Re: ARAVA - Need help convincing my hubby

[Guest guest]

Well I can say that I am usually the 1% that has the unusual side

effects as well. The methotrexate makes my anxiety go through the

roof and terrible stomach problems. I used it alone and it didn't

work and I was deathly ill and had panic attacks. Well 1 1/2 years

later we tried the methotrexate again with the Plaquenil I have been

on and it worked within a day for my pain and inflammation but I was

sick for 2 weeks and my anxiety was back. So after that one dose (4

pills) I didn't take it again. We started me on Arava 1 1/2 months

ago. I haven't had even one side effect but it isn't working

either. I will be talking with my doctor in the next couple of weeks

because I don't want to keep taking it if it isn't doing anything.

My point is that we are all different and you just never know one way

or another if you will get the side effects. I do know how you feel

though because I was leary about trying it as well. There is a

washout proceedure you can do if you were to have a side effect.

>

> Re-introduced MTX the day before Thanksgiving with the same

disastrous side effects, even at half the dosage I was on before (8

tabs to 4) and even at 2 tabs per week so... No more MTX for me. One

thing that SUCKS about this is... I KNOW it was working because it is

the only thing that helps the pain in my elbows and ankles. (I also

dose Humira weekly.) There is DEFINITELY something in the MTX/Humira

mix that helps me but the side effects are too much to bear. I did

MTX on Thurs/Fri but stopped this week per doctor's instructions.

What a difference. Mood, general feeling: GOOD Pain in

elbows/ankles: Ouch.

>

> When I spoke to my doctor a week ago, we discussed Arava once

again. We also discussed the long half-life of the medication and his

and my concerns about always being the 1% that gets the " weird " side

effect and the fact that stopping the medication would not

necessarily make said side effect go away. Anywho... Fast forward

talking to my husband. He is 100% absolutely AGAINST me even trying

this medication. Why? Because I AM usually that 1%.

>

> What he fails to understand is.... I need something that is going

to HELP me get to where I need to be as far as controlling my

symptoms. I have been flaring since my birthday and the only thing

that has helped (besides my 4 weeks of MTX) is Prednisone. I can't

stay on that forever!!!

>

> So here is what I am looking for.... Arava success stories as well

as those who had side effects and specifically, which kind. You can

either post onlist or email me directly: kamilleon@... I cannot take

the Sulfa one because... I am allergic to Sulfa.

>

> Thanks again!

>

>

[Guest guest]

Kami,

Arava worked very well for me in controlling the pain and inflammation

of RA. Unfortunately, it continued the decline in my white blood cell

count that methotrexate had already started. I wonder what would have

happened if I had been started on Arava instead of mtx.

The thing is, you won't know until you try a med just what side effects

you might have. It might turn out that you have no adverse side effects.

Sue

On Saturday, December 27, 2008, at 07:21 PM, ~Kami~ wrote:

> So here is what I am looking for.... Arava success stories as well as

> those who had side effects and specifically, which kind. You can

> either post onlist or email me directly: kamilleon@... I

> cannot take the Sulfa one because... I am allergic to Sulfa.

[Guest guest]

Hey Kami - have you ever tried the MTX injections? I wonder if you

would have little to no side effects with that? I switched several

weeks ago and aside from being really tired for about 1½ days, I like

it better than the pills. Best of luck to you whichever route you

choose to take.....Doreen

>

> Re-introduced MTX the day before Thanksgiving with the same

disastrous side effects, even at half the dosage I was on before (8

tabs to 4) and even at 2 tabs per week so... No more MTX for me. One

thing that SUCKS about this is... I KNOW it was working because it is

the only thing that helps the pain in my elbows and ankles. (I also

dose Humira weekly.) There is DEFINITELY something in the MTX/Humira

mix that helps me but the side effects are too much to bear. I did MTX

on Thurs/Fri but stopped this week per doctor's instructions. What a

difference. Mood, general feeling: GOOD Pain in elbows/ankles: Ouch.

>

> When I spoke to my doctor a week ago, we discussed Arava once again.

We also discussed the long half-life of the medication and his and my

concerns about always being the 1% that gets the " weird " side effect

and the fact that stopping the medication would not necessarily make

said side effect go away. Anywho... Fast forward talking to my

husband. He is 100% absolutely AGAINST me even trying this medication.

Why? Because I AM usually that 1%.

>

> What he fails to understand is.... I need something that is going to

HELP me get to where I need to be as far as controlling my symptoms. I

have been flaring since my birthday and the only thing that has helped

(besides my 4 weeks of MTX) is Prednisone. I can't stay on that forever!!!

>

> So here is what I am looking for.... Arava success stories as well

as those who had side effects and specifically, which kind. You can

either post onlist or email me directly: kamilleon@... I cannot take

the Sulfa one because... I am allergic to Sulfa.

>

> Thanks again!

>

>