Pain and Remicade

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 1/12/07 10:20:19 PM, kuehnlej@... writes:

> As far as the precipitating factors to a diagnosis, I was on the

> Atkins diet and lost over 100 pounds (all of which is back) but I

> felt horrible. My entire family caught a virus that lasted a few days

> for them and months for me. I really think the strictness I chose in

> the diet depleted a lot of what I needed and made me vulnerable.>>>

>

I hear ya.

Prednisone used to make me hungry and moody.

That goes away after so many years! (at least for me)

I am skinny, so skinny my hip bones hurt when they touch the mattress.

I am on 7.5 but really need to be on 10. I could do it, but I figure I will

have to pay for it and get off it.

Pain killers?

Vicodin is great, but doesn't work very well if I use it regularly.

DOES any pain killer? So, I suffer, then take a few pills then stop.

I was so frustrated today, I had to clean the garage, and was in agony.

What kind of life is this?

Should I up the pretty, or not?

Also, my urine output has decreased. Are my kidneys failing? I get bloodtests

every 2 weeks, urine tests annually.

I take 1000 mg Tylenol per day, light drinker.

Pris (paranoid, as usual, lol)!

[Guest guest]

I am so sorry for all of you who have severe pain every day. I have

times (a week or two at a time and other times just a bad day out of

no where) where the pain is more than I can handle. I end up feeling

very panicked, especially when I literally can't get out of bed. I

end up taking pain meds (vicodin) that I have left over from getting

my knee replaced. I have a lot of back issues and gabapentin helps a

lot with that.

ly, I feel very guilty when I take them. I read the discussion

here about drug abuse and I must say, the pain isn't gone … I take

the meds to be able to distance myself from the pain and not panic. I

think that is the same as taking it to get high. It really worries

me. Both of my parents were chemically dependent and I don't want to

end up in the same boat.

I am very lucky that Remicade seems to help my pain. I also take 12.5

mg of prednisone a day, plus 25 mg of MTX a week and folic acid and

singulair to help my lungs which are not in good shape. I was doing

really well on Remicade and had to stop for the month long cold every

in Missouri caught and became very pain-filled and stiff. My

Rheumatologist upped my Remicade to 600mg every 6 weeks and it seems

to be a winner.

I often try to wean off of prednisone. I have gained so much weight

since I started prednisone, all in my stomach which is really hard on

my back. I go down 2.5 every two weeks until I hit 10mg and then 1 mg

every two weeks. I made it to 7.5 once and just couldn't handle it

and went back up to 12.5 where I am now.

I read a lot more than I post because my fingers are really painful

and I work from home (75% of the time) mostly on the computer all day

so, I avoid typing at night. I have a new speech to text program that

I am trying to learn to use so I don't have to use my hands.

As far as the precipitating factors to a diagnosis, I was on the

Atkins diet and lost over 100 pounds (all of which is back) but I

felt horrible. My entire family caught a virus that lasted a few days

for them and months for me. I really think the strictness I chose in

the diet depleted a lot of what I needed and made me vulnerable. I

also got my knee replaced the month before the virus, so that may

have triggered it as well. My daughter has two auto-immune diseases

and my parents had so many drug related illnesses it was never really

sorted out.

Sorry to be so long winded. I wish you all the best. Denis I love

hearing your stories and the spunk with which you approach life.

in St. Louis