Re: Re: Do whatever works for you prednisone or not.../

November 18, 2006

do you mind if I ask how old you are? You seem to have a great attitude.

I am 42 and it just seems so depressing

to feel so old already.

My daughter has been vegetarian about a year now. She tries to talk me into it

but I don't think I could do it. I do think I could cut back on red meat

though because

I like chicken and fish.

Joy

frank carnes <sarahaden51@...> wrote:

ive been diagnosed with severe RA since 1992...have taken

methotrexate,gold and humira...and predisone throughout...im prescribed 10 mg a

day currently, but only take it when flares occur as the side effects are bad in

my case.....ive found that by radically altering my diet (no

alcohol,tobacco,fried foods and red meat), im able to hold things pretty much

from progressing....i question whether the current ra drugs accomplish a lot,

considering their side effects and that ive found their effect to

wear-off...requiring higher doses...i guess its a personel case thing...ive

learned to live with pain and found that a significant part of the disease is

effected by my mental attitude...also i receive ssa dissability that i obtained

on my own...it was quite an experience and i have some insights into the process

if anyone is interested....frank carnes

Ebony <stillbreathing29@...> wrote: Thank you for letting us know because

a lot of us don't have thorough

care and we don't know any different. I learned about folic acid

online not from my rheumatologist(s). I learned about stretching and

staying active online and many other things I learned online. No one

ever mentioned Dexa scans to me, I had to ask them about it. There

are so many things I have to ask about myself because it is never

mentioned, so I am not watched closely in my opinion. If I don't

educate myself about certain things I would be much worse off than I

am now.

It isn't stange you don't get the side effects from prednisone.

That's good. I think there are many like that but then there are the

sensitive folks who get the common side effects, bone infections, and

other diseases from anything they take. I didn't have a bad reaction

to the Humira. It didn't help as much as the Enbrel but I didn't get

a reaction from it, then I met someone here who was sick on it and

got infections while taking it. It just depends. As for the weight

gain, I think we can tolerate that if that was the only side effect

or the effects were easily reversed. I do get the moon face in just

7 days where with others taking it take months to get the moon face.

And since the RA is so severe, the side effects are overlooked

because their hands are tied to help me with the pain and

inflammation.

thanks,

Ebony

> Exactly.

> I forgot to say that I have blood tests and am monitored closely

by my

> rheumy every 8 weeks.

> This is a MUST with prednisone and most of the drugs prescribed

here.

> Do the rest of you routinely see your doctor and have blood tests

every 8

> weeks?

> It is very strange that I have no side effects from prednisone.

> I WISH it would help my appetite!

> I do get elevated liver numbers every once in a while from Imuran

(sp).....

> Pris

>

November 18, 2006

Joy, i turn 55 in 2 weeks...i try to maintain a good attitude, but experience

bouts of depression like most of us...i went thru the gamut of anti-depressants

and found that they worked for a while, then need more etc., until i stopped

takin them..paxil was extremely tough to get off of...i smoked for 35 years and

paxil withdrawl was 10 times worse...it should be banned....i think the most

important thing is to have a schedule..get out of bed..even if u dont want

to...im lucky in that my dog maggie wont settle for me staying down... " get up,

get up...its a new day and lets go " ....frank

Joy <jhoorm01@...> wrote: do you mind if I ask how old you

are? You seem to have a great attitude.

I am 42 and it just seems so depressing

to feel so old already.

My daughter has been vegetarian about a year now. She tries to talk me into it

but I don't think I could do it. I do think I could cut back on red meat though

because

I like chicken and fish.

Joy

frank carnes <sarahaden51@...> wrote:

ive been diagnosed with severe RA since 1992...have taken methotrexate,gold and

humira...and predisone throughout...im prescribed 10 mg a day currently, but

only take it when flares occur as the side effects are bad in my case.....ive

found that by radically altering my diet (no alcohol,tobacco,fried foods and red

meat), im able to hold things pretty much from progressing....i question whether

the current ra drugs accomplish a lot, considering their side effects and that

ive found their effect to wear-off...requiring higher doses...i guess its a

personel case thing...ive learned to live with pain and found that a significant

part of the disease is effected by my mental attitude...also i receive ssa

dissability that i obtained on my own...it was quite an experience and i have

some insights into the process if anyone is interested....frank carnes