Re: Opinions on starting meds...

[Guest guest]

Good luck on the Methotrexate! I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers! I

have been on Plaquenil for a little over 2 years. We also added Sulfasalazine

as Plaquenil is simply not enough. My next step is Methotrexate or Enbrel. I

have liver disease but the liver doctor said its ok to try it we would just have

to do another biopsy in a year. It seems that many are on a combination of

DMARD's even when taking Sulfasalazine. To be honest, as far as a flare goes,

it seems some patients are constantly in a flare. When I use the term flare, it

simply means, I'm bedbound and cannot move. But it is difficult to move for me

on a daily basis, and I am in constant pain. I have bloodwork done every 12

weeks and my ESR, Westegren, CRP are always still elevated. Some people have

one flare and can go in remission, some have flares and never seem to get out of

them. I don't think I've been stable since I became ill. I have FMS since the

age of 30 (though it took 2 years to

diagnose) then I've had the seronegative RA for a little over three years.

Each case is different though, and how one responds to treatment is as well. I

think thats what makes it so hard for a doctor to give us a specific prognosis.

I simply know that mine says " poor and that I will not recover from pain or

fatigue "

thea7441@... wrote: Hi Everyone,

Well, I am going to start Methotrexate on Sunday night. I always take

my 4 gleevec pills in the morning, and currently, one plaquinil am and pm, and

one naproxin am and pm... also Tramadol 2X a day (the tram gives me energy,

funny, I know).

So, I will discontinue use of the plaquinil on Saturday, and Sunday

night I am to take 3 methotrexate (I think my dosage is 7.5).

Well, needless to say, I'm concerned because I have been in complete

molecular remission for 8 years on Gleevec. Gleevec keeps my white cells from

going crazy, so they stay in the safe zone. Now with methotrexate, I'm

worried

that they may drop too low? Hopefully, they will just remain the same.

They always fall in the 5000 to 7000 range.

I was afraid of the plaquinil because of the risk to the eyes. Silly,

probably, but hey, I have leukemia AND RA, what are the chances of that? So,

I got worried that I may be at more risk for eye problems with plaquinil.

Gezzzzzz, well, I guess any medication can be discontinued if things go

wrong, right? I am going to have my monthly blooddraws, of course. Scary

though.

Now, about this " flare up, " my pain has NOT decreased since it started.

Then again, I just started an RA medicine last week - the plaquinil - so you

all must be referring to flare ups once you're on a medicine, and stable,

right?

So, any advice?

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