Posted , 5 users are following.
Started methotrexate yesterday no obvious side effects yet, 15mg a low dose Rheumatology said along with folic acid, so that's now added to the sulfasalazine, the pleasures of having a chronic disease.
0 likes, 12 replies
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sherry29159 veronica_13496
Posted
Oh you are still on baby drugs! I am on maximum metho and hydrochorquine and now a bio rituximab oh and folic of course! Let's hope you don't need to go on higher doses. Good luck
veronica_13496 sherry29159
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Thanks, Rheumy said there are lots of drugs, hopefully I won't need them.
lyn1951 veronica_13496
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Take your folic acid 12 - 24 hours after your methotrextrate, the Dr should have made that clear for you, and so should your chemist if in doubt.
From my understanding, the MTX gives your Vit B levels a belting around in your system and the Folic Acid replaces that Vit B, you will notice the difference if you don't take the folic acid, sometimes I forget, and when my energy levels are trash, that reminds me.
Babyboomer27 lyn1951
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veronica_13496 lyn1951
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lyn1951 veronica_13496
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sherry29159 lyn1951
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lyn1951 sherry29159
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I am on 5 mg of Folic Acid x 2 times a week.
35mg of MTX so that is a pretty hefty dose, with leflunomide 10 mg as well, both are affect your immunine system, but I seem to cope with very little side effects, also my liver seems to cope very well, with monthly blood tests.
veronica_13496 lyn1951
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sherry29159 lyn1951
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lyn1951 sherry29159
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Sherry - No I am in Australia, under the care of an English trained rheumo, shes rather strange lady but she does seem to know what she is talking about, considered to be one of the better rheumo's in Queensland, or so I am told by my GP.
Biologicals are on the NO NO list for me, some because I have had a cancer and recovered, and also have a positive TB test, and that rules me out from other biologicals.
Leflunomide or Arava, is a drug that worked wonders for me when i was first put on it, at 10mg, so rheumo decided to put me on the higher dosage of 20mg, and blood pressure nearly killed me, I was very luckly I didn't have a stroke, it was a rare reaction and wasn't even on the GP's list of possibilities of what was going on at the time, and denied there could be any link. Still on 10mg of Leflunomide/Arava as rheumo finds it does help me.
I contacted the drug co with questions as the Arava was the only new drug that had been introduced and my blood pressure had been normal before I started on it.
Drug Co staff talked to me and asked what my GP's name and phone no, a hour later I got an abrupt phone call from my GP saying take no more of that Arava drug.
Chemist advised me a couple of weeks later, that an alert had come out on the drug that a small number of people could have serious blood pressure issues.
lyn1951 sherry29159
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Didn't anwser part of question, is RA under control, yes and no, I have very bad days, but most of the time I can manage to look after my husband, he is a heart failure patient, and we muddle through with what he can't do, I do, and what I can't do he does, we have worked it out.
I have had a double hip replacement, that has helped hugely with my ability to walk, but of course I have plenty of other issues as well, the next biggie is going to be my spine, the arthritis has eaten parts of my spine, I have ruptered discs and 2 bulging discs in my lower back, Dr's have told me it is only a matter of time before they will need surgical help.