Re: RHUEMATOID ARTHITIS Sharon

[Guest guest]

Greetings Sharon:

Welcome to the group - you will find great

information, as well as caring and supportive people

who will quickly become your online friends. I have

had RA for 8 years now, am 51 years old, married to a

wonderful man for 23 years, have two children, son 22,

and daughter 19, and live on a small farm here in

southern california with horses, chickens and various

fowl, dogs, and one cat. Busy, but I love it.

Wow, you have been through a lot - so glad that you

are back out of the hospital now. Information about

RA can be found on the groups webpage - a lot of great

stuff there about medications too. I can tell you a

bit about my experience with Methotrexate. I have

been on Mtx now for about 4 years, was up to as high

as 20 mg. at one time, but am now down to 10 mg.

because I was able to ad Enbrel which has helped me

quite a bit. Methotrexate is one of the oldest and

best known meds used for treating RA. You need to

remember to take Folic Acid which will help with the

side effects.

I take my Mtx dose on Friday night, after dinner, and

I sleep through most of the side effects like nausea,

but still am very fatigued the next day or two. I

have had no really awful side effects from it - my

skin is more fragile (in that I can be scratched and

bleed more easily, and when I bump something I really

bruise), have some hair thinning and dryness, and need

to really remember to put on sunscreen or I burn more

easily. That's about it. Mtx has been a good med for

me. I've tried others too, but the Mtx has lasted the

longest.

Hope this helps some - hang in there -

Kathe in CA

--- Sharon <ribbon54sews@...> wrote:

> Hello, My name is Sharon. 2 years ago, I was a

> stroke survivior. I was

> alone on the floor from 8:30 til 4:30 in the

> afternoon, my son,

> (14) found me. For 10 weeks I was in the hospital. I

> had RA then too.

> I would like to understand what this RA is. I am

> taking a drug called

> methatrexiate.

> Thank you so much, everyone.

>

> Sharon

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Kathe

" To ride a horse is to borrow freedom. "

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