Hi Bigi...sorry to hear you are in pain! I started on Mtx and Pred while I waited for insurance to approve the Enbrel. I love Mtx...it has been the only thing that seems to constantly work for me...however, it did make me nausious at first. Now I take an Aciphex with my weekly dose and I am fine. I started seeing an improvement after about a month. Best of luck to you!

Bigi- I was on MTX for 2 months and various doses of prednisone with no result AT ALL! Off the charts pain 12 hrs out of 24.The other 12 were bearable but bad. . Then my doctor jacked my prednisone up to 40 mgs from 30 and overnight I was 95% well! The next time I went for my blood work I was in remission and stayed that way for nearly a year. Best of luck to you in finding relief!

OH I forgot. Then I tapered down to 2 mgs of Prednisone but MTX and Folic acid were the only other drugs.

Right now, I am on prednisone (4 pills) plus arthrotec - my enbrel is not working. I'll probably start Rituxan soon.

The roller coaster continues.

Lynne

Hi LMarrie!

Who is your Rheumy. I need another one. I am willing to drive into Houston if he/she is good.

I talked to quiet a few people woh have tried WEnbrel and sopme of the other Bios and they all said that they have not helped. I hear all the time how good the MTX along with pred is. It is probably also a little bit safer. I mean it's been around since the 40s

Hi Bigiblue,
I've only had prednisone for 10 days now (and just one dose of MTX, just started) and the pred has helped me, too. Amazing how it can help so fast.
Hope today was better for you-

Hi Susie
how long have you had RA? Do you have it all over your Body or just in some parts? I was dx last Dec'08 and am in the early stages of it, maybe that's why the Pred is so fast. Keep me posted how you do on the MTX. I want to go home in May(germany)and don't want to take it yet incase I have any side effects and then can't go to a Dr. They only take cash over there.

I started on mtx and prednison right away. I noticed relief from the prednisone real quickly. After one month the doctor increased the Mtx, and about 2 months later my inflammation levels increased so he added immuran. I have to see him again next week and have more bloodwork. I think I will end up on one of the injectibles because I am having a fair amount of pain. It's manageable, but I'm a lot more aware of it. I've been lucky with side effects and haven't had too many. Good luck to you!

I started prednisone yesterday and it is working well! I have had cortisone shots in my hip and shoulder in the past and they worked great. When the pain gets bad,I do what I have to do to cope!

Can I ask -and please excuse my ignorance, but doesn't Prednisone/cortizone destroy your bones? I as given a horrid lecture about this recently. They also suggested that it would tear up my gut too. I promise I am not debating-heck, I have been taking it for nine months but if you can get away with something else is it better?

Hi Kiddaw

Yes pred will cause bonedeterioation, but like you said if the Pain is so bad that you can't even hold a cup even put on a bra, the that's what I will take. I don't feel bad elsewhere. My Pharmacit told me if I can give the pred a rest for at least 25 days in between then that will be ok. I also do Yoga,swim, and take Citrical and all my other Vitamins. I also started taking MSM, and they said thay would take about 2 month to start working.(for OA mostly), but who knows maybe it will help me also a little with the RA so I won't be on Pred all the time. I take Motrin ever once in a while if I have a little pain between flares which they are now about a month apart. I am still on Dr. Weils antiflammatory diet. I pray alot.

Yes Kiddaw I would much rather not take a steroid. I have had a few cortisone injections, one in my hip and one in my shoulder. The doctors try to avoid giving these shots as they weaken the tendons, but the relief they provide after days of pain, when nothing else will work cant compare! I also think it takes a lot of injections to really cause damage.
I am on Prednisone (first time, day 3) right now and after a few days of major suffering it is amazing! I will get off it as soon as possible (tomorrow is the last day) as I worry about taking drugs that may be damaging. I do what I need to cope! I am still seeking a diagosis, firt specialist vist diagonosis was early RA and or possible crystal induced polyarthritis like CPPD. That was back in 2005 I have been doing my own thing...taking celebrex when I got bad and it usually worked but a few times a year I get really bad...so here I am! Going back to the specialist again!

sorry bout the flare. mtx didnt really give me any relief and over the years of taking pred for the flares had its own bad affects. on Enbrel now and im doing well on it along with Tramadol Hope you feel better

Sometimes Prednisone is a necessary evil. I take heavy duty calcium supplements to ward off the bone damage per the doctor's instructions. He says 5 mgs a day is a safe dose IF YOU HAVE TO. My goal is not to have to. You have to get the right med cocktail to achieve that.

I have been on mtx for nearly 2 yrs now. i notice no side effects with any of my meds, except for pain going away. i guess. everyday i hurt. i wonder if i did stop everything how i would then feel. now i am waiting to try enbrel. no remission in sight. sorry, but thats for me, wish you best of luck. oh yeah im sorry, the only noticeable side effect is hair loss. no bald spots, just clogged drains and hairy brush!!! i have long hair, i know it used to be thicker, but im not to complain much since im fine as long as my hair dosent completely fall out!!