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Medical Forum / Diseases and Disorders / Arthritis / September 2005Drug cocktail rambling and questions
It is very strange to me to be passing middle age now; and to be experiencing the things I am. RA diagnosed a few months back. So here I am, sitting in front of my computer, reading, studying. I hurt every day, all the time... but now that this is normal, I question what pain is... because it does not seem to hurt any more.. it is just "there" all the time. I am taking what sounds to be a typical regiment of drugs... MTX (20mg p/wk), Prednisone (15mg p/dy), Folic acid (1mg p/dy). I take grapeseed extract, and B12. I may soon start Enbrel. 2X50mg p/wk (we shall see). So here is the deal; I feel drugged all of the time. Drugged, like when I was a kid and in the aftermath of a day of experimenting with stuff that was common in the late 60's and 70's. I feel like crap now, more so than back then. I have days where the numbness is overwhelming, like I could stick a pin in myself an barely feel it. I am starting to lose my appetite even though I am eating predisone for breakfast. I am moving into my first round of sickness while on all of this crap... I have a chest cold and am coughing my brains out. So I am anticipating the doc may shoot me up with some additional vaccines or meds of one type or another. Sorry for the R&R (rant-ramble)... my questions is related to the above: Anyone else feel like they are in a drug haze every day? Will the Enbrel make the haze worse? Will flu vaccines and pneumonia shots add on to the haze? Thanks in advance for listening and your feedback. CQB > So here is the deal; I feel drugged all of the time. Drugged, like when > I was a kid and in the aftermath of a day of experimenting with stuff > that was common in the late 60's and 70's. I feel like crap now, more > so than back then. I hate to say this but that is part of what takes place with what we have is not controlled enough. I have days where the numbness is overwhelming, like > I could stick a pin in myself an barely feel it. I am starting to lose > my appetite even though I am eating predisone for breakfast. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > anticipating the doc may shoot me up with some additional vaccines or meds > of one type or another. In my world,,, it does sound like you need a pretty good size shot of steroid in your rear. > Sorry for the R&R (rant-ramble)... my questions is related to the above: This is the place for it CQB........ > Anyone else feel like they are in a drug haze every day? It could be just part of inflam.arth. There is a small war going on with your immune system. Please get as much actual rest/or sleep as you can. > Will the Enbrel make the haze worse? NO.... It put a stop to it for me. > Will flu vaccines and pneumonia shots add on to the haze? That is something for you to work out with RD and family doctor with both of them being fully informed. > Thanks in advance for listening and your feedback. > > CQB If you are new to ASA,,,, Welcome,,,,, if not,,,, know that many here have been or are where you are. Good luck with the Enbrel. Harv Hi CQB, I'm sorry that you are feeling so badly right now. I am on 20mgs of MTX per week, Enbrel, 10mgs of prednisone per day, 2000mgs of Azulfidine per day, Soma to sleep and Ultram for pain, and leucovorin to fight the side effects of MTX. (Usually the 50mgs is once per week on the Enbrel, while 25mgs is twice per week). It took two and a half years for me to get to my current cocktail, and I have to say that finally, just this week I am starting to feel better. Should you be taking the MTX with a chest cold? That's my first question...I know that Enbrel is usually stopped with any type of cold, flu or infection. Second, I felt (sometimes, still do feel) exhausted all the time-every minute of the day-until I started Enbrel. Within a few weeks of starting it, I felt relief from the extreme fatigue. For me, that was half the battle-how we can we fight a disease like RA or in my case Ankylosing Spondylitis, when we are exhausted all of the time. For me, it was a requirement to get the flu and pneumonia shots before starting Enbrel. Neither one caused me any problems. I am only 37, so it was very hard for me to accept that I have some form of arthritis, to me, prior to my diagnosis, arthritis was an old person's disease. I have to say that now, 2.5 years after all of this started-I am finally starting to feel better. I know that it's hard, but hang in there....go for the Enbrel-it's worth a try, right?? For me, I would've taken anything-I was so tired of feeling exhausted and in pain, pain pain. Have you been dealing with this for a long time now? (I know, even a few days seems like forever when you're tired and in pain, right?). I hope that, together, you and your RD can find a cocktail/combo that works and is right for you. Good luck to you, CBQ ((hugs)) Charlene >Anyone else feel like they are in a drug haze every day? >Will the Enbrel make the haze worse? >Will flu vaccines and pneumonia shots add on to the haze? If Enbrel works well you might be able to cut back or stop some of your other meds. I don't feel I am in a drug haze, Methotrexate gives me a hangover the day after I take it. Hopefully with Enbrel you will be able to cut back on the mtx. Prednisone gives me a speedy feeling if you control the inflammation you should be able to reduce prednisone. I am on Remicade, mtx, plaquinel and was in remission for almost 4 years. -- MZ Visit my website: http://www.mzuschlag.com Thank you all for your responses and reassurance. I am uncertain how to take this new phase of my life. I sure do like MZ's approach!! Rafting down the Grand Canyon. Very inspiring, and looks like a lot of fun. > Thank you all for your responses and reassurance. I am uncertain how to > take this new phase of my life. I sure do like MZ's approach!! Rafting > down the Grand Canyon. Very inspiring, and looks like a lot of fun. I am a recent arrival to this group due to circumstances similar to yours. I am not certain that drugs are the answer, though I am experimenting with different approaches. In the last few months, I noticed a dramatic worsening of my symptoms, especially pain in the shoulders. I took the meds my orthopedist prescribed... went for physical therapy... even went to see an acupuncturist. Nothing helped much. As you say, the pain was just there. I began thinking back to any changes I might have made in my diet or lifestyle to bring this worsening of symptoms on. Finally it dawned on me. I had added chocolate to my diet after reading about its blood pressure lowering benefits (it really does work). I removed chocolate from my diet two days ago. My pain is at about a tenth of what it had been after two days off chocolate. Clearly, there is some connection, at least in my case, between certain foods and the severity of symptoms. Like you, I hate the feeling of being drugged all the time. You may want to investigate dietary substances as a possible cause of your symptoms, or at least of their relative severity. I also find that daily exercise (walking for an hour) makes me feel a lot better. So you may not need to actually go rafting down the Grand Canyon to get the beneficial effects of exercise. Of all the various meds I've taken over the years, Mobic seems to work best for long-term control of pain. Good luck. Wanderer Well, I seem to have licked this cold. In fact, I am feeling really fantastic today. Just the normal stuff of RA, but without the drug haze. I had an ankle surgery 3 months ago and I finally feel like I am able to walk steadily again. Regarding diet and excercise. Now that I can walk near normal I will start walking my dogs again. I can't wait! My daughter just started working at a newly opened Whole Foods Market and I am going to revamp my diet back to organic and whole foods. I was doing that for quite some time a couple of years ago.. for about 9 or 10 months. I felt great in so many ways. RA visit in a couple of weeks to draw blood and talk about the meds. We shall see what she has to say. Regarding accupuncure. Wanderer: How many treatments did you have? Was there any notable benefit in any way, shape or form? I am on the verge of scheduling treatment with a local Chinese Dr who practices both modern and ancient treatments. Thank you some much to you all. I appreciate your comradary in this new and abstract phase of my life. > Regarding accupuncure. Wanderer: How many treatments did you have? Was > there any notable benefit in any way, shape or form? I am on the verge > of scheduling treatment with a local Chinese Dr who practices both > modern and ancient treatments. It's great to hear that you are feeling better. To answer your acupuncture question, I went for about six sessions (not cheap here at about $100 a pop). It helped tremendously with two problems I was having at the time neck and back pain. In fact, I was somewhat amazed at the results. After the treatments my blood pressure was down and the severity of the pain in those areas was way less. In fact, the neck pain vanished altogether and the back pain became almost negligible. I have had success with acupuncture over the years for various pain-inducing ailments. However, this guy was not able to help with the shoulder pain despite working on it for four weeks. The best I got was only temporary relief. The shoulder pain only went away when I discontinued chocolate. This particular acupuncturist also uses herbs. He gives me a little sack of them after every treatment. I stopped taking them after the first few weeks. First of all, I had no idea what I was taking, and second, they tasted dreadful. My philosophy is, you shouldn't have to live in pain. So when you are feeling pain, you should try anything you can think of to alleviate it. Acupuncturists. Diet changes. Physical therapy. Yoga. Tai chi. Meditation. A new bed. A new desk and chair. More baths. Whatever. If I have to take drugs, I take them... but I try to take as few as possible. Wanderer |
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