I have been battling RA for 3 years. Presently I am takeing 15 mg of Methotrexate and 6 mg of Prednisone and take advil all day long.
I tried Enbrol last year for 10 months and could not get off Prednisone with out suffering severe pain, which lead me to believe that Enbrol was not effecting much change. Prednisone relieves the pain, but comes with so many side effects.- disrupts sleep and increases anxiousness, etc.
Here is my question:
Thanks for the reply.
Marta
I have never been on Embrel but I have been on Humira for almost a year. It has been fantastic for me with no bad side effects. I could clench my fist within 20 minutes of the first injection something I had not been able to do for several years. I came off Pred very slowly and had a few rough days but did not need to up the dosage. I have now come off of Methotrexate as well and a lot of the things I was blaming on Methotrexate (tiredness etc.) I seem to still have. Now all I take is Humira once every two weeks and Diclofenac if I get any pain (about 3 times in the last year for a day or two). My biggest worry is that the Humira might stop working. Best of luck. Hope you feel better soon.
Thanks for the reply- so you are off Prednisone and Methotrexate completely?
If you don't mind me asking, how much prednisone were you on and when did you start to wean yourself off?
And what is Diclofenac?
Hi Marta, I have found melatonin to helpful for nights I can't get to sleep. I have allergies to many medications but this one seems to be alright. I split the tablet in half and just take one half, not later than about 10 PM if I have to get up in the morning for work at around 6.Hi Marta, Yes I am off Pred and MTX altogether. I can't remember how much Pred I took as it is over 6 months ago that I stopped it completely (I think 3 tablets a day 2.5 each tablet but cannot be sure) I reduced to two a day, then one a day and then one every other day over about a two month period. I knew the Humira was working but wanted to see if I could stop Pred. I reduced MTX in a similar way from 10 a week down to 1 a week and then none at all. Feel tired but that is about all. Diclofenac is a NSAID which I think is aspirin based similar to Ibuprofen or Voltarol. I live in UK so they might go under a different name where you are. I find I don't get a full nights sleep on Humira, but I just get up and watch TV or read for an hour or so, then go back to bed. I sometimes have an afternoon nap as well.Natural anti-inflamm's: turmeric, fish oil, boswellia, white cherry, a diet low in sugar & fats, N-acetyl cysteine.... Dr. Whitaker makes a good supplement (Jt & Muscle Comfort) that acts as a natural COX-2 inhibitor (like Vioxx). As far as RX goes, I find Celebrex better than Advil -- with no stomach upset.
With that pred., your blood sugar might be wacky or you might get a yeast infection. (Blood sugar wackiness is where the diabetes risk comes in.) A good probiotic (like live bacillus cultures in yogurt) is a plus for managing the tendency for candida (yeast) to grow.
C-glutamine or l-glutamine helps repair damaged intestinal/esophageal cells (damaged by steroid use). Might want to read up on it.
Milk thistle detoxes the liver (which is burdened by MTX & prednisone).
Sleep? Melatonin (in .25 mg) is good for a one-time sleep aid. BUT people with autoimmune disease shouldn't take it 'cause it revs up your already hyper IS. Try valerian (an herb) instead. But careful your dose -too much and you fall asleep at 2:30 pm! Also heard that l-tyrosine (amino acid) is good sleep aid before bedtime. Prayer, meditation or Swedish massage might be helpful sleep aids, too.
Best wishes, Marta!
I didnt have any luck with Enbrel or Humira, but I think of the two the Enbrel was a little better as far as the RA is concerned. I had killer migraines from it though. I havent been on prednisone for a long time, since before starting the biologics. My doc doesnt want me on it due to low bone density scores. I really have to say that everyone reacts differently to the meds, and it is such an individualized thing. Unfortunatly you have to resign yourself to being a guinnea pig and just test stuff out.
There are some good suggestions here for sleeps aids, please check with your doctor to make sure they are safe for you to take. Some herbals can interfere with your meds or be unsafe in certain medical conditions...usually it is okay, but always best to to be safe than sorry. And, make sure you list them on your meds list when visiting the doctor. Herbals count too.
I hope you get some relief, and some sleep soon!!!!I was never on Enbrel but was on Humira, every week. It did not work for me and I had terrible headaches with it, have been on MTX 20mg for almost two years, along with Remicade infusions, 6 vials, eery 6 weeks. Because of my inability to sleep, they have given me Atarax, which helps immensely. I still take mobic and folic acid and vicoden for the break thru pain, and am feeling somewhat normal now. Good luck, there is plenty of info on both humira and enbrel on webmd.Marta,
I have taking benedryl for sleeping. You can try 50MG or 25mg. I tried 50 and woke up groggy. Now Im taking 25MG and it works pretty good. I wake up around 5 am after going to sleep at 10 but it's better than waking up at 12 Am in the morning and not getting back to sleep.
I asked the Pharmacist if this was addictive and he said NO.
When I told my doctor I couldnt sleep he pretty much shrugged it off by saying I think too much.
If you tell a Parmacist what meds you are on , they can tell you if it's OK. If you can ask your Doctor that would be better.
I was desperate. I was exhausted from not sleeping.
I hope this helps you. I understand how hard it is to go without sleep
Good luck
BarbLyprinol is a natural anti inflammatory (in Aust) it is 60 times stronger than fish oil. There is some good info in this thread. My concern always is will the herbs interact negatively with the conventional meds. I wish there was a way to check out herb/rx drug interactions. I wake up from pain - I also have problem sleeping due to worrying. Sometimes I take a half of Ambien and it works but if I take it regular - I am very groggy all the time. Soma is good for the pain and sleep but still wake up in pain sometimes. I would love to try natural alternatives. Am I being too paranoid about piling on more supplements on top of the ones I already take - msm, folic acid, glucosomine, B vitamins, Fish oil, Calcium, and a rice/yeast herbal supplement my brother buys me every month. Who knows if any of these are working ???????
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