Thanks for the insight, Alix.

Bonnie

Rose--gentle hugs and prayers also prayers for your mother and your family
caring for her--(sigh--how the plate overflows--sigh again)  {{{{{Rose}}}}}

Damn!  Good thing you and your sister were there.  you take care Rose - too
many things happening.

Will check the newsgroup tonight to see what is happening.

Kelly

prayers for your mom, you and family-

m

Rose, so sorry to hear of your mother's problems now.  Surely hope the
pacemaker will make a big difference.
Also hope your sister's hip soon heals and that your evil foot thing will
just disappear for good.
Gwen

You and your RD should work together while watching your bloodtests to get
the amount of Methx you take up enough to last all week.    Another thought
might be to add Arava to the Methx you take.   Some people have been able to
lower the amount of Methx taken each week after Arava has kicked in and it
can be taken in two different sizes.
    Its all about what it takes to control your immune system while keeping
your liver happy.   If I were taking Arava and Methx again,,, Milk Thistle
would be taken also because I could not get above 20 mg by shot without my
liver enaymes beginning  to move up.
Harv

I don't

Charlene,,,, Please make a copy of your own post and hand it to your RD.
Harv

Hi Charlene,

No, you did not hijack my thread.  We all learn from one another by
sharing experiences.

I have been on and off Mtx for over 20 years.  I started taking it
before it was FDA approved for treatment of RA.  The first time it was
like a miracle drug and worked almost immediately.  I took it for
approx. 5 years and had to go off of it because my LFT's were abnormal.
I have been on a maximum dosage of 20mg (8 pills) to 7.5mg.  The best
outcome was when I started Mtx. injectables (1999), but when it became
unavailable last year I switched back to pills.

Over the years I have been on and off Mtx depending on blood test
results.  I have been taking Celebrex for years now and always
supplemented X-tra strength Tylenol for pain.  Until last week Tylenol
was enough to take care of the pain.

When I started Enbrel 10 months ago it worked almost immediately.  I
was taking 20mg Mtx., but I gradually started tapering the Mtx. until I
went off of it two months ago (my decision).  I thought the Enbrel was
doing a fine job, so I didn't need the Mtx. (against dr's advice).
About one and half weeks ago I started noticing swelling in my hands,
feet, ankles, and my shoulders were sore.  My shoulders were the first
joints to become affected by RA, and the pain felt just as intense as
it did over 20 years ago.  Most of this appeared at night, so I thought
it was due to activity.  I decided to start the Mtx. again, but it was
too late.  The flare started with a vengeance less than a week ago, and
the pain was so intense I felt sick (first time since RA appeared in
1983).

Now that I am writing this I know I brought this on myself, but I
thought the honeymoon with Enbrel would last forever.  My RD does not
feel the Enbrel has stopped working, but feels I rebounded because I
stopped taking the Mtx.  I don't think he's very happy with me right
now.

I have always been anxious about taking Mtx. because of it's toxicity,
I get mouth sores, and it makes me quite sick for 1-2 days after I take
it.  I have tried every trick (and OTC's) to try to get rid of the
nausea and mouth sores, but nothing seems to help.  I now notice how
quickly I jumped to blame this on Enbrel.  I guess I thought Enbrel
alone could give me the relief I need.  <Sigh>

The pain is now slightly less intense.  I am still taking Celebrex,
using heat, rest and a pain med.  Standing in a hot shower with the
water on my shoulders also helps, but I can't stay in the shower all
day. lol  This coming weekend I'll take my next dosage of Enbrel and
Mtx.  Perhaps next week will be better.

I have always refused to take steriods in the past, but I may have to
reconsider.

Thanks for sharing your story.  I pray you find your magic treatment
and get the relief you need!

Yes, may we find a solution for all of us who suffer from this
horrendous disease!
Bonnie

Sunny and Charlene,

I just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you both. Sending lots of
hugs your way and healing vibes also. I hope you both find something that
really works well for you.

That used to happen to me so my RD upped the dose  I have been as high
as 38 mgs of mtx. Note that some new drugs will likely be available
next year and they look good for folks who are not responding well to
anti-tnf. Orencia (abatacept)  should be out soon it was approved by
the FDA advisory panel and they are just waiting for the final full
approval.   Should be out early in 06.   Rituxan is also fairly close
there was an October 31 announcement that FDA would give the drug
piriority review which means a decision in 6 months.   It is also a
good one for Anti-tnf non responders, so don't lose hope there are
several more in the pipeline some very soon!   I failed many until
Remicade put arthur to sleep.  

This is from Yahoo news:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Biotech companies Biogen Idec Inc. and Genentech Inc.
said Monday that the Food and Drug Administration will a grant
priority review for their drug Rituxan to treat rheumatoid arthritis,
while shares of Biogen got an added lift from an analyst upgrade on an
anticipated drug reintroduction.

Shares of Biogen rose $2, or 5.2 percent, to $40.49 in afternoon
trading on the Nasdaq. Shares plummeted from a 52-week high of $70 in
February after the company pulled the rheumatoid arthritis and
multiple sclerosis treatment Tysabri from the market over fears of a
rare brain disease, eventually hitting a 52-week low in June of
$33.18. Biogen marketed Tysabri along with Elan Corp. Biogen shares
are down 39 percent so far this year.

The FDA's priority decision on Rituxan means the agency will make a
decision about the rheumatoid arthritis indication within six months
instead of the standard ten months. This follows on an announcement
last week that Rituxan received priority review to treat cancer of the
immune system. Biogen and Genentech are seeking approval to treat
patients with rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disorder, who have
not responded to other therapy.

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