Arthritis Meds

Hi, I have been told I have RA/OA/Fibro. I had heart surgery in 2002, and since then have had severe flares of pain in the rib cage area. The docs have told me it's chest wall pain and nothing can be done. The rhuemy doc I saw twice, at a different place and is no longer available to me, prescribed predisone, Plaquenial (sp) and Avara. I never started the Avara, there would not have been any monitering, and the Plaquenial I took for 6 months, but was told to stop if I wanted my WLS surgery. I still take the predisone, it seems to be the only thing that helps. My sed rate is really high, my CRP is high, positive RF factor, these results are from 2002, no one has ran any of this blood work since then, the docs I see here tell me it's not necessary. I've tried to wean myself off the predisone, I take 5 mg a day, but the pain gets really intense. The WLS surgeon doesn't address the issue, he has done his work. I'm trying to find a PCP doc, I realize predisone is not a good thing, but for me it's not really a choice right now, till I can find a different way to address the pain, it never goes away, just better some days that others. So would I try a new arthritis doctor, the cardiologist that did the heart surgery told me it had nothing to do with him, the arthritis doc I saw there told me it had nothing to do with her, the last PCP I saw told me it was completely normal everybody that has chest surgery always has pain for the rest of their life, so everybody tells me it's not THEIR area, and I can't get help. Any ideas?? Sue O

Fibro requires the low dose of prednisone in order for you to function. You should recover from it within 2 years and then can go off the prednisone. It is just a waiting game with that disease. Hang in there.

Well that's what I thought, I know two other ladies that have Fibro only (right I know ONLY!!!lol) They both have been on low dose pred for a couple of years. So when this doc said this,when she came highly recommended, I was just stunned. Now I am on the hunt again to find a doctor that not only agrees but will actually prescribe it for me. Thanks for the reply and the support. Sue

Hi, I am pre-op for Lap band. I wanted RNY but due to my RA meds it was not an option at this time. I have RA/OA/fibro. I am on Methotrexate injections, Enbrel injections, Bextra and occasionally prednisone. I started on Arava and it worked great for the first year after Dx and then my RA got worst....so doc added MTX. Its the MTX which is a chemo drug. It robs me of B-vit leaving me with all the side effects, nausea, vomiting, mouth sores, eye sores and diarrhea. I don't know what the answer is but long term pred use it not it!!! You will become dependent on pred. this is one of the reasons I stay away from it. Has your doc tried to control your RA with one of the Biologic DMARDS such as Enbrel, Humira, Kinert or Remicaide. Enbrel has made a big difference for me though it needs the help of MTX. I take Enbrel injections twice weekly and take my MTX injection once a week. I am hoping once I am post op and get some weight off I will see some improvement. Prednisone is good when things get out of hand and you need to calm it down but not for long term use. My doc and I argued about this and I won! Not to mention it does rob you of bone mass over long periods of time. Even if you take calcium/vit D suppliments! Antoinette

I have RA and take a combination of Plaquenil (2AM,1PM) and a med called Azulphidin(2AM,2PM). This combo works great for me. The Azulphidin comes in a coated version for the stomach but your doc will have to request "no substitutions" on your prescription. My Rheumatologist prescribes this for me and it has kept me off Methotrexate for 2 years.

Have you ever tried Humira?.....ive been on it for a year now and it has been a godsend!.....maybe find a good RA doc and ask about it...I wish you luck!

To update, I saw a new rhuemy last week. He asked lots of questions, did a really poor range of motion exam, took x-rays of JUST my fingers and toes and told me I do not have RA. Told me to continue on the predisone IF I Wanted TO - come back in 3 months and see his PA. I asked about the pain and inflammation and he said, "well that's invisiable isn't it". I made an appt, but I don't know if I'm going back or not, I feel like that whole visit was a waste of my time and money. This doc is supposed to be the best one in Omaha NE. He also refused to give me a scrip for the predisone. I thank you all for the response tho.

Hi Sue, I have the same as you RA,fibro and so on. I take vicidin twice a day 5/500. I take a muscle relaxer flexiril at night.I take plaquenial twice a day,minocycline 100mg twice aday,ibuprofen 800mg 2or 3 times aday. I also take a stole sofner becouse the meds couse consipation. I have found that sometimes I have to switch up on the muscle relaxers and nabutol instead of ibuprofen. I build up a tolerance or something. I am still not completly pain free but its much better than it use to be. I also take zoloft for the depresstion. I just have a hard time excepting at 45 I can't do some of the things I would like. I had pain in my chest so bad I thought I might be have heart failure,I went to the ER and they said it was the fibro. Has your potasium been checked? I have heard that it can couse chest pain when it isn't normal. I hope you find what you need. Take care Deb

I appreciate the replies. I saw a PCP who insists that predisone ISN'T prescribed for arthritis and I need to stop taking it immediately. When I asked what to do about the pain/inflammation she just repeated herself about getting off the pred. My stomach is really messed up right now. I don't have any doctor that is giving me any answers or help.

Hi, I am pre-op for the Lap-Band and have suffered with RA for about 18 years. I presently take a low dosage of Prednisone and know you must be weened off or you can experience the feeling of set-back. Yes, it is very dangerous and you can bleed internally if you're not careful (I was in the hospital about 6 years ago for loss of blood and had to have 5 units of blood). If you're going to take medicine like Prednisone or Celebrex, make sure you eat something or drink milk to coat your stomach before taking. I also take Enbrel injections 2x/wk., Plaquenil at bedtime, Methotrexate 1x/wk., Celebrex 2x/d (I cut myself back from 3x/d to 2x/d on this about 8 mos. ago) & Folic Acid. As far as Humira or Enbrel goes I believe its what works for some, may not work for others. I wish I had an answer for everyone taking Celebrex, Vioxx or Bextra. I need one myself. I hope this was of help to you. Good Luck! Shahidah