making progress...I think! | Arthritis Information

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A quick recap: After taking Humira for 2 and a half years it stopped working last summer.  I changed to Enbrel and Arava which worked very well; better than the Humira.  Then about 3 months ago I developed an allergic reaction that caused a rash which spread to about 80% of my body...my "giant tomato" experience.  The dermatologist put me on pred and I had to stop all the RA meds.  The pred slowly, over 2 months or so, brought the rash under control and kept the RA symptoms at bay.  When I tried to taper off the pred the RA flared to the point that I could barely walk so my RD kept me on 10mg/day of pred to keep it under some control.  I started Orencia two weeks ago, second infusion yesterday, and a low dose 7.5mg/wk of MTX. 

I'm doing well now but just started tapering the pred (7.5 mg/day now) so I'm anxiously waiting to see what happens...hopefully the Orencia and MTX will work for me.  It can be such a struggle to find something that works and then it poops out on you...very frustrating.
 
I know many of you are struggling much more than I am, and wish you well in your journey.  My heart goes out to you.  It helps me remember how much I have to be grateful for.
 
Alan
 
PS: I truly appreciate many of your kind words when I've posted some of my poems in the past.  It is my way of speaking from the depths of my heart and sharing my experience and I'm thankful that it has connected in a meaningful way with others.  It feels good not to be alone!
Thank you for sharing your good news! It is always a pleasure to read of someone's tentative success!

Best wishes, Shug
I'm pleased that things are coming under control for you Alan and hope that they stay that way for a much longer period than before.

You are one of the few men that I know that can speak from the heart and those words that enter our space are words that have inspired me to be even more creative and I thank you for that.

To be able to let those words rise from the heart  and cast to the wind is a special gift of somebody that is very sincere.
Alan, great news!  I hope you continue on your path to feeling better.  I hope you are still writing poetry, the world doesn't have enough poetry.

Best wishes on continue improvements on your health and a well lit path to follow.
Happy to hear that the Orencia is working for you so quickly. I hope it continues to help you for a long time. Good Luck with the pred tapering!
 
Please do keep us updated on your progress.
to the top Wow sorry about the two month rash. That Arava really stays in your system along time if you have an allergy. Glad things seem to be looking up for you. We will keep our fingers crossed. I am the queen bee of allergies so it gets very frustrating. The good news is well they keep making new meds so i hope they make alot. I go threw them pretty fast sometimes.
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