hoping that I don't get any side effects as I would love for>something to finally work properly.>I have about a 3 week gap between coming off the Methotrexate injections>immediately and these tablets starting to work and I am already starting to>ache form head to foot all the time. I could not sleep last night but I was>warned that this will happen and to make sure I had a lot of pain killers >on>hand.>I am tired of this pain everyday and not being able to do anything with my>children.>I am sure the specialist's would be happy as well to find something that>works on this type of RA. I suppose I am some sort of experiment to them.>My doctor is a really nice and very understanding guy. I should have gone>into hospital for at least 4 day's to start this off but he know's what I >am>like with hospital's. He waited around for the company to write the>prescription and then got it filled for me and delivered it up here to my>local medical centre so I could meet him last Saturday and he gave me all>the instructions and the book on the med's.>He gave me his direct number and pager number if I get into any trouble.>I am a bit worried about the side effects but I know he will not let >thing's>get out of control for me.>I do not have to have the Methotrexate injections now which is one less>needle a week. He said if my Crohn's Disease starts to come out of >remission>I will have to have small doses again to get it under control. The>Methotrexate also work's for that as well so I really have my fingers>crossed for that. When that is out of remission I don't know what is worse.>I would rather give birth to 10 children at once than feel all that again. >I>went through far to many years of that.>>If anyone has heard of this medication before or of someone on it would you>please let me know as I would love to be able to talk to them and what they>experience with it.>Thank's for listening and I will keep you up to date with what happens.>Please keep your fingers crossed for me.>>Happy Thoughts All>Debbie.>(Australia) xx_________________________________________________________________Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 26, 2002 Report Share Posted February 26, 2002 I would like information about B27 arthritis. I missed the email about it. Thanks Lin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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