Re: Need help with Arava decision PLEASE

[Guest guest]

A couple of weeks off of Arava won't do anything! It stays in your system

longer than that. My side effects took months to resolve after I stopped taking

it. That's why if you need to go off of it fast due to serious side effects,

they flush it out of your system with another med. I wonder if your doc

knows his meds very well? Cary

[Guest guest]

Hi ,

I'm a believer in trusting one's own instincts.

Sierra

> My name is and I've been a lurker for a long time. After

years of

> being treated like a hypochondriac, I'm now getting treatment. So

far dx's

> are n's, RA, FMS, osteo, IBD and GERD. Just to make things

more fun I

> also have two torn discs in my lower back (L4 & 5) and cataracts. I

take meds

> including MTX, pred., folic acid, Paxil Cr, Zocor, Lipitor,

trazadone,

> zanaflex and Lortab for pain.

> My rheumy started me on Arava to help slow down damage in feet and

hands

> (in particular) but it made me feel awful. I was exhausted,

feverish, had a

> headache, mouth sores and just couldn't function. He told me to

stop for a

> week and then start again--tomorrow. I really don't know what to

do. The

> side effects truly scared me and I just don't see how something

that makes

> me so sick can be good for me! If anyone has had experience with

this drug,

> I'd greatly appreciate any feedback or encouragement you could give

me.

> Sorry to whine so darn much. Most times I do well and manage a

wonderful

> quality of life. I have a lot of faith, a DH, great kids and am

stubborn

> enough to fight tooth and nail against these problems. I feel like

a wimp

> when there are so many in the group worse off than me and they never

> complain. But right now I need help badly. Thanks for listening

and sorry

> this is so long.

> in NC

[Guest guest]

, how much MTX are you taking? Is it by mouth or by injection?

If you aren't at 25 or 30 mg yet, maybe you could increase it.

I have a hard time recommending that you restart Arava, especially

since you've already had a hard time tolerating it. I'm one of those

troublemakers who believes it shouldn't be on the market.

What about adding either Enbrel, Humira, or Remicade?

> My name is and I've been a lurker for a long time. After

years of

> being treated like a hypochondriac, I'm now getting treatment. So

far dx's

> are n's, RA, FMS, osteo, IBD and GERD. Just to make things

more fun I

> also have two torn discs in my lower back (L4 & 5) and cataracts. I

take meds

> including MTX, pred., folic acid, Paxil Cr, Zocor, Lipitor,

trazadone,

> zanaflex and Lortab for pain.

> My rheumy started me on Arava to help slow down damage in feet and

hands

> (in particular) but it made me feel awful. I was exhausted,

feverish, had a

> headache, mouth sores and just couldn't function. He told me to

stop for a

> week and then start again--tomorrow. I really don't know what to

do. The

> side effects truly scared me and I just don't see how something

that makes

> me so sick can be good for me! If anyone has had experience with

this drug,

> I'd greatly appreciate any feedback or encouragement you could give

me.

> Sorry to whine so darn much. Most times I do well and manage a

wonderful

> quality of life. I have a lot of faith, a DH, great kids and am

stubborn

> enough to fight tooth and nail against these problems. I feel like

a wimp

> when there are so many in the group worse off than me and they never

> complain. But right now I need help badly. Thanks for listening

and sorry

> this is so long.

> in NC

[Guest guest]

,

I don't have any experience with Arava, but there's this one guy in a Lupus

list that I'm a part of that is taking it. He was saying how bad he felt at

first taking it, but now it's working good for him. I do believe that they

say it takes 6 months to get the full effect of it. But he was feeling

pretty good after 3 months of taking it. It affects everyone differently.

You may want to give it some more time for it to start working. It's

getting past the side affects which is the hard part.

-.

[ ] Need help with Arava decision PLEASE

> My name is and I've been a lurker for a long time. After years of

> being treated like a hypochondriac, I'm now getting treatment. So far dx's

> are n's, RA, FMS, osteo, IBD and GERD. Just to make things more fun I

> also have two torn discs in my lower back (L4 & 5) and cataracts. I take

meds

> including MTX, pred., folic acid, Paxil Cr, Zocor, Lipitor, trazadone,

> zanaflex and Lortab for pain.

> My rheumy started me on Arava to help slow down damage in feet and hands

> (in particular) but it made me feel awful. I was exhausted, feverish, had

a

> headache, mouth sores and just couldn't function. He told me to stop for a

> week and then start again--tomorrow. I really don't know what to do. The

> side effects truly scared me and I just don't see how something that makes

> me so sick can be good for me! If anyone has had experience with this

drug,

> I'd greatly appreciate any feedback or encouragement you could give me.

> Sorry to whine so darn much. Most times I do well and manage a wonderful

> quality of life. I have a lot of faith, a DH, great kids and am stubborn

> enough to fight tooth and nail against these problems. I feel like a wimp

> when there are so many in the group worse off than me and they never

> complain. But right now I need help badly. Thanks for listening and sorry

> this is so long.

> in NC

[Guest guest]

I have been on Arava for close to a year I would guess. I have not

experienced any side effects at all. In fact, my RA is doing so well right

now that I am on a trial of tapering down on the Arava. I started at the

20mg dose and stayed on that dose. I am now doing it every other day. When

I see the rheumy in about 2 months she will see how things are going. If

still no problem I will then go down to 2x/wk. I am doing well so far. I

have also decided to go off of my Vioxx as I have been hearing so much about

cardiac problems. I have gotten a couple of twinges in my foot (the

deformed one due to RA), but that is it. Hope this helps.

Terri

[ ] Need help with Arava decision PLEASE

> My name is and I've been a lurker for a long time. After years of

> being treated like a hypochondriac, I'm now getting treatment. So far dx's

> are n's, RA, FMS, osteo, IBD and GERD. Just to make things more fun I

> also have two torn discs in my lower back (L4 & 5) and cataracts. I take

meds

> including MTX, pred., folic acid, Paxil Cr, Zocor, Lipitor, trazadone,

> zanaflex and Lortab for pain.

> My rheumy started me on Arava to help slow down damage in feet and hands

> (in particular) but it made me feel awful. I was exhausted, feverish, had

a

> headache, mouth sores and just couldn't function. He told me to stop for a

> week and then start again--tomorrow. I really don't know what to do. The

> side effects truly scared me and I just don't see how something that makes

> me so sick can be good for me! If anyone has had experience with this

drug,

> I'd greatly appreciate any feedback or encouragement you could give me.

> Sorry to whine so darn much. Most times I do well and manage a wonderful

> quality of life. I have a lot of faith, a DH, great kids and am stubborn

> enough to fight tooth and nail against these problems. I feel like a wimp

> when there are so many in the group worse off than me and they never

> complain. But right now I need help badly. Thanks for listening and sorry

> this is so long.

> in NC

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

i was on arava for 5 months and it didn't do a thing for me. then my doc put me

on enbrel and i'm doing better. if you can stand to give yourself a shot . i

admit it isn't easy i still have a little trouble doing it. and it's cheaper

then remacade. hope i helped mike

ken hurst <kenhurst1@...> wrote:My name is and I've been a

lurker for a long time. After years of

being treated like a hypochondriac, I'm now getting treatment. So far dx's

are n's, RA, FMS, osteo, IBD and GERD. Just to make things more fun I

also have two torn discs in my lower back (L4 & 5) and cataracts. I take meds

including MTX, pred., folic acid, Paxil Cr, Zocor, Lipitor, trazadone,

zanaflex and Lortab for pain.

My rheumy started me on Arava to help slow down damage in feet and hands

(in particular) but it made me feel awful. I was exhausted, feverish, had a

headache, mouth sores and just couldn't function. He told me to stop for a

week and then start again--tomorrow. I really don't know what to do. The

side effects truly scared me and I just don't see how something that makes

me so sick can be good for me! If anyone has had experience with this drug,

I'd greatly appreciate any feedback or encouragement you could give me.

Sorry to whine so darn much. Most times I do well and manage a wonderful

quality of life. I have a lot of faith, a DH, great kids and am stubborn

enough to fight tooth and nail against these problems. I feel like a wimp

when there are so many in the group worse off than me and they never

complain. But right now I need help badly. Thanks for listening and sorry

this is so long.

in NC