Newly diagnosed and very confused! | Arthritis Information

I have been diagnosed with RA following a year of achy joints, burning and numbness, etc. I am female, 56 years old. I've had a double bypass and thoracic surgery due to complications. I don't think I can take one more pill!!! I'm already taking meds for heart, cholesterol, hormone, depression and now they say I must take 800mg ibuprofen 3x a day along with med that is prescribed for malaria (can't remember the name). These meds are eating up my stomach regardless of taking food with them.

I feel like I have no control over my body or my health. Am I just being silly? I don't think so but don't want to overreact either.

Debbie

I have to take a Nexium every day so that my stomach can tolerate my meds.
jojo

Welcome Debbie. Glad you're here....but certainly sorry for the reason.

Taking the IUB is basically for inflammation. What other medication are you referring to? the IUB is really rough on your stomach so make sure your doctor is away that you have stomach problems. it can actually be very dangerous and often goes undetected until you end up in the ER.

I think we all know all too well about taking all the pills. I use to feel the same way but have eventually just accepted it as part of my day. It's so routine now I don't think much about it. I'd advise stocking a weekly pill box weekly that way you have them all measured out and you just open the day/timeof day and take all that's needed at once. When I first started this almost 14 years ago I could barely swallow a pill. Now I can take 10 at a time.

Glad you're here. Hope to see more of you here.

Hi Debbie...welcome!

Are you taking anything for your tummy? I know it's another pill...but you might want to talk with your doctor about this.

HI Debbie,

Your other (malaria) pill is hydroxycholoroquine, or brand name Plaquenil. A
lot of RA drugs are used for other diseases. Plaquenil is actually quite a mild
drug so you either have very mild RA (good) or a very conservative RD (bad).

Sorry you are here and I can relate about taking pills. My whole life revolves
around making it so I have to take less pills.

Good luck!PS---I take 10,000mg fish oil a day for inflammation and it works quite
well. I never have to take ibuprofen or other NSAIDS. It's easy on your
stomach, but it did take about 3 months to get effective.

Hi Debbie and welcome! I recently had to start taking Nexium due to all of the pills and it does work. You might talk to your Dr about it.

We must take our RA meds or the disease may go into a fast rate of progression. I now have GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) from all of these meds. Sometimes I think I have no room to eat with all of the pills, lol.

I just recently turned 50 and you sure can pm me if you need to talk.

Take care

Sorry! I guess I assume everyone knows what meds I take. lol. I take Toprol XL 50 mg, Lipitor 10mg, Estradiol .5 mg, baby aspirin;Wellbutrin 300 mg (helped me quit a 30 year smoking habit) plus the new ibuprofin 800 3x a day and the Pacquenil. We've tried Nexium for upset stomach but it wasn't helpful. I shouldn't whine, of course, since so many others are in much worse shape than I am.

Debbie,

I am of the opinion that NO ONE should take that much ibuprofen unless you want to destroy your entire digestive system.

You can help your inflammation and stomach problems with diet changes if you wish. It can help decrease your need for tons of medications. If you are interested, you can check out my blog below. I am still on DMARDs but I no longer need to take pain meds or steroids. Also fish oil can really help! I take 6 capsules twice a day. Not everybody tolerates that much so you have to experiment a little.

Also if you are on cholesterol lowering medication, you should be taking a supplement called CoQ10. The statins can mess with your energy uptake, and so they make you very tired and over time can damage your heart without taking the CoQ10.

Hope that helps! I know how frustrating it all can be. I felt a lot better taking control and doing things for myself in addition to going along with some of what my doctor wanted. Occasionally I have had to put my foot down and say NO MORE. But only occasionally. :)
Hi, Deb! Just wanted to say a quick hello and welcome. Hope you have a superfantastic and extra comfortable day!

Linda

Hi Debbie, There are other meds you can take for your tummy, besides Nexium. My RD put me on Protonix. With that and eating something small with the meds that cause stomach problems, I don't have much trouble with my stomach.

I take a lot of meds, too. Currently Methadone and dilaudid for pain. I just changed from morphine to dilaudid for breakthru pain, because the morphine wasn't working very well anymore. Also take propranolol, Mobic, Lasix, potassium, Effexor XR, flexeril, qualaquine, and currently 3 iron pills a day for anemia. I think there's another one, but I don't have my list in front of me

Yes, many of us take lots of meds. But we and our doctors must decide if the benefits outweigh the risks or side effects. I hope the hydroxychloriquine works for you.

Did the doctor give you any blood test results? One thing that several of us do, is to ask the doc for copies of all your lab tests, so you can keep a file. It's very helpful, especially if you see more than one specialist.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Nini

Hi Debbie, sorry about your ra dx and all your other health problems. I think you need to try something to help out your stomach. There are so many different drugs to take and it is frustrating because it takes awhile to find the right combination. Good luck and best wishes. I hope you get to feeling better soon.