Just wondering if anyone has had the same problems with meds. I have been taking mtx and enbrel for 2 and a half years. I get both injections once a week at my rheumy office. It used to be that I would get sick that night and be sick for part of the next day. Then I took Zofran to help with the nausea and it seemed to help. For the last 6-8 months however, I now get severe stomach pain and am so sick that I am in bed all that night and the next day and still don't feel so well the following day. I am not sure what why I am now getting much sicker than before. Anyone else experience bad sickness and/or stomach pain on these meds? The combo works really well for me and controls my RA great. I am afraid I am going to have to change meds though because I cannot tolerate being sick 2-3 days a week. Its gotten so bad I have been skipping my shots A LOT lately. I have had a complete Upper GI done and there is nothing wrong with my stomach they say. I do have GERD but had that long before I had RA. Any suggestions?
Enbrel use to make me feel kind of sick to my stomach, I lived on freezy pops.I would feel really sleepy with no energy after taking my shot. My BIL used to always say, "that Enbrel is kicking your butt isn't it"? yep.........2 times a week when I took my shots it would absolutely just about knock me out. Also had trouble with asthma at the time.
Have you thought about adding in a lot of probiotics? You can get them at most health food stores. Try 3 - 4 times the dosage. If you had out of contol intestinal bacteria a biologic would suppress the good stuff and the bad would get more out of control. Adding in a LOT more good could possibly help you a lot.
Run a search here for 'probiotic's". You'll get a lot of posts and even non-APer's say it's helped them alot. It might buy you a lot more time on the meds.
Pip
I know this sounds crazy but I take regular Robutussin on the day before I take the MTX and it really helps with the sickness and tiredness. My RD suggested it to me.Mtx making me sick is why I had to stop taking the med. I took it in pill form though. I would take my med on a Friday night and would be sick until the next Friday morning just in time for another dose that night. It gave me severe stomach and believe or not increased joint pain. When I started vomiting from it my rheumy took me off of it altogether.
Me,I was on the pill's first(mtx) made me really sick. RD thought I would do better on the shots. I do better with the stomach issue,but the fatigue is the worst.
Pip, I think the probiotics would be good for you weather you get sick or not. Can you get that at G.N.C
Yes MTX defintely makes me sick for at least one day and sometimes