I want my MTX | Arthritis Information
Well- as much as I hate taking it - after 3 weeks off I want my MTX! I'm ready to say it's more important than having my martinis.
This past week has been the most painful I've had in a long long time. I have swelling in my hands and wrists as well.
The one thing I've noticed tho is that the fatigue seems to be less......
Wahhh!!! I don't want to go to work tomorrow! After having 5 days off in a row for 2 weeks in a row....I got a little too used to all this R&R!
Hope you feel better soon!I noticed, when I've been able to take my MTX on a regular basis that I got fatigued the day I took it and for one or two days after but then it wore off. The fatigue from the RA, or maybe the pred, is much worse than the mtx though.
Don't go to work, be an unemployed bum like me and surf the internet all day.Thanks Katie. Just my 2 mgs of prednisone daily Sno. Tuesday is my MTX day so I have one day to go.
Fortunately and unfortunately we are slooooowwww at work. It's a little scary. We have 3 owners and the biggest one was bought out by a major company in our field. They are not happy with how little business we are doing. They gave us a year to become more profitable....the problem is we don't have a sales force. The company was a venture 3 companies started in order to supply their needs only. However what we make is just a small part of what they all do. They just don't seem to try and sell our product like they should. It got so bad that when outside trade started pursuing us they decided it was OK for us to do business with them. They are now bringing in the biggest revenues. It seems stupid that they say- you have a year to become more profitable when it is really in their control. We are still not allowed to hire a salesperson.....It's in their control. I think this big company just doesn't see a need for us. We are looking like more of a liability then an asset.
Meanwhile the Sunday paper today had only 1 1/2 pages of jobs. Most were education or medical related. The rest were menial jobs. I can remember when our paper had 3 sections full of ads!
Oh Bob- you're no bum!
I took MTX a while back. I took it for a very long time, was given it for MS. I took I think 7 pills once a week, I never had any side effects from it at all. I guess I was lucky.
WantobeRa:
When will you be able to start back on it. If I remeber I had to work my way up to the Dose. Will you have to do the same starting back after three weeks?
IO- no actually the dr. said take my normal six for 2 weeks and then if I'm still at the level of pain I was at right before I had to go off- start taking 8 pills. If that doesn't get me in a better place he wants me to consider MTX injections or adding a TNF Blocker. I have a feeling I might be ok with the level of pain I was at before I went off after getting a taste of what pain is again- being off for three weeks....well.. as much as I hate that you're suffering...
perhaps this is a good thing for those of us who haven't had to go off MTX but wonder if it's working?, to hear..
I take it... religiously every Saturday... and it use to wipe me out on Sunday... but when I take enbrel on Friday... I don't feel as bad on Sunday or Monday..... weird....
I hope you get right back to previous levels of feeling good... I know you were doing pretty good before the stop of MTX... how's the teeth?
Sorry you've been in so much pain...hope you're feeling better soon!
I doubt know about the other AU's and their experiences but I am never taken off MTX or other DMARD'S when I have an infection or any other issues. I just keep all the DMARD'S going on as scheduled.
Hope you feel better soon.
I absoultely noticed its effect this week. I havent gone without in I dont know how long, but sometimes I forget how much it helpsWannabefree why did you stop taking your MTX? I take mine on Sunday and am now up to 8 pills. I usually fall asleep right after I take it and wake up feeling great (except I can't walk - nothing is helping my feet and ankles). I take a B-12 multi vitamin on Saturday because I know I will take MTX on Sunday and I tell you it has kept me from being fatigued. My doc told me taking vitamins would help a lot and it does.I had a cellulitis infection in my gum which made my doctor say no MTX until it cleared up and an extra week to be safe. His mindset is that MTX can make an infection spread or hard to cure.
I take B12 every day as my levels tested low. I haven't noticed it doing me any good honestly although my levels went up to the bottom of the normal level.
I still think I have thyroid issues. My son recently tested and his levels were not as high as mine (for hypothroidism) but they are having him repeat the test tomorrow. I will be anxious to see if his doctor puts him on anything if it hasn't changed because his dr. is the husband of my doctor who is calling me borderline even though the level is above what is considered normal.
Yes Babs- this was a real lesson for me. Remember I was having doubts when I found out I am really sero-negative? I was wondering if I needed the MTX at all....now I know I do.
Thanks for the well wishes from everyone!
Oh yeah and my teeth.... still getting the intermittent throb. I had a hard time getting comfortable in the bed last night with my sore joints and then my darn teeth started acting up. Also the front bottom teeth are still slightly tender if I put my tongue against them and I'm hoping that doesn't mean another cellulitis infection is starting. if it does a root canal will be in definate order but also more time off the MTX Wanttobe-Did you go back on your MTX? How bad did it get without it? I'm also curious as time goes along how long it will take to get back to feeling better.
I've been putting off shoulder surgery because of the whole MTX thing. I will eventually give in because my shoulder is pretty bad, but I dread coming out of remission. La
Hi La- Yes I went back on my MTX on Tuesday. I was off a total of 3 doses. At first I felt fine then at about 2 weeks and 2 days I started on a decline. I still feel as if I'm in one even though I took it 3 days ago. I woke up 4 am with shoulders and hands so painful I went out in my chair to lie on my heated throw. I couldn't lay in bed. Today my hands are so painful- especially my left one, that I have on what my boss calls my Michael Jackson gloves. You know the fingerless ones that support the hands and wrists...
I'll keep you posted on my progress back. After I take 2 doses I was instructed to increase to 8 pills because prior to the infection I was feeling like I could be feeling better than I was.
You know what makes me feel bad? Is that the meds make ya'll sick and/or fatigued. I have taken MTX before it never made me sick nor fatigued. It did however to make me hurt worse.
I am now on Imuran, it is one of the alternatives for MTX, and I can hardly tell a difference of it helping me or not. I just take it because I am suppose to, because it is suppose to help the Remicade work more effective. But if I sleep through my next dose... I can never tell by increased pain or problems. I could when I was on 200mg of Imuran, but the 100mg I cannot tell a difference.
The Imuran does not make me sick nor fatigued. When I was on 200mg it made me lightheaded for a couple of hours after taking it. But... that went away when I was bumped down to 100mg.
I hope you get back to doing better really soon, Wannabe!
Thanks all! Yes that heated throw was my best Christmas present.
Sno- to answer you from another thread- I did not get my husband spandex yoga clothes- ROFL! Oh I don't even want to picture that in my mind! I just bought him some silky sweats that would be comfy.
Too Funny!
Ok... I think my hubby is sexy and all... but..............................................
I would never, never want to see that in any kind of spandex! Just thought of it is scary!
To be fair- I don't want to see myself in spandex either!Wantobe-That's what I've been dreading. I have at times felt that whole "RA fraud" thing because I feel so good. I fear it's going to be a rude awakening, and I'll have to do it twice. Once to cut the scar tissue, and later to repair the tears. Argh!La- I can't tell you how many times I felt like an RA fraud too! Then I found out that I was sero-negative which I didn't know and felt more like maybe this isn't RA. Then I started feeling crappy so I believed it more. Then I got the infection and had to go off the MTX and now I don't feel like a fraud anymore.
How long will you need to be off MTX? Does your shoulder hurt now? It sounds like it would be worth your while to have it done if you need it done in 2 steps. Sounds like it could get worse for you if you let it go...
Wanttobe-Both times I will have to go off 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after the surgeries. I am finally to the point that I will at least schedule the capsulotomy sp.? And hold my breath about a relapse. The pain is getting pretty bad.
Then we'll see. I can't tell how much pain is from the tears, and how much pain is from the frozen shoulder. I understand that that surgery is really painful. And its like 6 months without use of the shoulder. Argh! I will have to buy one of those blow dryers that hang on the wall!Wanttobe, I take MTX injections. I was off for a month because I had pneumonia. It is so hard to fight the illness of whatever it is that gets you down, but then to have to deal with the RA pain on top of it all... I hope you feel better soon and try not to stress about the job too much, it will only make you feel more rotten.
La- 6 months without use of the shoulder! That's rough! If you want to be on the slopes next year you better get it done pretty soon. I was just thinking of one of those hair dryers myself...
Thanks for the well wishes Waddie!
Yeah-El sucko! It would be ideal to do the big one after graduation, and then hide all summer! That's right you have a HS graduate this year!
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