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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009
Posts: 854
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Hi Jenni and welcome.
Eleanor x
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/6/2009
Posts: 81
Location: norfolk
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Hi Jenni
Big welcome from me to
Sue
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/8/2009
Posts: 35
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Hi Jenni, Welcome - really sorry you have RA - we all know it's an ongoing battle to accept you have a chronic condition. The good news is that the drugs can be fabulous. I take MTX and it did take 3 months to have any benefit but has just got better and better -I hope it is the same for you. I consider myself to be one of the young ones but alas I turned 40 a few months back so who am I kidding. I have 2 young children though so that keeps me young(ish) and gives me a purpose to get out of bed on those rough days. Like many others I take my MTX at the weekend so if I have any side efects I have some help around. Hope you enjoy the forum. Jo xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 11/28/2009 Posts: 238 Location: North London
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Hello Jenni. I'm just back online after network problems (hi everyone else)
I found mtx a reasonably effective drug at controlling the RA, made me feel about 50% better. But I did have nasty side effects, luckily not liver. I couldn't take more than 15mg without being violently sick, and was stuck on 12.5mg for ages (being nauseus and sometimes sick, but not so violently).
However, that wasn't good enough, especially in terms of disease control, so I had a 2nd DMARD, sulfasalazine added last winter, and it was grim, I got bedridden ill on that combo. I'm quite glad it all got so messy though to be honest, as failing on 2 DMARDS is what you have to do to go forward to anti-TNFs. Now I'm about 4 months into taking HUmira about and feel a good steady 90% of pre-diagnosis me. I am now reducing the MTX, currently down to 10mg to see if I can do without it.
hope that helps, good luck with consult next month. xfx (franky)
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Rank: Advanced Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/7/2009
Posts: 235
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Hi and welcome to the site.
Deb x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/10/2009 Posts: 89 Location: Braintree, Essex
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Hi Jenni,
Welcome to the forum, Im corinne, its been almost a year since Iv had R.A, Im 39yrs and been on mtx since the begining, they do it gradually and keep a close eye on things, it did help me a bit but I also needed something else! which is sulfursalzine, there are many choices of drugs so if one is not right for you they will try another, it gives me hope that if things stop working so well there is somewhere to go!!
I hope that you start to feel the benifits soon, keep posting as there is a wealth of knowledge on this forum.
love corinne xx
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/14/2009 Posts: 61 Location: Lancashire
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Hi Jenni, sorry about the ra, been using metho for several years now, does take some time to kick in . I'm afraid I could not manage the tablets and went onto injections, I have had no problems with this. I was taught how to do it and given all equipment needed. I take mine on a Sunday morning,( as I lost my job through the disease and am retired), and the day after taking it I feel quite tired and so that it doesnt mess up my weekend. I have blood tests every four weeks. I go to the hospital for mine as in the early days I had liver problems and the hospital reacts quicker than my gp clinic. But this also allows me to pick up my injections which are pre-loaded.
Hope things get better for you, John.
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/6/2009 Posts: 74 Location: North Lincolnshire
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Hi Jenni,
so sorry to hear you have this terrible illness, but welcome to the forum :)
i'm 16 and was diagnosed in August 2008, your symptoms at the beginning sound very much like mine! they started in my feet, went to my hands and soon all my joints were painful. i went on methotrexate straight away in tablet form, but they made me feel very sick, so i soon started taking it by injection which i found much better, i'm now at a point were i don't even feel the injection, i take it on a saturday evening and it's become the norm really! unfortunately the methotrexate didn't work alone for me, so in January 2009 i started another injection alongside methotrexate called etanercept (you have to go through loads of procedures because it has to be paid for by the council!)
are you on the tablets or injection?
i would say myself that a downside of methotrexate is the suppressed immune system, you can catch things much quicker than anyone else, so you have to be aware and make sure you wrap up wam when it's cold, otherwise you may find yourself ill very often. i have this problem because i'm still at school - there's germs flying around everywhere!
i hope the methotrexate is working for you and that it isn't long untill you have everything under control.
Hannah x
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Rank: Advanced Member  Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/3/2009 Posts: 872
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Hi Jenni - Welcome to the forum  Im Liz, 39 married with two daughters and have only been with the forum a few months but have had RA since i was 27. Hope you find it as useful as i do, and that the meds start to work well for you xx Look forward to chatting with you more, Take care ~ love Liz xxxxx
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Rank: Member
Groups: Registered
Joined: 12/23/2009
Posts: 15
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Hi Jenni
sorry to hear that you have RA. I was diagnosed with RA last year with the same symptoms as you and was presecribed MTX.. It has worked well for me, I take it after my evening meal on a Friday night sleep through any possible side affects - but Saturday is not the best of days and then I take folic acid on Sunday.
I have regular blood test. You will find everyone here will give you great support. Take care.
Jane
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