Prednisolone for rheumatoid arthritis
Posted , 5 users are following.
i was diagnosed with RA a year ago and started on methotrexate but recently my blood test came back with abnormal liver function so I had to stop until my liver goes back to normal. In the meantime, I've been given 10 mg prednisolone to take. I tried taking 2 tablets of 5 mg in the morning but by late afternoon my pain returned so I'm wondering if I should take 5 mg in the morning and 5 mg in the evening as oppose to 2 tablets in the morning. If anyone has similar experience, please let me know. Also, I will be moving on to Avara after this cuz methotrexate messes up my liver. I'm 46 years old and according to research, 40% of RA patients will become disabled in ten years. I'm really worried as I live alone, single, no kids and parents have passed away. I really need to have this painful shxt of a disease under control!!! Thank you~
0 likes, 5 replies
Guest lisa63151
Posted
Dear lisa63151,
Sorry to hear you also have become a victim to this terrible decease and i hope the advice i give will help somewhat.
I too became very ill with RA 29 months ago , having a very active life living in Portugal cycling 200 kilometers a week , gym 3/4 times a week , and holding down a full time job as a chef my life changed virtually over night.
i was confined to the sofa in my apartment for about 2 weeks before my mother decided to get me back to the UK after the medical service's in Portugal let me down for the 3rd time.
I am now under a brilliant consultant at the Queen Elizabeth hospital Birmingham, and with his help i am now out of my wheelchair and have a reasonable active life. But i still can not work and i spend most of my time at home with my mom. I too was on Methotrexate, Prednisolon, and Hydrochloroquin, with steriod injections when needed , yes on all of that, but then again i was a very severe case. I also had Liver problems and was taken off the Methotraxate and the Hydrochlooquin , but was still on 12 mgs of Prednisolon. i now self inject once a week with Rhoatemera and have reduced the Pred to 5 mgs and this keeps the RA under control with the odd pain attacks now and again with some stiffness. I am now 55 and my mother is now 76 and i understand your fears of old age , i too will be left alone once my mother goes as i have no other family and it is a worry.I also have had other complications all due to the RA with my lungs especially . So having said all of that.....i am not sure of the severity of your RA , and i am hoping it is not as bad as mine, and i am sure if you chat with your Rheumy i am sure after a short time he will get it right, it does take time for the specialist to find the right combination of meds for you as we are all different case's no 2 are the same. And as for the research that is new's to me i will be asking questions next time i see my Rheumy, how ever the last time i saw him he seemed a little disappointed with my progress and went on to say that he thinks i will not get any better than i am now. However i am far much better than i was 2 years ago , and yes i have not changed much this past 12 months, so maybe he's right. Well i have babbled long enough , and i hope what i have told you has either given you some kind of idea as to were you are at the moment, but like i said i have no idea of your severity and i hope it is mild. Good luck for the future and i hope all goes well for you medically, i have confidence your specialist well help you on your journey to a better active and healthy life.
Andy.
carol303055 lisa63151
Posted
Hi Lisa, yep, one s**t disease. I think you should be taking your prednisolone as one dose but it's not a big dose. You may need more till your symptoms are better controlled. Are you taking anything else? Are you in the UK? I know lots of people do very well with Methotrexate but I had to stop it because it was causing lung fibrosis which was pretty scary. I also had to stop my biologic (Etanercept) at the same time because I had some underlying chest infection with the fibrosis. At that time I was taking 30mgs of prednisolone, for the lungs and the joints, and now I'm back on my injections I am reducing my prednisolone - now due to drop from 10mgs to 7.5mgs tomorrow. I would suggest you contact your Rheumatology team. They can't help you if they don't know. Do it today, there should still be time and if not your GP. Don't be fobbed off. Ask someone to ring you back today with some advice. Good luck. Carol x (UK)
Guest carol303055
Posted
Hi carol303055,
Brilliant advise !!,
I did not know how to put it my self to lisa63151....i too have had lung problems and was taken of my Bio's, and was put on 30 mgs of pred, i felt very funky with the first dose. It seems to me that lisa has not had good advice and seems very uninformed. I hope it allgoes well for her.
Andy.
twinnie0102 lisa63151
Posted
Hi lisa63151
I understand methotrexate is tried first as it's a very aggressive drug but has extreme side affects, if this fails then you progress through the other meds but I would suggest you ring your specialist RA nurse team and get an appointment with them as Increasing the pred may be the short term solution while you wait for your liver to recover and then push your Rheumy for the next course of action
I was diagnosed in mid 2012 and I am currently on injections (Abatacept) as all the other normal meds (currently on number 7) failed as they also increased my liver function - plus some were no use in controlling the inflammation
I am classed as severe RA, I also have what is described as chronic kidney failure (I only have one kidney but this is monitored by the renal team and it is in excellant health) so I have to be very careful on what I am given medication wise but I do have hope for the future as it can be very depressing while you find the correct medication
blair97497 lisa63151
Posted
Hi Lisa
sorry to hear about the liver issue.
Call your clinic to ask about doing anything other than as prescribed with the predisolone. As it is intervening in regulatory hormone production your system would normally be doing by itself, spitting that dose would really make things worse for your body's normal hormonal regulatory functions in your normal waking, sleeping and living, so do not take it into your own hands. It is not as simple as pain relief.
I understand how you want relief. Ask about the dose size. Ask the rheumatologist next time to tell you how prednisone works. There is good information online about it.
Re the potential for disability - we're all different. Untreated RA will gradually weaken our joints via the stretching caused by swelling and degradation caused by inflammation. Treated, we might do very well.
You need to talk to your rheumatologist about the study you have quoted, and your fears, and your personal situation. They may be able to refer you to wider support or guidance. I have seen a psychologist and discussed the way RA has made me feel, and she referred me to more useful information as well.
If it is possible, stay active. I aquajog a local pool. When things are not so good, its is a gentle way to get your muscles working. The movement helps ease the pain. Staying physically strong will make the inflammation's effects on your joints, bones and ligaments less likely to be disabling over time. Having said that I know it is a tricky balance, sometimes fatigue and pain are signs you have to rest and let things settle and we have to notice that too. It is a little confusing, but that's just the way it is I guess.
Good luck. If we are otherwise well and are under successful treatment we can be ok too.
Blair