Hi All and a question or two :)

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone I'm Carla...and I have RA....(@@). What an interesting year

this has been for sure.

My question to you all...is after taking the Meds for RA...I'm on

MTX,Sulfanizide (sp), Plaquanil (sp), folic acid and enbrel. Now...I'm also in

a drug study...and three of those could be a placebo or Not. MTX and folic

acid are Not placebo's. Have any of you gotten immune to them sort of

speaking....I mean your system gotten used to them and they stopped working..In

such a Short time ?? (@@).

Now....I started on these meds about 10 weeks ago..this is week 11. At

first....I was feeling TONS better as far as pain and swelling and stiffness.

Cept the MTX..where I spent 2 day sick sick sick...and loosing my hair (@@)...it

sure is getting thin now. Now for the past ohhh 2 weeks...I'm back

sliding....pain is getting Worse again..stiffness and swelling...AND..now I can

feel the RA going into my Hips and Shoulders and Elbows-more and neck and jaws.

Where as before it was only my Hands/wrists, feet, knees and ankles and

just a titch in my elbows. I'm also not getting as sick on the MTX..and I can

REALLY REALLY tell when it's help is wearing off ...til I take the next

dose....then I'm a little better.

Now I was off Enbrel for 1 week...bronchitis and ear infections...I couldnt'

tell ANY difference from when I took it.... but I can tell when the MTX starts

to wear off...does that Make any sense? and Why would these meds Stop working

for me..when they started out so good. ?? And do any of you experience any

Abdominal pain...really bad abdominal pain??? I have IBS...but now I'm having

some really bad pain on my Left side...(@@).....

Also....on the Floaters....I started getting those..it actually freaked me

out...cause I thought dirt was falling out of the ceiling on me...then I

realized it was ME.....WOW....went to the eye doc.....eyes are Great..he said

not to worry about em.....My vision has actually Improved and is now back to

20/20 Now ain't that something...LOL.

Carla

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[Guest guest]

Hi Carla and welcome. My guess is that Methotrexate is indeed starting to work for you but it is not working well enough yet to prevent continued progress of the RA. I don't think your increased pain is a medicine wearing off but just progress of RA and when the correct medicines at the correct doses for you have had time to work you will feel better and the RA will stop progressing. Eleven weeks is about right for Methotrexate to start working on average but it can work either faster or slower. It often keeps improving in effectiveness for many months. Also RA is not a constant disease but can be worse for periods of a few days to several weeks, called a flare. That may be what you are experiencing. Anyway I suggest staying with your medicines and perhaps increasing the Methotrexate if your side effects are manageable. God bless.

----- Original Message -----

From: frogge@...

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Monday, November 29, 2004 6:41 PM

Subject: Hi All and a question or two

Hi Everyone I'm Carla...and I have RA....(@@). What an interesting year this has been for sure. My question to you all...is after taking the Meds for RA...I'm on MTX,Sulfanizide (sp), Plaquanil (sp), folic acid and enbrel. Now...I'm also in a drug study...and three of those could be a placebo or Not. MTX and folic acid are Not placebo's. Have any of you gotten immune to them sort of speaking....I mean your system gotten used to them and they stopped working..In such a Short time ?? (@@).Now....I started on these meds about 10 weeks ago..this is week 11. At first....I was feeling TONS better as far as pain and swelling and stiffness. Cept the MTX..where I spent 2 day sick sick sick...and loosing my hair (@@)...it sure is getting thin now. Now for the past ohhh 2 weeks...I'm back sliding....pain is getting Worse again..stiffness and swelling...AND..now I can feel the RA going into my Hips and Shoulders and Elbows-more and neck and jaws. Where as before it was only my Hands/wrists, feet, knees and ankles and just a titch in my elbows. I'm also not getting as sick on the MTX..and I can REALLY REALLY tell when it's help is wearing off ...til I take the next dose....then I'm a little better. Now I was off Enbrel for 1 week...bronchitis and ear infections...I couldnt' tell ANY difference from when I took it.... but I can tell when the MTX starts to wear off...does that Make any sense? and Why would these meds Stop working for me..when they started out so good. ?? And do any of you experience any Abdominal pain...really bad abdominal pain??? I have IBS...but now I'm having some really bad pain on my Left side...(@@).....Also....on the Floaters....I started getting those..it actually freaked me out...cause I thought dirt was falling out of the ceiling on me...then I realized it was ME.....WOW....went to the eye doc.....eyes are Great..he said not to worry about em.....My vision has actually Improved and is now back to 20/20 Now ain't that something...LOL. Carla ___________________________________________________________Sent by ePrompter, the premier email notification software.Free download at http://www.ePrompter.com.