Re: Adventures in Rheumy-land

July 10, 2009

Hi OKD: I am so sorry you are feeling badly. I do know it takes awhile

for these R.A. meds. to work. Very frustrating when you want to feel

better right now. Has your Rheumy given you anything for pain? If it

is not strong enough, then put in a call to her so you can get something

that works on your pain.

We all have to find the right meds. that work for us. Right now I

am in a med. induced remission. I have not had a R.A. flare since last

Oct., and am pain free. I am on Placquenil, Sulfasalazine, MTX

injections, and Prednisone. I am now cutting down on the Pred. very

slowly. I am trying again to get off it. We shall see. I have not

been successful in the past.

I hope your meds. start to work for you. Wishing you pain free

days ahead. Everyone here knows what you are going through. I hope you

can start to relax a little, and hopefully, your blood pressure will go

down. There will be better days ahead.

Hugs,

Barbara

--- In , " cofade_2000 " <Cofade_2000@...>

wrote:

>

> hi group:

>

> Sorry I havent posted this week, been feelling very crappy. So, I go

to the Rheumy, I tell her the MTX is not working, so she explains she

stsrted me on a lo dose to see if I could tolerate it, etc. and my tests

say I can, etc....so she is going to up it to 6 pills a week, because I

tell her its not working, I am not having hot flares so much but the

stiffness, and breakthru pain has increased...blah blah. Plus, now all

of a sudden I have high B/P (never in my life, but maybe its the

stress??)

>

> Anyways, come to find out that she prescribed me the Leucovin

(Folinaic acid) EVERY DAY as opposed to once a week and THAT may have

prevented the MTX from not working (oh joy!). I am miffed, but I also

know people mkes mistkes, and she is a nice person, so I forgive her

apology and agree to move forward.

>

> Startng Enbrel after my TB test and I pray I will feel better soon

>

> OKD...

>

July 10, 2009

I would say to just be patient with the MTX. It has been a wonder drug for

me. As for the folic acid, I don't think that it has anything to do with

whether or not the MTX would start working. I have been told that it is to

mainly reduce the chances of hair loss from the MTX. Anyway, it took about

three weeks at the full dosage of 6 tablets for it to start working for me.

I tried to taper off (with my rheumatologist's permission) in late Spring

and had a flare, so I am now back up to my maintenance dosage of 5 tablets

per week. Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

Jackie

On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 8:36 AM, cofade_2000 <Cofade_2000@...> wrote:

>

> hi group:

>

> Sorry I havent posted this week, been feelling very crappy. So, I go to the

> Rheumy, I tell her the MTX is not working, so she explains she stsrted me on

> a lo dose to see if I could tolerate it, etc. and my tests say I can,

> etc....so she is going to up it to 6 pills a week, because I tell her its

> not working, I am not having hot flares so much but the stiffness, and

> breakthru pain has increased...blah blah. Plus, now all of a sudden I have

> high B/P (never in my life, but maybe its the stress??)

>

> Anyways, come to find out that she prescribed me the Leucovin (Folinaic

> acid) EVERY DAY as opposed to once a week and THAT may have prevented the

> MTX from not working (oh joy!). I am miffed, but I also know people mkes

> mistkes, and she is a nice person, so I forgive her apology and agree to

> move forward.

>

> Startng Enbrel after my TB test and I pray I will feel better soon

>

> OKD...

>

July 10, 2009

OKD,

I hope with the increase of mtx, and the daily Leucovin you start

feeling better. I was on the mtx pills, and then started on the mtx

injections. The Enbrel will help so much, so just hang in there.

I started having high blood pressure problems, about four years ago. I

believe the pain raises blood pressure. I finally got mine under

control recently, with Benicar. I was on two other meds, and I was

having Edema. What a mess, you just have to stay on top it. All I can

say, is sometimes doctors do make mistakes, their only human.

Good luck, hopefully the right med combo,

Tawny

--- In , " cofade_2000 " <Cofade_2000@...>

wrote:

>

> hi group:

>

> Sorry I havent posted this week, been feelling very crappy. So, I go

to the Rheumy, I tell her the MTX is not working, so she explains she

stsrted me on a lo dose to see if I could tolerate it, etc. and my tests

say I can, etc....so she is going to up it to 6 pills a week, because I

tell her its not working, I am not having hot flares so much but the

stiffness, and breakthru pain has increased...blah blah. Plus, now all

of a sudden I have high B/P (never in my life, but maybe its the

stress??)

>

> Anyways, come to find out that she prescribed me the Leucovin

(Folinaic acid) EVERY DAY as opposed to once a week and THAT may have

prevented the MTX from not working (oh joy!). I am miffed, but I also

know people mkes mistkes, and she is a nice person, so I forgive her

apology and agree to move forward.

>

> Startng Enbrel after my TB test and I pray I will feel better soon

>

> OKD...

>

July 10, 2009

Jackie,

If OKD was taking the weekly dose of leucovorin daily, it is quite

possible that it reduced the efficacy of her MTX.

Not an MD

On Fri, Jul 10, 2009 at 11:27 AM, J C<jackie.cogburn@...> wrote:

> I would say to just be patient with the MTX. It has been a wonder drug for

> me. As for the folic acid, I don't think that it has anything to do with

> whether or not the MTX would start working. I have been told that it is to

> mainly reduce the chances of hair loss from the MTX. Anyway, it took about

> three weeks at the full dosage of 6 tablets for it to start working for me.

> I tried to taper off (with my rheumatologist's permission) in late Spring

> and had a flare, so I am now back up to my maintenance dosage of 5 tablets

> per week. Hope this helps. Good luck to you.

> Jackie

July 10, 2009

Precisely! Thats is why i am so upset. I have spent the last month MISERABLE,

and taking folinaic acide every day insted of once a week. Ugh. Mostly its my

ankles and jaw, but hey I lost 10 pounds this month (thats a plus)

I got the Enbrel support program co pay card. So my insurance pays 90 and the

Enbrel people pay the 10% for a year, then I am not sure what i am going to do,

because the 10% turns out to be $150 a month (not conting my other meds, which

puts me up to like $275 per month, I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Sometimes I feel like quitting my job going on welfare. then I would have " visa

gold " MEDICAID and I would get everything for free. Seems like the working

people always get the short end of the stick.....

OKD - starting Enbrel next week and looking forward to it working!!

>

> Jackie,

>

> If OKD was taking the weekly dose of leucovorin daily, it is quite

> possible that it reduced the efficacy of her MTX.

>

> Not an MD

>

July 11, 2009

What do you mean by " folinaic acide " ? Is that like folic acid, which I take daily

due to the Methotraxate? Love the Visa Gold Medicaid card! When I became

eligible for SSDI the Medicaid people told me I do not qualify for Medicaid. But

I'm disabled I said. I went to Social Security where they told me I do not

qualify for Medi-Care, but I am disabled I said. So I signed up for s state

health insurance program, they sent me a letter telling me I am no longer

eligible (state budget cuts. But I'm disabled I said, hear that? That's the

sound of crickets chirping in the background.

Stan,

Seattle, dark.

Subject: [ ] Re: Adventures in Rheumy-land

Precisely! Â Thats is why i am so upset. Â I have spent the last month

MISERABLE, and taking folinaic acide every day insted of once a week. Â Ugh.

Â Mostly its my ankles and jaw, but hey I lost 10 pounds this month (thats a

plus)

I got the Enbrel support program co pay card. Â So my insurance pays 90 and the

Enbrel people pay the 10% for a year, then I am not sure what i am going to do,

because the 10% turns out to be $150 a month (not conting my other meds, which

puts me up to like $275 per month, I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

Â Sometimes I feel like quitting my job going on welfare. then I would have

" visa gold " MEDICAID and I would get everything for free. Â Seems like the

working people always get the short end of the stick.....

OKD - starting Enbrel next week and looking forward to it working!!

July 11, 2009

Hi OKD - after a year, you re-apply with Enbrel and they extend their assistance

if you still qualify. That's what they told me. Hope you get good results with

the Enbrel.....Doreen