Re: Article: Shadow Proteins (Carol)

[Guest guest]

Dear Sue, Thanks for sharing your experience of MTX

with me. My count is 3.4. I feel better after

hearing from a, Betty and you. The dr has me

taking 3 a week to start off with this first month. If

I have any bad symptoms, I will call the dr right

away. The Sulfalazine was helping but I couldn't up

my beginning dosage because of the headaches it would

cause. Other than that, I had no problems with it.

After hearing from you guys, I guess that it takes

some adjustments to get your meds exactly right. I

asked him about taking mtx and sulfalazine because

most of the information I am reading says that it

works better with 2-3 meds. He said that my symptoms

would have to be very severe to do that.

Thanks again. Hugs, Iris.

--- Sue Plaster2 <splaster@...> wrote:

> on 10/11/02 7:25 PM, Iris Nosker at

> inosker@... wrote:

>

> > Carol, I am really scared to take Methotrexate. I

> > have been asking myself if the risk is worth any

> > benefits that I may have. If my white count is

> already

> > low, how low can it go without being ill all the

> time?

>

> Iris, I have been taking methotrexate for a little

> over a year. A few months

> ago my white cell count started going low. Up until

> then, my rheumy just

> kept increasing the mtx. But then he prescribed

> Arava instead and decreased

> the mtx. This week's bloodwork showed it as 3.1

> (normal 4.0-10.5). The

> first time it was low, it was 3.8, then 3.5, then

> 3.4, and finally 3.1. For

> the last two weeks, on my own, I've taken only 3 mtx

> instead of 4. But it

> still went down. So far I haven't been catching

> infections. Since the Arava

> also suppresses the immune system, I guess it's also

> helping to keep the

> count low.

>

> How low is yours already?

>

> We're walking on a tightrope, trying to take enough

> medication to help us

> without killing us.

>

> By the way, the Arava is working much better for me

> than the mtx alone, but

> reading that brochure was even scarier than reading

> the one on mtx.

>

> Sue in NC

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

on 10/11/02 7:25 PM, Iris Nosker at inosker@... wrote:

> Carol, I am really scared to take Methotrexate. I

> have been asking myself if the risk is worth any

> benefits that I may have. If my white count is already

> low, how low can it go without being ill all the time?

Iris, I have been taking methotrexate for a little over a year. A few months

ago my white cell count started going low. Up until then, my rheumy just

kept increasing the mtx. But then he prescribed Arava instead and decreased

the mtx. This week's bloodwork showed it as 3.1 (normal 4.0-10.5). The

first time it was low, it was 3.8, then 3.5, then 3.4, and finally 3.1. For

the last two weeks, on my own, I've taken only 3 mtx instead of 4. But it

still went down. So far I haven't been catching infections. Since the Arava

also suppresses the immune system, I guess it's also helping to keep the

count low.

How low is yours already?

We're walking on a tightrope, trying to take enough medication to help us

without killing us.

By the way, the Arava is working much better for me than the mtx alone, but

reading that brochure was even scarier than reading the one on mtx.

Sue in NC

[Guest guest]

Dear Sue, Thanks for sharing your experience of MTX

with me. My count is 3.4. I feel better after

hearing from a, Betty and you. The dr has me

taking 3 a week to start off with this first month. If

I have any bad symptoms, I will call the dr right

away. The Sulfalazine was helping but I couldn't up

my beginning dosage because of the headaches it would

cause. Other than that, I had no problems with it.

After hearing from you guys, I guess that it takes

some adjustments to get your meds exactly right. I

asked him about taking mtx and sulfalazine because

most of the information I am reading says that it

works better with 2-3 meds. He said that my symptoms

would have to be very severe to do that.

Thanks again. Hugs, Iris.

--- Sue Plaster2 <splaster@...> wrote:

> on 10/11/02 7:25 PM, Iris Nosker at

> inosker@... wrote:

>

> > Carol, I am really scared to take Methotrexate. I

> > have been asking myself if the risk is worth any

> > benefits that I may have. If my white count is

> already

> > low, how low can it go without being ill all the

> time?

>

> Iris, I have been taking methotrexate for a little

> over a year. A few months

> ago my white cell count started going low. Up until

> then, my rheumy just

> kept increasing the mtx. But then he prescribed

> Arava instead and decreased

> the mtx. This week's bloodwork showed it as 3.1

> (normal 4.0-10.5). The

> first time it was low, it was 3.8, then 3.5, then

> 3.4, and finally 3.1. For

> the last two weeks, on my own, I've taken only 3 mtx

> instead of 4. But it

> still went down. So far I haven't been catching

> infections. Since the Arava

> also suppresses the immune system, I guess it's also

> helping to keep the

> count low.

>

> How low is yours already?

>

> We're walking on a tightrope, trying to take enough

> medication to help us

> without killing us.

>

> By the way, the Arava is working much better for me

> than the mtx alone, but

> reading that brochure was even scarier than reading

> the one on mtx.

>

> Sue in NC

>

>

>