Plaquenil to Mtx to Enbrel in one Week !

[Guest guest]

So, I had a bad reaction to Plaquenil. I guess somehow is was messing

with my nerves. After taking it for 4 days I was had the most

incredible back pain (and my Dad is a chiropractor, so that should

not happen), it wouldn't go away, no pain pills would help. SO,

Rheumy took me off of it, neuromuscular/skeletal reaction I had, plus

I was having light sensitivity, so it was a NO GO on that. So then

was going to call in a RX for Methotrexate....oops, didn't check my

chart, my liver enzymes are high, so can't take that, or any other

DMARD. Called me back a couple hours later with the news and Now his

is putting in an auth to my PCP for Enbrel. Seeing that I have sero-

negative RA (a very mild form), this seems a little extreme. Does

anyone agree? Or is it that it is my only choice, given the

circumstances?

I have a really good rheumy....seeing that he actually talks to me

over the phone (unlike my pcp), and took the time to double check

things (since when I called he was with a patient - and took the time

to talk with ME). I am not questioning him at all, just feel like

this is fast...maybe I am just scare. Any thoughts appreciated.

Hope everyone is feeling the best possible.

love from california,

[Guest guest]

I am also a mild, early seronegative RA patient. I guess the question

to ask is, are your symptoms warranting treatment at this point? For

me they obviously are, so I am on MTX and am grateful for it. I too

couldn't take Plaquinel (after 3 weeks gastrointestinal issues) and I

wasn't put on MTX right away, but soon thereafter. I sort of

spontaneously went out of my first flare, without treatment, during

the diagnostic stage. So my doc wasn't sure I needed any other

treatment right away. He was seriously weighing the possible side

effects with the need. But a few short weeks later it became apparent

I did need to treat this. Everything I have been told and read says

that to wait for the damage to show is all wrong. You want to stop

this thing in its tracks if at all possible - and for some, it is,

even without biologics. My response to the MTX has been so good that

my doc has brought up the possibility that I will only need to be on

it for a year or so. He said some people with mild cases who get

aggressive treatment early on do seem to get over it and not need

treatment...a wild possibility indeed. Not sure the exact odds of

that, but it's nice to know when you usually hear only the worst

cases. This thinking, of going after it early and aggressively even

in mild cases, is fairly new too. They used to wait till there was so

much more damage. So, much of the stats are slanted to worse case

scenarios, is how I understand it. The longer you wait, the harder to

stop or slow the disease. Sounds like you have a good doc, I would

ask him directly these issues, voice your concerns, and see what he

says. My doc is wonderful, he tells me everything and while he guides

me, he always asks what I think. We are a team in this and he never

demands or insists on anything because he understands that if I

really don't want to, he can't make me anyways lol. But he *wants* me

to be a part, which is why I like and trust him so much. Important

when there are no easy answers!

>

> So, I had a bad reaction to Plaquenil. I guess somehow is was

messing

> with my nerves. After taking it for 4 days I was had the most

> incredible back pain (and my Dad is a chiropractor, so that should

> not happen), it wouldn't go away, no pain pills would help. SO,

> Rheumy took me off of it, neuromuscular/skeletal reaction I had,

plus

> I was having light sensitivity, so it was a NO GO on that. So then

> was going to call in a RX for Methotrexate....oops, didn't check my

> chart, my liver enzymes are high, so can't take that, or any other

> DMARD. Called me back a couple hours later with the news and Now

his

> is putting in an auth to my PCP for Enbrel. Seeing that I have sero-

> negative RA (a very mild form), this seems a little extreme. Does

> anyone agree? Or is it that it is my only choice, given the

> circumstances?

>

> I have a really good rheumy....seeing that he actually talks to me

> over the phone (unlike my pcp), and took the time to double check

> things (since when I called he was with a patient - and took the

time

> to talk with ME). I am not questioning him at all, just feel like

> this is fast...maybe I am just scare. Any thoughts appreciated.

>

> Hope everyone is feeling the best possible.

> love from california,

>

>