Just got back from my appointment with the rhumy. I was on 5mg of Pred for 2 months. ( along with the Plaquenil) Didn't really do any good.....he's upping my Pred. to 10mg. I said, "any other options?" He said let's just try this for 2 wks. Then call me, let me know if it's helping- if it's not, I'll write you a script for pain meds until we can give the Plaq. a full 4 months to kick in.
Does that sound like an ok option???
Have you been taking the plaquenil since you were diagnosed in February? I usually give meds 3 months to kick in, but that is just me. Plaquenil is a real mild first line drug to treat ra with and it is the one that the docs usually start out with. It can take quite sometime for it to build up in your system and see any effects from it. For some people, it works great and that is all they need. The way insurance works sometimes and getting them to pay for meds is that we have to "fail" one to move on to the other. I know it's stupid but that is what the idiot bean counters make us do.
Make sure you call back in the 2 weeks. Even if the pred works...you really don't want to be on it long term it is such a nasty drug. I would still ask to explore other meds if the plaquenil is not working for you on its own. Maybe add mtx instead of pred? Or change everything all together and go to mtx and a biologic?
let us know how you are doing!
Yep, I started the Plaq. about 2 wks after my diagnosis (had to get the eye exam before I started it...took me 2 wks to get in) So I've been on both meds about 2 1/2 months. He did say that it takes a while for the Plaq. to kick in.(up to 4 months) His words were, " I don't want to start you on the chemo (MTX) until we know that the Plaq. isn't going to work." So I'm ok giving the Plaq. more time to work....I just hate being on the Pred. But I guess if the 10mg will help the pain...I'll deal with it for a short time??
Thanks for your help. Plaquenil is probably our slowest acting medication. Giving it 4 months is a reasonable amount of time. I think it is ok, it is only 2 weeks. If you can get the inflammation down, it sometimes stays down.Amylynn, is there anyway possible you can do some alternative things to
keep your pain in control until the Plaq kicks in. Pred is a bad drug and I
hate to see you have to increase it. I know the pain is bad at times but lets
think of what else you can do to help you out to avoid falling into the pred
pit.
Lorster- That's what I'm thinking....I think I could deal with the pain I have until we can see if the Plaq. is going to do the trick. I'm tempted to just not take it and call him in 2 wks and tell him it's not working...I know then he'll write me a script for pain meds, but I don't really think my pain will be bad enough that I need them.
My good friend that has RA keeps telling me I need to get a referral to her rhumy....I'm wondering if I should go ahead and do that. My rhumy is nice...but I don't know. When he gave me my diagnosis, he told me absolutely nothing about RA...what to expect, what it really means...etc. Maybe that's normal? Maybe the Dr.'s expect us to get on-line and find out everything ourselves? If I hadn't found this board or had my friend to talk to---I'd know nothing about this disease.
Anyway....rambling here....
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