Re: 3 Questions... (Fatigue, Alcohol and Prednisone)

[Guest guest]

Sam- First off, dont do any physical activity. Drink lots of fluids, gatorade for one. I make a mimosa type drink out of hot water and orange juice with equal. Pomegranate and grape juices help too. I take a mega multi vitamin. Folic acid offsets the MTX fatigue. Prednisone redistributes your water and fat so you wind up with a cabbage patch face. Shock doses of prednisone for me are only used for surgery. Far too dangerous I think, but you have to do what you need to. Eat alot of fruit and veggies. Treat yourself to some deep quality rest. Save up your energy for your vacation. I should talk of course, having seeded one side of our lawn today. I will feel it tomorrow. Yours, Deborah

[Guest guest]

Hi Sam,

I have never heard anything about not drinking alcohol with Humira. I have

been on if for well over a year and while I can't even remember the last time I

had a drink, I know I have been able to have half a bottle of wine while on it.

If someone has an energy answer I would like to know it too! I don't know if

you are religious or not but every morning I pray to God to help me make it

through the day and everything I have to do in it. It works almost every time!

I

find too, that if I am up I can keep going, as long as its not a bad day with

the

pain. Once I lay down or sit I cannot get back up again, so I do everything I

need to and then just crash at the end of the night.

Also if you know about the Spoon Theory which you can read here:

http://butyoudontlooksick.com

I have a pewter Spoon which I bought from the website and I wear it everyday.

Knowing that I am not alone, even though I don't personally know these

people, really helps me get through the day.

> Hello one and all...

> Hope this finds you guys doing farily well. I am having one of " those " days. I

am just totally

> wiped out. I have been in a nasty flareup since last week (might have had

something to do

> with painting the hallway all by myself) and it's not letting up. My primary

care gave me

> another script for the vicoprofen and has me on a " shock " prednisone round

(up from 6/

> day to 60 for 2 days, 40 for 2 days, 20 for 2 days and then stay at 10 until I

see rheumy on

> the 13th).

> So here are my questions of the day...

>

> 1. Any tips on beating this fatigue? We are supposed to go away for the

holiday weekend

> and I need energy!!! I just got the first load of laundry in after " thinking "

about

it all day...

> am going to resume vitamins with meds tonight thinking this might help....

Any other

> bright ideas?

>

> 2. For those of you taking the usual suspects, prednisone, mtx, humira...Is it

safe to have

> the occasional cocktail? Glass of wine? I was reading somewhere and it

said NO alcohol

> whatsover with humira... I am talking like one or two glasses here, not a

night spent doing

> shots.

>

> 3. Just a curious prednisone ? How come my ankles are less swollen and

yet my face is

> more swollen... is the swelling just re-distributing itself??? This is the

most

bizarre drug.

>

> Thanks as usual for all of your wonderful words of wisdom and support....

> Sam

[Guest guest]

1. If that Prednisone doesn't help the fatigue I have no idea of what else to try.

2. Most RA medications are hard on the liver and so is alcohol. You should be getting blood work every month or two and you should get copies of the results. I think if your blood tests for liver function have been normal then a couple of drinks will probably not hurt. However if your liver function tests are near the limit then any alcohol could be bad for you. I haven't heard of Humira being especially bad with alcohol.

3. Prednisone is a strong anti-inflammatory and it also encourages weight gain. If your ankles were swollen because of inflammation the Prednisone might reduce the inflammation and thur reduce the swelling. Weight gain from Prednisone is often seen first and most severely in the face. Thus Prednisone may have different effects in different parts of the body. God bless.

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

From: twinsmomsam2000

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 5:07 PM

Subject: 3 Questions... (Fatigue, Alcohol and Prednisone)

Hello one and all...Hope this finds you guys doing farily well. I am having one of "those" days. I am just totally wiped out. I have been in a nasty flareup since last week (might have had something to do with painting the hallway all by myself) and it's not letting up. My primary care gave me another script for the vicoprofen and has me on a "shock" prednisone round (up from 6/day to 60 for 2 days, 40 for 2 days, 20 for 2 days and then stay at 10 until I see rheumy on the 13th).So here are my questions of the day...1. Any tips on beating this fatigue? We are supposed to go away for the holiday weekend and I need energy!!! I just got the first load of laundry in after "thinking" about it all day... am going to resume vitamins with meds tonight thinking this might help.... Any other bright ideas?2. For those of you taking the usual suspects, prednisone, mtx, humira...Is it safe to have the occasional cocktail? Glass of wine? I was reading somewhere and it said NO alcohol whatsover with humira... I am talking like one or two glasses here, not a night spent doing shots.3. Just a curious prednisone ? How come my ankles are less swollen and yet my face is more swollen... is the swelling just re-distributing itself??? This is the most bizarre drug.Thanks as usual for all of your wonderful words of wisdom and support....Sam