On Orencia, off MTX & Folic Acid, & on Arava with no pain medications!

March 17, 2009

Went to my Rheumy appt today. Yippee. I don't think Orencia is helping me & all

OTC pain meds, Ultram & Vicodin have stopped helping as I've built up a

tolerance for them...what a sucky day.

He thinks Orencia is still the best medication but that the MTX isn't working so

I'm still on Orencia for the next 3 months, I'm to stop the MTX & Folic acid on

Monday. Instead of taking MTX on it's usual day I'm to start 10mg of Arava

(Generic: Leflunomide) for 1 week then 20mg daily from then on. From what I've

been hearing about Arava I'm not real thrilled about being put on it.

He listened to me closely when I told of my ongoing pain/heat in my hands/wrists

& tested (tortured) me allegedly to see if he caught a whiff of fibro. Thank

goodness he doesn't think that has been added to my plate.

My sleeping habits, or lack thereof, was my other big issue. I've built up

tolerance for all OTC pain relief, Ultram, & Vicodin.I'm sure you know what I'm

talking about here. Dealing with the pain during the day but when you stop

moving and try to relax....but you can't? My 8 yr old doesn't even try to crawl

in bed (from nightmares) anymore. She told me I move more in bed than she does.

That's saying something right there!

Rheumy consulted his Big Book of Answers & said the next drug on the list to try

is Percocet but due to my parttime job I can't take it. Lovely. For those who

don't recall me I'm the gal who drives a 10-wheeler for a local township in

central Illinois. I haven't slept more than 2 hours at a stretch for probably 3

months. I've tried hot cocoa before bedtime as well as getting in the hot tub.

By the time I dry off, climb the stairs and crawl in bed the hot tub warmth has

worn off and I'm back where I started. Anybody got any ideas? Besides whackin'

myself in the head with a hammer?

Thanks for listening....chuckling....sypmathizing....all o' that stuff. I hope

you folks have a great nights rest! I'll be thinking about all of you and all

those sheep jumping over the fences, rebuilding the fences, recapturing the

sheep, counting the sheep.....

Dalanne

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