Re: RA meds vs. surgery

[Guest guest]

Hi Molly!

I'm on Sulfasalazine and Plaquenil. My next step of treatment is methotrexate or

enbrel. I used to think that my Sulfasalazine wasn't helping because I felt so

much malaise most of the time on it. Yet I had to stop it for three months due

to bronchitis. I could barely move or walk so it was definitely helping a lot

more than I thought it was! Good luck on your surgery! I wish you a healthy

recovery.

Molly Schaeffer <mollyschaeffer@...> wrote:

I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last Friday

(Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were working.

A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA meds

for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should help

with the RA pain during that time.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

Thanks and wish me luck!

Molly

---------------------------------

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[Guest guest]

Molly,

Since I was diagnosed w/ RA...I have never had to be taken off of my

RA medications for all of the surgeries I had since. (I have had

quite a few surgeries). I was remicade and arava, then sulfasalazine,

plaquinel, diclofenac. I am sure it must be for a reason. Best of

luck to you on Monday!! Well wishes!!

>

> I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

> increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last Friday

> (Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

>

> So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were

working.

> A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA

meds

> for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should help

> with the RA pain during that time.

>

> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

> process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

>

> Thanks and wish me luck!

>

> Molly

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Molly,

I had a bone graft of the femur and a total knee replacement March 11.

I was told to go off my Enbrel, Metho and Dolubid one week before

surgery and could restart them 2 weeks after the surgery. I stayed on

my prednisone, vicodin, advair and plaquinal. You are right, the pain

meds post surgery do compensate.

I was in the hosp for 5 days. The first week home was ok, in fact

other than the discomfort from the surgery, all my other body parts

felt better then they had in years! LOL, so much for percocet!! The

following week (went from percocet back to vicodin) I did have some

increase in stiffness and joint pain and swelling. Vicodin kept the

worse of it at bay. I have been back on my Ebrel, Metho and Dolubid

for almost three weeks now and things are almost back to " pre-surgery

normal " .

Wish you the best of luck!

>

> I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

> increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last Friday

> (Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

>

> So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were working.

> A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA meds

> for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should help

> with the RA pain during that time.

>

> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

> process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

>

> Thanks and wish me luck!

>

> Molly

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Rita,

I am 50. I have RA and we have been putting off the TKR for about 4

years now. For the last year the pain has become so unbearable that I

was in a wheelchair a protion of the time. Otherwise I ahd to use a

cane. My OS had told me a few years ago that I would know when the

time had come and believe me, I knew!

I will not lie to you, it is a very rough surgery but I am glad I did

it. Even with the pain of the surgery and the physical therapy I feel

so much better. I know longer have that constant pain/ache in the

knee and even though I am only partially bearing weight right now, I

no longer have that excruciating pain I used to have when I put weight

on that leg.

I had my surgery at PRMC in Salsibury, MD. They have a top of the

line joint replacement center. I changed the bandage every day after

I came home for over a week (until the staples were taken out) and I

could have kept the same bandage on. There was absolutely NO

weeping/redness or anything like that at the incision.

If you do have the replacement, the biggest advice I can give you is

to do exercises for at least a month before the surgery to strengthen

the leg (esp ham string and thigh muscles). That will help greatly in

your recovery and rehab.

Please let me know if you have any specific questions and please let

me know if and when you have the replacement.

>

> susan, my doctor says i need a knee replacement. i am 53. i have

had spinal surgery, is the knee surgery bad??? has it improved your

mobility or just the pain. thanks rita

[Guest guest]

Good luck, Molly! I hope everything goes very well for you.

Not an MD

> [ ] RA meds vs. surgery

>

> I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

> increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last Friday

> (Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

>

> So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were working.

> A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA meds

> for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should help

> with the RA pain during that time.

>

> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

> process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

>

> Thanks and wish me luck!

>

> Molly

[Guest guest]

Hi Molly,

I had to do this last year when I had my hysterectomy. My

Rheumatologist told me to stop the Humira the week before surgery and

start it again the week following surgery. He said, at least with

Humira, I would have had to stop it 66 days prior to surgery for it

to have been out of my system in time for surgery. We knew 66 days

before surgery, however, we had to weigh the risk vs. the benefits.

My RA will flare very quickly without the meds. There was NO way I

could go that long....I would have been in the bed!

Honestly, I did just fine. I had to be given a few doses of

antibiotics anyway for surgery, so that also helped cover JUST IN

CASE.

Talk to your docs about giving you something for pain prior to your

surgery to help with the flare.

Feel free to email me privately as well.

Robin

>

> I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

> increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last Friday

> (Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

>

> So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were

working.

> A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA

meds

> for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should help

> with the RA pain during that time.

>

> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

> process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

>

> Thanks and wish me luck!

>

> Molly

>

[Guest guest]

I have had to stop taking Enbrel due to having an infection, which

led to emergency surgery. I think what was helpful to me was the

fact that I had been on several doses of strong antibiotics prior to

surgery and two more sets after the surgery. I was off the Enbrel

for at least ten weeks and didn't feel the stiffness and achiness

until after I finished taking the antibiotics. I knew it was

definitely time to go back on the Enbrel.

Good Luck with your surgery. I wish say a prayer for a quick

recovery.

>

> I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

> increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last Friday

> (Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

>

> So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were

working.

> A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA

meds

> for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should help

> with the RA pain during that time.

>

> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

> process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

>

> Thanks and wish me luck!

>

> Molly

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and all the well wishes. I'll let

you know how it went when I get home on Wednesday.

Molly

[Guest guest]

Molly,

I'm having surgery on my cervical spine on the 2nd and all I have to stop is the

Naproxen. I'm staying on the MTX and plaquenil. I have to stay off of the

Naproxen for six months to give the bone fusion time to take hold.

Jere

[ ] RA meds vs. surgery

I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last Friday

(Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were working.

A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA meds

for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should help

with the RA pain during that time.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

Thanks and wish me luck!

Molly

[Guest guest]

Jere and Molly,

Please, update us on how both of you are doing. I see the neuro-

surgeon on 4/30 to discuss when my surgery will be on my cervical

spine.

My prayers are with all in this group, especially the ones with new

challanges.

Shirley

--- In , " Jere McFarland " <jrmcf2@...>

wrote:

>

> Molly,

>

> I'm having surgery on my cervical spine on the 2nd and all I have

to stop is the Naproxen. I'm staying on the MTX and plaquenil. I

have to stay off of the Naproxen for six months to give the bone

fusion time to take hold.

>

> Jere

> [ ] RA meds vs. surgery

>

>

> I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

> increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last

Friday

> (Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

>

> So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were

working.

> A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA

meds

> for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should

help

> with the RA pain during that time.

>

> I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

> process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

>

> Thanks and wish me luck!

>

> Molly

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

HI MOLLY, MY PRAYERS R WITH YOU & YOUR FAMILY. YOU WILL DO JUST FINE!! GOD

BLESS,MELYNDA GAMEZ 4/21/08 7:38P.M. CENTRAL TIME

[ ] RA meds vs. surgery

I'm having a hysterectomy on Monday. In preparation (because of

increase chance of infection), I had to stop my RA meds last Friday

(Enbrel 50mg on Thursdays and 5 MTX on Friday).

So, today, I'm reallllly finding out how well those meds were working.

A lot more pain and stiffness today. I have to stay off the RA meds

for a total of 3 weeks. The pain meds from the surgery should help

with the RA pain during that time.

I'd be interested in hearing from anyone that has gone thru this

process of going off meds for surgery, et al.

Thanks and wish me luck!

Molly

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