Hey you guys! It has been a long time since I posted. Sorry it took me so long but I am so busy with work. I just wanted to get some opinions about my current condition. Pip, I just got your message that you sent like 2 months ago, I will give you the name so you can take it off the list.
anyway, lately I have been hurting so bad.
I am currently on 25mg of MTX a week. 15mg day Prednisone. 200 mg Plaq. and 2 mg of folic acid.
I was doing well for a while of 7.5 mg pred but started to swell some more so I went up to 10 mg pred. I got sick and stopped the MTX one week (doctors orders)Around the same time, I Started getting major pain and inflammation in my wrists, hands and shoulders. I mean a FIERCE flare. I called my Rheumy three days ago and she said go up to 15 mg of prednisone, which is where I am today. After I take the Pred the flare goes down considerably but right about 2-3 am I get ALOT of pain and can barely get up in the morning. How come the predsione isn't lasting as long as it did before? Is this just a temporary flare? Could not taking the MTX one week cause this massive swelling/pain.
I took a vicodin and it didn't even phase the pain/swelling. Anyone have any suggestions on pain killers?
ONE WORD
OUUUUUUUUCH!!!Hey zeekman, I'm sorry you're not doing great right now. It really is a matter
of finding out what works for you, since we're all precious individual RA
snowflakes.
One thing i find really helps with inflammation are high doses of fish oil
(made from the body of the fish, not the liver). Studies ahve shown people
who take high doses of fish oil with their regular drugs are twice as likely to
go into clinical, drug maintained remission. However, like all RA treatments
it can take over 3 months to be effective.
Also, limit intake of omega 6 fatty acids (found in vegetable oils and corn,
mostly---use olive oil!) I take 10 1000mg Fish oil a day, equalling 3000mg
combined EPA/DHA, and it really helps to keep inflammation down.
Hey Zekeman!
I was worried about you! Hope you feel better soon. Some of these guys can jump in on the traditionals - Predisone made me worse so I can't help you there. :-(
Thanks for agreeing to send the name - we kind of need that. :-)
Pip
Hi , I believe the lack of MTX, can really set you back. 15 preds would seem enough to last the 24 hours, but maybe, you could spread them out 7mgs then 8mgs in the evening to give you the over night relief you want (and surely need), I hope you can escape the pain. so sorry, Sarah LyndaZeekman, I take percocett which is way better than Vicoden. Problem is, you build up a tolerance on painkillers. I don't get high at all on my Percocett; which I used to. I personally like not getting high, I can actually read, but problem is, it is not cutting the pain like it used to When I was on 10mg of pred I took 5 in the morning and 5 at night. That pretty much got me through. I would spread it out.Was wondering where you were Zeekman! So sorry you are not doing well right now.
I'm wondering if you have to drop the plaquenil and move on to a biologic like humira or enbrel. Might also have to up that pred dose for a bit until the flare gets under control.
thanks for the tip on splitting up the prednisone. It helped alot!