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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / May 2005Medication questions from Aussie semi-newbie
Hello everyone. I have a few questions that im hoping to get some info on before I see the rheumatologist at the end of may. I have just got back my honeymoon in the UK and Ireland (and it was wonderful too :)) and have been started on Plaquenil for my RA as I was going to be away and the dr and I decided it would be too difficult to start on methotrexate (his first choice) not long before a 6 week honeymoon overseas. Anyway I've been on the Plaquenil (2 in the morning) for 9 weeks now and its not working, the only thing controlling my pain is prednisone. The dr and I were hoping we could maintain it at no more then 10mg a day until either the Plaquenil started to work or if it didn't until we could get me started on Methotrexate. unfortunately im on 15 - 20 mg a day as anything less then that I get all the aches back in all my joints again. One of my questions is is 9 weeks long enough to know if Plaquenil will work or do you need to give it 3 months or so? Another question is how long is it ok to take prednisone at 20mg a day before you start to get nasty side effects? At the moment I have put on a little weight (from what I have read that's to be expected around my face and middle section) I'm more concerned about the more severe side effects though of course like bone density etc. One other question and this is a bit of a big one that I am going to discuss with the specialist at the end of the month but any info would be really appreciated. Having just got married we have decided we would like to have a child and I know many of the drugs for RA make getting pregnant not advisable, can someone point me to any good info or sites about pregnancy and RA? I am 37 so we want to make this happen sooner rather then later as I wouldn't want to get pregnant after 40 because of the risks of problems for the baby. I am kind of prepared that I may have to not have children because of the RA but im hoping there are medications that make it safe to do so ( I believe Plaquenil is one of those drugs which is why im still hoping it will work) Anyway thank for any info anyone has Kim Kim, I just wanted to say Congradulations on the Wedding and glad you had a great time on your honeymoon...I don't have any advice, but just a prayer that you can Have all your dreams come true... Hugs Cindy > Hello everyone. > [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > Kim Thanks Cindy Its kind of hard coming home after so long honeymooning, will be even harder having to go back to work next week, oh well gotta pay the honeymoon off :) Kim > Kim, I just wanted to say Congradulations on the Wedding and glad you had > a great time on your honeymoon...I don't have any advice, but just a [quoted text clipped - 44 lines] >> >> Kim congratulations on your marriage, kim. may you life together be filled with many wonders, joys, mutual accomplishments and many moment of just plain ol' enjoying each other's company and delighting in each other. welcome to asa take heart, kim. many here, on asa, have had children while having RA. i'm sure they will be along to give you the advice you require and their experiences. (i just happen not to have RA, so i can't go there with anything except secondhand knowledge.) good luck, hon. kate > Hello everyone. > [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > Kim Thanks Kate One of the best things I found on my honeymoon were the number of couples we happened to meet up with who had been married 20, 30 and 40 years on second honeymoons to celebrate and it was really wonderful meeting them and hearing so many wonderful things about their long and happy marriages. We met couples from USA, Canada and Australia at different bed and breakfasts we stayed at and it was a wonderful thing to see such love in people who had been together for many years. Many warm and fuzzy moments for sure. Kim > congratulations on your marriage, kim. may you life together be filled > with many wonders, joys, mutual accomplishments and many moment of just [quoted text clipped - 54 lines] >> >> Kim > Hello everyone. > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > going to be away and the dr and I decided it would be too difficult to start > on methotrexate (his first choice) not long before a 6 week honeymoon > overseas. > [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > appreciated. Having just got married we have decided we would like to have > a child and I know many of the drugs for RA make getting pregnant not > advisable, can someone point me to any good info or sites about pregnancy > and RA? I am 37 so we want to make this happen sooner rather then later as [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Kim Congrats on the marriage (best of all things to both of you)! I'm envious of the honeymoon, but hey, you live somewhere I'd like to go as well. Well, Plaquenil works pretty slowly. I'd be willing to bet that if you went off it, without another drug in its place, you'd notice that it had been working. Rather like my experience with Arava (I don't reccommend Arava either). Now, I do believe that everyone is different with Prednisone. Heck I gained 20 pounds (9.07 kilos) in two weeks, and do so every time I ever take Pred. I'm also exceptionally cranky on it, of course, except for the weight gain, I had very few reactions when I first began Pred, it was only after stopping it then restarting that the other side effects began. Also, I believe that Pred leeches calcium out of your bones from the first dose, has your doctor put you on a calcium supplement? If you want children, you do not want to be on Methotrexate. Fortunately, if you are on it for a "bit", then go off, it leaves the body quickly. Arava does not, and if you want it out of the system, you have to take another drug to do that quickly (Arava purportedly stays in the body for 2 or more years after stopping). It's definitely something you want to discuss with your RD. I'm sure of the biologics (Remicade, Humira, Enbrel, Rituxan, etc) and their potential side effects for females and pregnancy (supposedly, the side effects for the men is nowhere near as bad in reproduction). Sorry I can't be more help, but there are others here who can. Smokie Darling (Annie) Thanks for the advice Wow 9 kgs in 2 weeks I guess im going ok then Ive only put on 4kgs in 8 weeks, then again that could also be something do with all the hot breakfasts I had on my honeymoon in the UK :) Ive only been on the Plaquenil 9 weeks and it looks like it can take 3 months or more to work so I guess ill just have to be patient and wait and see. Fortunately Im not having any side effects from any of the medications apart from the slight weight gain and my pain is pretty much under control with the prednisone Im just wanting to not have tot ake it for too long if I can help it. Kim >> Hello everyone. >> [quoted text clipped - 95 lines] > > Smokie Darling (Annie) Hi Kim, congratulations on your marriage! I am so envious of your honeymoon, but I would also like to visit Australia. I would recommend not starting MTX right before trying to conceive. It can damage your eggs and cause birth defects. I was taking Azulfidine until I became pregnant and then stopped taking anything but my NSAID. I was very fortunate to have a full remission with my pregnancy and didn't even take my NSAID most of the time. Be sure to let your Dr. know that you want to conceive right away so you can make the best choice for you and your baby. Once again, welcome... Kelly C. > Hello everyone. > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > Kim > Hi Kim, congratulations on your marriage! I am so envious of your > honeymoon, [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Kelly C. or Arava and welcome. Harv Hi Kelly Thanks, it was a wonderful honeymoon. Ive read a lot about people going into remission while pregnant, that would be wonderful. Im going to have a big talk to my dr when I see him at the end of the month about pregnancy and having RA and medications etc. Thanks for the info Kim > Hi Kim, congratulations on your marriage! I am so envious of your > honeymoon, [quoted text clipped - 72 lines] >> >> Kim Welcome to the group. Arava is not a drug you want to go near if you are in childbearing years. Most doctors won't prescribe it if there is a chance you could get pregnant, at least not without warnings... Lake Goddess Amy was on Enbrel when she discovered she was pregnant. And I know that Enbrel molecule does not pass through breast milk [have a research paper saved somewhere with that info] so it could be started again after delivery. Amy did not have remission during pregnancy and last we heard from her was one hurting puppy. Melissa was on Enbrel before conceiving Hope and I think she might pop in and give you her two cents. In both cases these ladies had trouble conceiving and the babies were surprises. Amy has two adopted Chinese babies and Melissa had tried lots of ways to conceive. Maybe the Enbrel helped them both. :) You might go to Google and try searching in the alt.support.arthritis newsgroup only - for info on arthritis and pregnancy. Stuff that was previously posted is still there. Years and years and years of it. Since you are new and not yet pregnant, you have to send all of your chocolate to us immediately. Just open your cup holder on the machine, insert the chocolate and hit send. Duckie [who would never take chocolate away from a pregnant lady] > Hello everyone. > [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > Kim  Signature_('> (_<_) _ _('< -quack (_<_) _ __('< *QUACK!* <_{__) _('< "|,,|_" (_<_) _('< "AFLAC!" (_<_) Rather than tell my whole life story...if you have a few questions I could answer I would be happy too. :) You can contact me by email if you'd like. melissa (who is flaring and is kissing her enbrel goodbye) >Welcome to the group. >Arava is not a drug you want to go near if you are in [quoted text clipped - 67 lines] >> >> Kim HI Duckie Thanks for the information. Well you can have my chocolate for the moment as I ate way too much of it on my honeymoon and really dont think I can eat much more of it for a while anyway :) With my age and having RA Im prepared for conception to be difficult if not impossible but I will definately look at the history for the newsgroup for further info so thanks for that Kim > Welcome to the group. > Arava is not a drug you want to go near if you are in childbearing years. [quoted text clipped - 61 lines] >> >> Kim |
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