? about first med. to treat RA | Arthritis Information

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I have read so many posts about meds. I go to reheumy. wed. I may or may not get a dx.'s but I am responding well to the predisone my orthopedic gave me fri.

I was wondering what do reheumy's usually start you off with for RA.I have read alot about these injections.Is this a very common way of treating RA?Do the injections become a part of the treatment when other meds. have not worked?

I wonder too if my bloodwork continues to show no RA and I am responding well with the predisone will the reheumy. keep me on the predisone even if my bloodwork is normal?I hope so.I feel so much better.I mean, right now I am hurting some in my upper back and a little in joints but nothing like I was .I even went to the er due to this pain Monday.I just don't want to hurt anymore.I don't feel as sick anymore either.I felt awful besides being in pain.

I am weaning off of the predisone everyday.I hope that doesn't mean the pain is gonna creep back.I took 6 5mg. yesterday and 5 today then down to 1 eventually.Is this usually enough predisone to get rid of RA inflamation?And too, do some of you still have to take pain meds. even while on predisone?

Sorry for all the questions.I just want to understand as much about this just incase my reheumy. dx.'s me with RA wed.

Thanks everybody.

That's my experience.  Roxanne

My rheumy started out with nsaids and predisone.  I didn't get methotrexate for some time and then I only took three a week and now I'm up to eight.  I just started pred again and my dose is 40mg a day for 7 days and then I wean down for 5 weeks and stay at 5mg until October when I see him again.  I go off/on pred based upon how I feel.  In fact, my pred dosage is so high that he has told me that I can start a cycle if I don't feel well and I don't even have to ask.  He probably feels safe because he knows I hate taking pills.  I have never had a MRI, x-ray, etc.  He just bases my dx on my description of pain and stiffness and my sed rate which is the only test that supports that I'm not making up the pain.  cHRISTINE...i WAS ON pREDNISONE FOR TWO YEARS AND GAINED 40 LBS PLUS MOOD SWINGS, EXPERIENCED INFECTION RESISTANCE AND NOW DEALING WITH ADREANAL ISSUES DUE TO LONG TERM PREDNISONE USE.  ADDING A DMARD TO YOUR DRUG MIX AND GETTING OFF PREDNISONE WOULD BE IN YOUR BEST INTEREST.  BELIEVE ME!!  PM ME IF YOU WANT MORE INFO.
Hi Sheila,

When I first had my major flare, before being dx, I
was in extreme pain. My hands and arms and knee
were swollen like balloons. It was first believed that
the problems were due to a work injury so I was
going thru treatment for an rsi. That lasted almost 3
mos. without any relief. By then I was very
depressed because the pain was so bad, and it
seemed that it might be like that forever.

My workers comp doctor did a sed rate blood test
and said that it was 94. He felt I should go see a rd.
He gave me a pred dose pack (like you have) to take
before going to the RD. It was like a miracle!! It gave
me real hope that there might be life without pain.
There was really a drastic difference.

However, when I finished to dosage and was no
longer taking it, things did flare up again. When I
went to the RD he put me on pred again-a steady
dosage of about 20 mg per day until the mtx kicked
in.

I still take pred now about 7.5 mg. trying to wean off.
But like Roxy said, when I get down below 5 I flare,
but I'm really trying to wean off. The major side effect
for me has been weight gain...about 40 lbs since
February. But I have to say that if I started
experincing that pain again, I would take it
again-short term only.

I do agree with Karen that long term use can cause
some very undesirable side effects, such as she
mentioned in her post. I think short term, intermittent
use can be benificial, but in the long term, best to be
taking something else.

Take care!!


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