Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Hello everyone.... I have been on Methotrexate for just about five weeks. In speaking with my MD, I told him of the headaches I've been having. He said the headaches probably will not get better, so he is switching me to Arava. Has anyone here been on it? If so, what were the results? Any information you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to email me privately if you prefer. My email is robinmk02 at aol dot com. Thanks! Robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 3, 2007 Report Share Posted January 3, 2007 Hi Robin, Arava workeds very well for my RA. Unfortunately, my liver didn't tolerate it well at all, and I had to stop taking it after just a few weeks. But I think it's definitely worth a try! > > Hello everyone.... > > I have been on Methotrexate for just about five weeks. In speaking > with my MD, I told him of the headaches I've been having. He said the > headaches probably will not get better, so he is switching me to Arava. > > Has anyone here been on it? If so, what were the results? Any > information you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to > email me privately if you prefer. My email is robinmk02 at aol dot com. > > Thanks! > > Robin > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Robin: I just posted an inquiry about MTX injections and headaches. I get a whopper of a headache the day after the shot - I'm on week 6. How long did your headaches last? Many thanks, Paige > > Hello everyone.... > > I have been on Methotrexate for just about five weeks. In speaking > with my MD, I told him of the headaches I've been having. He said the > headaches probably will not get better, so he is switching me to Arava. > > Has anyone here been on it? If so, what were the results? Any > information you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to > email me privately if you prefer. My email is robinmk02 at aol dot com. > > Thanks! > > Robin > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 I > My headaches lasted four days following the oral dose! The headaches > only got worse as I increased the dose a couple of weeks ago. One > headache I had, you could barely see my eyes as they were so swollen. > I tried very hard to get through the headaches as my sister responds>>>>> > I have to ask...... Why don't people ask to be on different meds if they make you miserable? There are many, many meds that work for different people. I suspect people are afraid to speak up to their MDs and just say NO. Don't put up with that! As I said earlier, I won't even accept a med that makes our pigs suffer! Unless you have NO CHOICE (e.g. Chemotherapy) go to your doc and demand a change! I refused both Mtx, SufaS. and Plaquinal. (sp) Finally, I have NO side effects and my RA is in control. I also asked for REAL pain killers and sleeping pills. If you have a problem with your doc, find another one. It makes me sad to see people suffer this way. RA is bad enough... Pris's dime Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Hi Paige.. My headaches lasted four days following the oral dose! The headaches only got worse as I increased the dose a couple of weeks ago. One headache I had, you could barely see my eyes as they were so swollen. I tried very hard to get through the headaches as my sister responds so well to Mtx for her Psoriatic Arthritis, but I was told by the Dr. the headaches wouldn't get better. So, I'd have a horrific headache for four days, a three day break and then the cycle started all over again. Feel free to email me off list if you would like....robinmk02 at aol dot com (use the normal way of typing the address...only did it this way so it would come out ...). Robin > > > > Hello everyone.... > > > > I have been on Methotrexate for just about five weeks. In speaking > > with my MD, I told him of the headaches I've been having. He said the > > headaches probably will not get better, so he is switching me to Arava. > > > > Has anyone here been on it? If so, what were the results? Any > > information you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to > > email me privately if you prefer. My email is robinmk02 at aol dot com. > > > > Thanks! > > > > Robin > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Thank you, Sue!!!! How often do they monitor the blood with Arava? I couldn't find that information, however I did see they have a " drug elimination " protocol when you are going to stop the drug as it stays in your system for a long time. > > > > I have been on Methotrexate for just about five weeks. In speaking > > with my MD, I told him of the headaches I've been having. He said the > > headaches probably will not get better, so he is switching me to Arava. > > > > Has anyone here been on it? If so, what were the results? Any > > information you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to > > email me privately if you prefer. My email is robinmk02 at aol dot > > com. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 Thank you, ! > > > > Hello everyone.... > > > > I have been on Methotrexate for just about five weeks. In speaking > > with my MD, I told him of the headaches I've been having. He said > the > > headaches probably will not get better, so he is switching me to > Arava. > > > > Has anyone here been on it? If so, what were the results? Any > > information you can give me will be greatly appreciated. Feel > free to > > email me privately if you prefer. My email is robinmk02 at aol > dot com. > > > > Thanks! > > > > Robin > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 4, 2007 Report Share Posted January 4, 2007 I think I had to have blood work every three months. I guess different rheumys have different ways of doing things, though. It does stay in the system a long time, but at least they can do the drug elimination. My liver enzymes were fine while I was on Arava. It's strange how we are all so different. It really did help my pain and inflammation. Good luck with it. Sue On Thursday, January 4, 2007, at 07:40 PM, robinmk02 wrote: > Thank you, Sue!!!! > > How often do they monitor the blood with Arava? I couldn't find that > information, however I did see they have a " drug elimination " protocol > when you are going to stop the drug as it stays in your system for a > long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 I can talk to 3 of the nurses in my Rheumy's office and each one will give me a different schedule for blood tests because of the MTX. The one I believe in is 6-8 weeks unless there's a problem showing up. Then, 4 weeks or less is necessary. That's my philosophy. Dennis in Eastexas " It's not Rocket Surgery " Re: [ ] Re: Arava anyone? >I think I had to have blood work every three months. I guess different > rheumys have different ways of doing things, though. It does stay in > the system a long time, but at least they can do the drug elimination. > My liver enzymes were fine while I was on Arava. It's strange how we > are all so different. It really did help my pain and inflammation. Good > luck with it. > > Sue > > On Thursday, January 4, 2007, at 07:40 PM, robinmk02 wrote: > >> Thank you, Sue!!!! >> >> How often do they monitor the blood with Arava? I couldn't find that >> information, however I did see they have a " drug elimination " protocol >> when you are going to stop the drug as it stays in your system for a >> long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 That's pretty much wahat I as told... They wanted blood work every 4 weeks for a while, just to make sure I was tolerating it, but said once I was stable on it, that we could stretch it out to 6-8 weeks. .... Except that I'vee never gotten stable yet, so they keep wanting me to do the bloodwork monthly. :-/ > > > >> Thank you, Sue!!!! > >> > >> How often do they monitor the blood with Arava? I couldn't find that > >> information, however I did see they have a " drug elimination " protocol > >> when you are going to stop the drug as it stays in your system for a > >> long time. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 5, 2007 Report Share Posted January 5, 2007 Thank you! I did speak with the nurse today as she called to see how I was doing after the steroid shot I received yesterday. She said they will check my blood when I go back in two weeks, and then they will do it periodically, but it doesn't need to be monitored the way Mtx is (I was going every two weeks). > > > >> Thank you, Sue!!!! > >> > >> How often do they monitor the blood with Arava? I couldn't find that > >> information, however I did see they have a " drug elimination " protocol > >> when you are going to stop the drug as it stays in your system for a > >> long time. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 That shows how differently different docs handle these things. My old rheumy and the new one both wanted bloodwork every 4 weeks, whether I was on Mtx or Arava. (again, they've both said we can stretch it to 6-8 if and when my liver values remain stable for a while) I haven't had more frequent blood work since the period when I was having real trouble with the Arava, and that was to monitor a known problem, not just maintenance. > > > > > >> Thank you, Sue!!!! > > >> > > >> How often do they monitor the blood with Arava? I couldn't find that > > >> information, however I did see they have a " drug elimination " > protocol > > >> when you are going to stop the drug as it stays in your system for a > > >> long time. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 I am in the UK. I was on MTX for 4 years with monthly blood tests, now I inject once a week and have to have 2 weekly tests for 8 weeks. I have been lucky so far as I haven't had any side effects. Annette On 6 Jan 2007, at 09:11, Randall wrote: > That shows how differently different docs handle these things. My > old rheumy and the new one both wanted bloodwork every 4 weeks, > whether I was on Mtx or Arava. (again, they've both said we can > stretch it to 6-8 if and when my liver values remain stable for a > while) I haven't had more frequent blood work since the period when I > was having real trouble with the Arava, and that was to monitor a > known problem, not just maintenance. > > > > > > > > > > > >> Thank you, Sue!!!! > > > >> > > > >> How often do they monitor the blood with Arava? I couldn't > find that > > > >> information, however I did see they have a " drug elimination " > > protocol > > > >> when you are going to stop the drug as it stays in your system > for a > > > >> long time. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 I was only on Mtx pills for a couple of weeks before I switched to the injectable, but now that you mention it, yes, I do remember that in the very beginning on Mtx I had to have my bloodwork done more frequently. > > > > > > > > > >> Thank you, Sue!!!! > > > > >> > > > > >> How often do they monitor the blood with Arava? I couldn't > > find that > > > > >> information, however I did see they have a " drug elimination " > > > protocol > > > > >> when you are going to stop the drug as it stays in your system > > for a > > > > >> long time. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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